Pentagon Can No Longer Sponsor Boy Scouts

By Sam Bakken in News on Nov 15, 2004 9:38PM

Today, in a settlement reached regarding a suit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, the Defense Department agreed to warn U.S. military bases worldwide that they cannot sponsor Boy Scout troops. The suit claimed that the government supported a group that requires members to believe in God. DOD employees and other service members can continue to lead troops on their own time and troops can also continue to hold meetings on military bases in areas designated for civilian organizations.

The Defense Department said they've forbid sponsorship of non-federal organizations for years, but ACLU lawyers showed copies of three Boy Scout charters granted to three U.S. military bases. The ACLU originally brought the suit against the City of Chicago, the Department of Defense and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The City of Chicago settled, agreeing to not officially sponsor Boy Scout activities.

Chicagoist prayed really hard, but God wasn't answering his phone. His spokesperson Jesus H. Christ said, through gritted teeth, that while they are disappointed in the ruling, "the ACLU, those pinko atheist commies, will receive their just deserts through an eternity spent in hell with all the fire, the wailing and the screaming."