Your Voice Your World, page 41, encourages girls to visit Amnesty International and Population Council, both support abortion. Click here to see page scan: http://speaknowgirlscouts.com/web_images/po_fund.jpg

Amaze, p 14, asks 6-8th grade girls to watch the movie Clueless, rated morally offensive by the USCCB for giving “the impression that there is nothing wrong with teenagers experimenting with sex, drugs and alcohol. Ridicule of virginity, implied affairs and casual substance abuse by adolescents.” See page scan here, http://speaknowgirlscouts.com/web_images/scan0002.bmp See USCCB review here. http://old.usccb.org/movies/c/clueless.shtml

On WAGGGS website (which GSUSA refers girls to regularly, both in Journeys and online). Example of Journeys sending girls to WAGGGS website: http://www.100questionsforthegirlscouts.org/100/documents/GS_YVYWan.PDF Here is the link the AIDS curriculum showing a “fun” pink condom baseball hat. http://speaknowgirlscouts.com/web_documents/cartoon_condom_pic.pdf The curriculum is for age 10 and up. Regardless of what you believe about condoms, is this really appropriate for a ten year old?

Here is a screenshot of WAGGGS promoting safe, affordable, accessible abortion, emergency contraception and sexual rights for youth right on their website. http://www.100questionsforthegirlscouts.org/100/documents/GS_WGAan.PDF

In “Girltopia” (released in 2008) page 10, for girls in 9th and 10th grade, the book The Gate To Women’s Country and author Sheri S Tepper are promoted. I have heard that this reference will be removed on reprint but for now it’s still available and it’s been in girls hands for four years. This GSUSA recommended resource is full of the f-bomb (as a verb), prostitution, forced sterilization, orgies, and more. Please see GS page scan promoting this book, and some excerpts from Gate to Women’s Country. http://speaknowgirlscouts.com/web_documents/girltopia.pdf I am confident even “non-extremist” would find this offensive.

What else do you need Linda to see that I am only sharing facts? I have many, many more examples of these GS approved resources and relationships that not only conflict with our Catholic teachings, but many non-Catholic families take offense to as well. Why would anyone lie about this?

If a Catholic extremist is someone who is concerned about girls being exposed to the information I have provided, then I proudly accept your label. I will stand for the Church’s teachings, I will continue to warn families about these issue. Name calling is a common tactic when a person is unable to defend their position with facts. Perhaps you can do a little research or ask some questions, before accusing your fellow Catholic (I assume you are Catholic) ~ as you can see I am sharing the truth about the GS curriculum. Praying that your Lenten journey is full of light. Christ’s peace be with you.

In the case of the Girl Scouts, the situation is quite different. We are voluntarily choosing to affiliate with an organization which is transmitting values to our children that are contrary to the Church’s teachings. Herein lies the danger and my concern. While I have no choice but to purchase my electricity from the local power company, I do have a choice about who is going to teach values to my daughters. This is a very different matter.

You label me an “extremist” because I take my faith seriously and attempt to align the actions of my life with the teachings of the Church and Scripture. You presume that I have no friends with differing views or work with no one who has different beliefs from those I hold. Your presumption, which I suspect was offered sarcastically and not sincerely, is of course not correct. What is true, however, is that I do my best through my actions and example to shine light on the darkness I find in the hearts of those who have yet to discover the love of Christ and the truth of the Gospel message. I do my best to live in the world while not being of the world. It’s not easy, especially when one has to justify this faith to a fellow Catholic. However, I take solace in the fact that Jesus told us that to follow him we must embrace his cross. I’m comforted to know that to endure the unfair judgements of others – especially other Catholics – is simply part of this embrace.

My understanding of being a Catholic Christian means that I have an obligation to take a stand against evil in the world and to do so with patience and love. Our Church teaches that contraception and abortion are evil. As such, I must take a stand against organizations that promote these evils, either blatantly or subtlety. While I don’t believe that every local Girl Scout chapter is promoting values that oppose our faith, it is clear that the national organization is doing so. As such, it’s important for me, being aware of these facts, to call them out and help others to see what is going on so they can make informed choices over who they choose to affiliate with. For me it’s a matter of conscience in the same way that I also feel compelled by my faith to participate in prayer vigils to end abortion and to protest outside a Planned Parenthood facility.

Bottom line, it’s important that we take our faith seriously and do our best to live it. We are warned in Revelation 3:15-16 that Christ will spit out those who are lukewarm in their faith. I pray that you will take some time during Lent to reflect on your call as a Catholic to be an “extremist” in the faith as well. May God bless you, Linda.

I also invite all Conservative Catholics to visit our FB site: Catholic Tea Party.
P.S. Congrats on your wt loss! Tell us more about how you did it!

As for buying cookies, I can’t cancel my order – a little girl at my church depends on it this year & she’s too young to understand why I would do that. However, next year I’ll have to politely (and sadly) decline.

Heavenly Father, protect our little ones… all of them.

It is unfortunately true that over the past decade Planned Parenthood has worked particularly hard to develop a closer relationship, though not formal in nature, with Girl Scouts USA (GSUSA). The “Boycott List” published by Life Decisions International cites the Girl Scouts as “allow[ing] Planned Parenthood access to members.” As a result, some parents have decided to support an alternative Christian organization called Heritage Girls – http://www.ahgonline.org/. Other parents, though, instead of abandoning the organization that they have invested much time in over the years, have become more keenly attentive to what is going on within the Girl Scouts and are committed to being a counter influence for its good, remaining vigilant for any signs of undue influence by the likes of such organizations as Planned Parenthood.

Locally, we have one such committed Girl Scout mother who has accepted this challenge and is now working at the national level as well to help protect the integrity of the organization. It is her opinion, and one shared by the bishop, that it is not time to abandon ship, but time to stand up as Catholics and to witness to our faith and to defend the principles consistent with this faith within the Girl Scouts. Pasted below is a very informative article by Denver Auxiliary Bishop James Conley who addressed concerns about the Girl Scouts of America. Bishop Stika’s thoughts on the Girl Scouts do not differ from Bishop Conley’s and he also echoes his cautions as well.

As Bishop Conley points out, “parents, as the primary educators of their children, have every right to insist that their beliefs, especially their moral and religious beliefs, be respected-not undermined-by the organizations to which they entrust their children. Parents need to remain alert to the content of their daughters’ activities. And Catholics involved in the Girl Scouting movement should make it clear to leadership that Scouting is only a means to an end-the proper formation of young character. It’s not an end in itself; and should Scouting ever fail in that proper formation, other groups can be found or formed to take its place.”

So while not remaining naïve of what has been occurring within the Girl Scouts at the national level, and no doubt within some councils and chapters in the U.S., parents are called to be vigilant, as they should be with their children’s education in our public schools where Planned Parenthood also endeavors to impress its agenda and vision upon impressionable minds.

The good about Girl Scouting, and a caution http://www.archden.org/index.cfm/ID/6190

June 1, 2011 – For many Catholics, Scouting is one of the best memories of childhood-and for good reason. It’s a time of fun, friendship and adventure. That was certainly my own Boy Scout experience.

At its best, Scouting forms the young person in a spirit of service. It creates a sense of duty to the wider community. It also builds character and cultivates civic virtue.

So it’s no surprise that many Catholic parishes sponsor Boy and Girl Scout troops. And they’ve done so, with great results, for decades. Plus, when it comes to the Girl Scouts, who can argue with the best cookies in the world?

Over the past year though, a growing number of Catholic parents and youth ministers have shared a concern with me. And it deserves some discussion.

Their unease involves the Girl Scouts, and especially the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).

Youth ministers are quick to note that Scouting’s structure allows for a lot of autonomy. Girls make up local troops. Troops make up councils. And nationwide councils make up Girl Scouts USA (GSUSA).

GSUSA and a few other large organizations make up WAGGGS. Each local council or troop determines what’s appropriate for its specific needs. Each troop leader decides what members see.

Nonetheless, what happens at the international and national levels of Scouting has an important trickle-down effect. This is exactly why “pro-choice” organizations have worked to develop connections with the Scouting movement.

Parents would be wise to spend some serious time browsing the WAGGGS (www.wagggsworld.org) and GSUSA websites, following the links they find there, and examining for themselves how these organizations deal with sexuality, “choice” and reproductive issues. It may be a sobering experience.

As one youth minister recently wrote:

“It’s hard to imagine that a girl who remains involved with Girl Scouts into young adulthood won’t eventually learn of the connections her organization has with ‘pro-choice’, pro-contraception and ‘reproductive freedom’ groups.

Having been influenced by GSUSA, she’ll be more receptive to this agenda. And if she was introduced to GSUSA through her parents and her local parish, then that will inevitably create contradictions between her Catholic faith and her Scouting experience.”

The many good things offered by Girl Scouting in Colorado deserve praise from the Catholic community. Scouting and the Church have always had, and hopefully will continue to have for many years, a very positive relationship.

But parents, as the primary educators of their children, have every right to insist that their beliefs, especially their moral and religious beliefs, be respected-not undermined-by the organizations to which they entrust their children.

Parents need to remain alert to the content of their daughters’ activities. And Catholics involved in the Girl Scouting movement should make it clear to leadership that Scouting is only a means to an end-the proper formation of young character.

It’s not an end in itself; and should Scouting ever fail in that proper formation, other groups can be found or formed to take its place.

** The Register editors welcome comments about Scouting in general and the Girl Scouts in particular; the experiences of parents with Scouting; and examples of Scouting at its best. Email editor@archden.org.

Most Rev. James D. Conley is auxiliary bishop of the Denver Archdiocese.

Hi, and welcome to the Catholic Blogs list. I’m RAnn and I host a weekly meme called Sunday Snippets–a Catholic Carnival in which Catholic bloggers gather to share posts with each other. I’d like to invite you to join. This week’s host post is at http://rannthisthat.blogspot.com/2011/09/sunday-snippets-catholic-carnival_17.html