They give theri side and here it is...
I wrote to the ACLU and let them know how I feel about their recent court dealings with the Boy Scouts of America and here is what I got back, un-edited..
Dear Friend,
Thank you for your e-mail.
As you know, the ACLU is committed to defending the religious freedom of all Americans and keeping our national tradition of religious diversity alive and well.
This latest controversy over the Boy Scouts has been portrayed by many in the media as a continuing effort by the ACLU to attack religious freedom. But you should know that the ACLU has frequently gone to bat for organizations and individuals seeking to protect their rights to religious liberty.
For example, we have sued to defend the right of conservative Christian activists to broadcast on public access television and we have filed a brief in support of two women who were fired for refusing to work at a greyhound racetrack on Christmas Day. We have also sued to protect the right of a Jewish student to wear a Star of David pendant at school and we offered to back the Reverend Jerry Falwell in his 2001 challenge to Virginia laws restricting ownership of church property.
Most recently, the ACLU argued and won a case in Pennsylvania defending members of an Amish community in Pennsylvania who were being forced by the state to mark their buggies in a manner offensive to their religious beliefs. The ACLU has also defended the right of a Baptist ministers to conduct baptisms at a public park in Michigan and Virginia.
In the specific case about the Boy Scouts, the ACLU objected to Defense Department (DOD) sponsorship of Boy Scout troops and packs because government employees were being required to enforce by two Boy Scout rules related to religion.
The first rule required that government employees exclude any youth from membership in the Boy Scouts or Cub Scouts simply because they do not believe in God. Additionally, the Boy Scouts require troop and pack leaders to compel youth to swear an oath of duty to God.
By holding charters to operate Boy Scout troops and Cub Scout packs, government employees acting in their official capacities administered a religious oath and practiced religious discrimination. The ACLU of Illinois successfully argued that such direct government sponsorship of Boy Scout units violates the religious liberty of youth who wish to participate but do not want to express a belief in God.
The Department of Defense has now agreed to cease direct sponsorship of hundreds of Boy Scout units on military facilities across the United States and overseas in a negotiated settlement agreement submitted to a federal court in Chicago.
The settlement does not stop off-duty DOD employees, on their own time, from sponsoring Boy Scout units. Also, Boy Scout units not sponsored by DOD still will have access to military facilities made available to other non-governmental entities.
For more information on this case, please visit the ACLU of Illinois website at: www.aclu-il.org
Unfortunately, because of the volume of mail we receive, we cannot engage in a debate with email correspondents about this issue. But we invite you to participate in our online forum at: http://forums.aclu.org, where you can fully express you opinions.
We are sorry you do not agree with us on this issue. The ACLU does handle a wide range of issues, and we hope we will be able to work together on issues with which we both agree.
Sincerely,
D. Barber
Correspondence Manager, American Civil Liberties Union
This is posted in fairness to both sides of a story..