Scouts Challenged Over Discrimination against Non-Believers

The Scouting Association is to be challenged over its discriminatory policy against non-believers.

The senior executives of the National Secular Society and British Humanist Association met their counterparts at Scout HQ on 24 January 2008, having previously sent them a well-argued submission. Our main demand was for the religious oath to be made optional. The Chief Executive of the Scout Association made clear at the meeting that the Scout Association was not prepared to reconsider their stance on this. The NSS offered to fund a poll of Scouts to find out if they supported the continuation of the ban on non-believers, but this offer was turned down. We are convinced that Scouts, if asked an open question, would not want to continue the discrimination.

Keith Porteous Wood, Executive Director of the National Secular Society said: “The Scout’s exclusion of the growing number of children and young people without religious beliefs flies in the face of the reality of religious adherence in the UK. Two-thirds of teenagers define themselves as non-religious, and the only way they can join the Scouts is to lie. It is intolerable that they should be put in this position to join what is often the sole youth organisation in many areas.

“On their website, Scouts claim to be 'open to all', but they are not; and 'inclusive'”.

Mr Porteous Wood added: “We acknowledge the Scouts do a tremendous job, and are convinced that, if asked, most Scouts would not want to continue to exclude their non-religious comrades. Keith Porteous Wood has now raised the matter directly with Trevor Phillips, Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, to put pressure on the Scouting Association to change its policy and come in line with modern thinking on discrimination.

The joint submission and letter following the meeting