Rejecting Radical Feminism In Girl Scouts

As Alyssa got older and Chase joined Cub Scouts, Alyssa and I started wondering about scouting for her. I remember Brownies fondly from when I was younger and I always assumed that if I had a daughter, we would become involved in Brownies/Girl Scouts.

I went to the Girl Scouts website to see at what age Alyssa could join Brownies and was I in for a surprise. Girl Scouts was not as I remembered it! A little more research not only confirmed major changes but frankly sickened me.

From the removal of "God" to the horrifying links with abortion-providers Planned Parenthood to the New Age emphasis in the Scouting activities, I uncovered far more than I wanted to know.

The Girl Scouts website seems to have been recently re-designed and now I find no mention of God or country, just a list of programs designed to right all that is wrong with girls in our society. The Girl Scout research arm has uncovered that half of all girls are not interested in leadership, for example, a problem the Girl Scouts intends to fix, not respect. Increasing self-esteem, science and math skills and leadership roles may be noble goals for some girls. Are we not respect "diversity" among girls, however?

What about girls who enjoy traditional homemaking activities and want to learn more about them, in the earliest tradition of the Girl Scouts? Is it possible that one can increase a girl's self- esteem by teaching her that it is OK to honor her deepest urging to nurture, create and care for others by having babies and running a comfortable, hospitable household?

No, clearly the Girl Scouts, like most of modern American society, has completely devalued traditional women's roles and along with that, traditional women. Must they wonder why girls have low self-esteem when they are made to feel bad about everything they are (loving, better at languages than math, not wanting to be a leader or whatever the latest issue is) and they are constantly exposed to media images that encourage them to devalue their very bodies? Throw into the mix mothers who are too busy to mentor and fathers who are frequently absent or at least devalued and what could you expect but "low self-esteem"?

The current "Me" emphasis (the name of their current campaign) on the site replaces an emphasis on community. Global citizenship replaces learning about and serving America. Mothers and fathers are replaced by "trusted adults".   Most of all, worship of God is replaced by worship of the self, being passed on from the leadership of the Girls Scouts (represented by many feminist activist) to the girls they are indoctrinating serving.

The only good news to come of the Girl Scouts abandonment of traditional principles is the emergence of a Christian alternative for girls and their families.  American Heritage Girls is a Christian scouting experience for girls that is growing around the country.  We may end up chartering our own group here although is one chapter about 30 minutes away from us that I know of at this time.

If you are considering Girl Scouts for your daughter,  just know that the Girls Scouts of today may not be the same as the Girls Scouts you remember.

Read this interesting article about a mom who likes the American Heritage Girls for her special-needs daughter.

More on the history of the major changes in the Girl Scouts:

Girl Scouts New Radicalism 
National Review's The Cookie Crumbles
Pro-Abortion Feminist Scouts

Thanks to Mommy Life for the historical links.

What's Wrong With Children's Devotionals?- Part 1

 I spent a long time looking for a children's devotional book that the children and I could do together to supplement our homeschooling.  I even purchased a few child devotionals that seemed interesting and easy to use.  Unfortunately, I was disappointed each time.  Something seemed to me to be missing.  I agreed with the basic premises found in the books (do not steal, do not lie, obey your parents), but the books seemed overly condemning and moralistic with little explanation. Most of all, the child devotionals I purchased did not seem to offer any advice of HOW the child was to accomplish the moral righteousness prescribed through its stories.

As I matured as a Christian, I came to understand what was missing from the child devotionals- GRACE.  I was learning firsthand of the importance of grace and asking God for an extra measure of his help in teaching my children about grace so that we can learn and grow together.

Although I want my children to be well-versed in the commands of our mighty God as he has laid out in his Scripture, I want all of us to avoid the traps of legalism or false self-righteousness.   The Lord has been gracious and shown me my tendency to pridefulness which would surely be made worse by any notion that I can be "good" on my own.

Thus began my search for children's devotionals and Bible study that we could all learn from successfully.

In subsequent posts, I will be sharing the books that we use for this important daily task.

What are your thoughts? Have you noticed what I noticed? Do you use a children's devotional? Have you found one that you liked? Please share. Let us know!