Boy Scouts' More Inclusionary Rebranding Leaves One Group Feeling Slighted

An attempt by Boy Scouts of America (BSA) to become more inclusive by rebranding as "Scouting America" is being met with backlash from some atheists.

BSA announced this week that it would officially undergo the name change early next year, saying in a statement on Tuesday that the move was meant to reflect "the organization's ongoing commitment to welcome every youth and family in America to experience the benefits of Scouting."

The change comes five years after BSA began allowing girls to join its programs. However, atheists are taking exception to the organization's claims of being inclusive for all Scouts, pointing out that the name change did not come with any change to BSA's policy of explicitly excluding those who do not express religious beliefs.

Unlike the Girl Scouts, BSA requires members to believe in God. The group's "Scout Oath" includes a "duty to God," the "Scout Law" mentions "religious duties" and a requirement to be "reverent toward God" and a religious declaration states that no member can become the "best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God."

Atheist activist Hemant Mehta, also known as the "Friendly Atheist," accused BSA of "promoting non-religious bigotry" despite the rebranding effort in a blog post on Thursday, arguing that the organization has "no good reason" to exclude non-believers.

"If the BSA insists that it's in the business of teaching kids values like loyalty, kindness, and friendliness, there's no good reason to continue banning a large swath of people who might want to join," Mehta wrote. "Who exactly would they be alienating by letting atheists in?"

"And if the Boy Scouts seriously wants kids to learn about diversity and inclusion, they shouldn't be promoting non-religious bigotry within their own bubble," he added. "Instead of actually opening up to everyone who shares the group's values, they're changing the name and hoping no one notices."

Similar complaints about the BSA rebranding were leveled on X, formerly Twitter.

"I wonder if this is going to change with the rebranding to just Scouts? > The Boy Scouts requires a scout to be religious, it does not specify what religion," @chrisabraham wrote. "This is a major gray area. However this means atheists and not religious people are not allowed in the Boy Scouts."

"Whatever the group is called, however, it apparently will still exclude nonreligious children and their families," the Freedom from Religion Foundation wrote while sharing a cartoon featuring a fictitious Scouting merit badge "for religious bigotry."

"So, the Boy Scouts are rebranding as Scouting America to emphasize inclusivity, but as far as I know, they still require scouts to believe in God," wrote atheist activist Robert Lindsay. "Scouting lesson #1 for atheist kids: either lie about your beliefs or remain a non-person."

"When I was in Scouts BSA, aka @boyscouts I became a Life Scout, and was in Scouting's Honor Society," @CrusiusDaniel wrote. "As someone who served as a Chaplain's Aide, I believe Scouting needs to end its ban on Agnostic and Atheist Scouts. The ban is not consistent with religious freedom in Scouting."

Newsweek reached out for comment to BSA via email on Thursday.

BSA CEO Roger Krone said in the news release announcing the name change that Scouting America was evolving to make sure "everyone feels welcome." He did not mention any changes to the religious requirement, while the oaths, laws and declarations on the BSA website also remained unchanged.

"Though our name will be new, our mission remains unchanged: we are committed to teaching young people to be Prepared. For Life," Krone said. "This will be a simple but very important evolution as we seek to ensure that everyone feels welcome in Scouting."

In addition to atheists and other non-believers, the BSA rebranding also inspired a significant amount of backlash from conservatives, many of whom accused the organization of losing its identity to "wokeness."