This letter is in response to the "I agree with Darrell" chalkings bashing the Boy Scouts of America. If the chalkers had any idea what the scouts stand for, they would realize that Darrell Lambert has as much right to be a Boy Scout as a white supremacist has to be in the NAACP.

First of all, Boy Scouts of America is a Christian organization. My troop began every meeting with a prayer and ended every camping trip with a devotional. Not to mention the clear religious reference in the scout oath and law. Anyone who was a Boy Scout for any length of time knows this.

Secondly, Lambert was not removed because the scouts don't tolerate different viewpoints. He was removed because he explicitly violated the scout oath and law without remorse. You can't be a leader in an organization that exists to promote Christian brotherhood if you disagree with its fundamental premise.

Finally, Lambert is a tremendous hypocrite. If he had any conviction in his atheist beliefs he would never have joined. Before he could become a scout he had to say "On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country" and "A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent." And, by hiding his beliefs, he has in fact shown he isn't brave or trustworthy and certainly not loyal.

Lambert never really was a Boy Scout because he never really believed any of these values. He was only pretending to be a scout. Now he can't pretend anymore and, as a former scout, I don't feel sorry for him. He had to have known exactly what we are all about.

This issue is not about Christianity vs. atheism. This is about one hypocrite, who spent years of his life pretending to be something he's not and then, when he finally showed his true colors, was told the could not be what he was pretending to be.

Dave Jackson
material science engineering junior and former Boy Scout