I would let him join the Boy Scouts if he is so set in this because you cannot raise him in a closet. He will always remember this if you do not allow him to join. I'm sure that every day life exposes him to religion in many ways. I would investigate the local Scouts a bit however. If they are meeting in church or having any activity within a church the answer would be "no." The Scouts teach many things but I would not allow them to be an indoctrination tool.

Shop around for a troupe, I was a scout leader for many years and we mostly ignored the religious and anti gay stuff

It is very possible to pursue interest in the out-of-doors and in self-development other than the Boy Scouts. As a kid, I was a Cub Scout, but found the Boy Scouts too structured and restrictive. But, I stayed active in the out-of-doors and developed related interests and skills on my own. Whatever you and he are comfortable with.

I can't encourage an organization that doesn't support equality for all.
With all 4 boys, it was a no.

I was a girl guide.
Learning to camp and stuff is cool.
But you don't do as much cool stuff as often as cadets. But you need to be at least 11 for that

The Cub Scout/ Webelo pack my son was in, was pretty dedicated to church. Our meetings were in a church. We had Scout Sunday once a year They did charity work for churches.

This was because of the leaders (one family) and not so much the scout organization, I believe. However, even at larger events I felt I was surrounded by believers. True or not, IDK.

We stopped going because my son got lazy about it. And I wasn't very motivated because it was mostly about playing and .....crafts!!! The actual boy scouting was very few, far and between. I was wasting my Friday nights.....I could spend that time directly with children. Blah!

So, it's worth a try. Probably depends on the local chapter

I was never part of any type of scouts nor did I want to at that age. After seeing Deadpool 2, I'm glad I didn't.

The Scout Law is: “ A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.”

The Scout Oath. “On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country, to obey the Scout Law, to help other people at all times, to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.”

I guess it depends on how you feel about oaths and promises. Want to teach flexibility? Go ahead and sign him up. Want to instill a “my word is my honor” mentality? Explain that to him, and say no.

Now, about this Santa business... At age 10? Maybe turn this into a “You can’t believe everyone’s stories. Think logically.” gullibility lesson. His friends at school are teaching him about a magical man in the sky who can control everything in the universe. Show him how he was duped into believing in Santa, and maybe he can steal himself against the other con.

I was in the Boy Scouts (troop 211) still have both my uniforms. IIRC they never forced religion onto me. They are bias against gays and athiests tho. Which is bullshit. I'd talk to the troop leader, or just maybe let him join since he believes in god? The Boy Scouts does teach you some life lessons tho and some morality. I don't know of any other similar group out there. Plus if you make it to Eagle Scout, and join the military, you are already one rank up.

There's a "join cub scouts" yard sign at a house near me that is flying the confederate flag.

Well, it's a good thing, the boy scouts. Check things well.

I always thought that religious boy scout troops were specifically those attached to religious groups or religious people. My brother was a boy scout and my dad was a troupe leader but I don't remember any religion involved outside of the mention of God in the oath. You might want to talk to some troupe leaders and see what they say.

That's a tough one. My youngest was a cub/boy scout. He loved so many things about it like the camping and first aid, etc. There really are a lot of good skills and development that can come out of it if you can tolerate it. We were fortunate to find a fairly relaxed troop that didn't press on religion too much. Even during scoutmaster conferences my son, an athiest, would equate god to the universe, and they seemed cool with it.

You can't force religious beliefs. He may just want to be with his friends. That said, I had major problems with the Boy Scouts as a child. Their supposed moral teachings were sorely lacking. Their behavior didn't live up to my morals, even as a 10-year-old. Of course, maybe he needs to learn that for himself.

The Scout Law is: “ A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.”

The Scout Oath. “On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country, to obey the Scout Law, to help other people at all times, to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.”

I guess it depends on how you feel about oaths and promises. Want to teach flexibility? Go ahead and sign him up. Want to instill a “my word is my honor” mentality? Explain that to him, and say no.

Now, about this Santa business... At age 10? Maybe turn this into a “You can’t believe everyone’s stories. Think logically.” gullibility lesson. His friends at school are teaching him about a magical man in the sky who can control everything in the universe. Show him how he was duped into believing in Santa, and maybe he can steal himself against the other con.

I was in the cub scouts but never went on to the boy scouts. I don't remember there being a lot of religion when I was in the scouts. But then, I was in a catholic school at the time so less might have seemed like none. Things may have changed quite a lot since then, but I don't think that religion is a major component of scouting. It's more about tying knots (which can come in handy later in a not so christian way), camping, outdoor sports and stuff that a lot of young boys like to do.

I hear there are secular groups here and there. You might inquire. On the other hand, I was in the Boy Scouts and it didn't destroy my life. Learned a lot, wasn't converted, and had a helluva good time.

The most God ever entered into the boy scouts when I was in, was they met in churches and one pledge or oath mentioned God one time. It was strictly a memorized bit. After that, it was a very valuable part of my early years.

Concede. At some point he's likely to see that the values you've instilled in him aren't congruent with those of the scouts and (hopefully?) that will be the time he chooses to break away. By denying him that opportunity, you're providing an element of intrigue and possibly seeding resentment. You can also raise your concerns with the troop leader.

Let him join the boy scouts and have fun with his friends. Does he know your an Atheist?

It can’t hurt.

I have 2 sons that are Eagle Scouts and they are both godless heathens. It was a great experience for them and I might add they are both very successful adults.

I recommend the Scouts even though I disagree with their faith requirement. The Scouts teach kids lessons that will help them the rest of their life. The concession for faith is worth it. I hope your son will find that reason and evidence are superior to faith later on in life.

Maybe as a member of the Scouts you can get the Scouts to give up the religious requirement.

When my son wanted to join I allowed him to sign up. Scouts ended up not accepting him but they never contacted us to explain their reasoning.

BSA Declaration of Religious Principle

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