The Rev. Gabe Sylvia, Christ Covenant's staff liaison to the Scouting program, confirmed the Stokes' account. He called them to apologize but defends the church's decision.
"Based on a once-over, informal scan, it looked like the Stokes would be good additions to our leadership," he said. "But when it became clear that they were Mormons, they could not become leaders in our pack. Mormonism is not consistent with historical Christianity."
That view - that Mormons are not Christians - is shared by other Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox Christian churches. Mormons, though, do call themselves Christians.
The Stokes were told their sons were welcome to join, and that they could volunteer. But as practicing Mormons, they couldn't be leaders.This type of story is all-too-familiar to me. My husband and I have experienced extensive discrimination and it usually takes the form this story details.
In the beginning, individuals or entities are ecstatic about adding us to their team because of our extensive knowledge, skills and abilities. The instant they find out we're Mormon we are dropped. This holds true for Christian based or Christian affiliated organizations that receive public money. Technically this discrimination is illegal but it happens all the time. It also holds true for governing entities evaluating us for positions such as police chief, economic development director, city manager, etc. In business entities, the story is the same.
What makes these entities and people official arbiters of Christianity is uncertain but that does not stop them.
The fact that Mormons have a better grasp of the Bible than they do probably won't dissuade them. They also appear unphased by the fact that Jesus Christ is the leader of our Church, our Church is named after Him and built on His gospel. If that does not make us Christian what does?
It is probably this type of thinking that caused the Jews to reject Jesus because they didn't think his teachings were consistent with historical Judaism according to their definition. . .
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