... but my opinion was then, and is now, that it is better to be a happy conformist believer in the system than to be a lonely, brilliant, but possibly more rational, free thinker. Of course I would never force my children to be conformists, but unlike my parents, I do not belittle group think (except where it involves being cruel to others)
And the Boy Scout officials are not being cruel? Your acquiesence is precisely the result that they wanted. That makes it easier for the group to manipulate our descendents.
I choose to do whatever it takes to confound them. For instance, when there is a public function where a prayer is said before the meal, I sit down during the prayer and begin to eat. If that sounds rude, I think that it is more rude for someone to impose their prayer on others, and assume that everyone wants to participate. It is supposed to be totally voluntary, so it shouldn't bother anybody, but you wouldn't know it from the ugly stares that I get.
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