Southern Baptist Convention Resolutions on Abortion

WHEREAS, Christians in the American society today are faced with difficult decisions about abortion; and

WHEREAS, Some advocate that there be no abortion legislation, thus making the decision a purely private matter between a woman and her doctor; and

WHEREAS, Others advocate no legal abortion, or would permit abortion only if the life of the mother is threatened;

Therefore, be it RESOLVED, that this Convention express the belief that society has a responsibility to affirm through the laws of the state a high view of the sanctity of human life, including fetal life, in order to protect those who cannot protect themselves; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we call upon Southern Baptists to work for legislation that will allow the possibility of abortion under such conditions as rape, incest, clear evidence of severe fetal deformity, and carefully ascertained evidence of the likelihood of damage to the emotional, mental, and physical health of the mother

Resolution On Abortion And Sanctity Of Human Life, adopted at the SBC convention, June 1974:

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have historically held a high view of the sanctity of human life, and

WHEREAS, The messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in St. Louis in 1971 adopted overwhelmingly a resolution on abortion, and

WHEREAS, That resolution reflected a middle ground between the extreme of abortion on demand and the opposite extreme of all abortion as murder, and

WHEREAS, That resolution dealt responsibly from a Christian perspective with complexities of abortion problems in contemporary society;

Therefore, be it RESOLVED, that we reaffirm the resolution on the subject adopted by the messengers to the St. Louis Southern Baptist Convention meeting in 1971, and

Be it further RESOLVED, that we continue to seek God's guidance through prayer and study in order to bring about solutions to continuing abortion problems in our society.

Resolution On Abortion, adopted at the SBC convention, June 1976:

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have historically held a biblical view of the sanctity of human life, and

WHEREAS, Abortion is a very serious moral and spiritual problem of continuing concern to the American people, and

WHEREAS, Christians have a responsibility to deal with all moral and spiritual issues which affect society, including the problems of abortion, and

WHEREAS, The practice of abortion for selfish non-therapeutic reasons want-only destroys fetal life, dulls our society's moral sensitivity, and leads to a cheapening of all human life, and

WHEREAS, Every decision for an abortion, for whatever reason must necessarily involve the decision to terminate the life of an innocent human being.

Therefore be it RESOLVED, that the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Norfolk in June 1976 reaffirm the biblical sacredness and dignity of all human life, including fetal life, and

Be it further RESOLVED, that we call on Southern Baptists and all citizens of the nation to work to change those attitudes and conditions which encourage many people to turn to abortion as a means of birth control, and

Be it further RESOLVED, that in the best interest of our society, we reject any indiscriminate attitude toward abortion, as contrary to the biblical view, and

Be it further RESOLVED, that we also affirm our conviction about the limited role of government in dealing with matters relating to abortion, and support the right of expectant mothers to the full range of medical services and personal counseling for the preservation of life and health.

Resolution On Abortion, adopted by the SBC convention, June 1977:

RESOLVED that this Convention reaffirm the strong stand against abortion adopted by the 1976 Convention, and, in view of some confusion in interpreting part of this resolution we confirm our strong opposition to abortion on demand and all governmental policies and actions which permit this.

The 1976 resolution on abortion is as follows:

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have historically held a biblical view of the sanctity of human life, and

WHEREAS, Abortion is a very serious moral and spiritual problem of continuing concern to the American people, and

WHEREAS, Christians have a responsibility to deal with all moral and spiritual issues which affect society, including the problems of abortion, and

WHEREAS, The practice of abortion for selfish non-therapeutic reasons wantonly destroys fetal life, dulls our society's moral sensitivity, and leads to a cheapening of all human life.

Therefore be it RESOLVED, that the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Norfolk in June, 1976 reaffirm the biblical sacredness and dignity of all human life, including fetal life, and

Be it further RESOLVED, that we call on Southern Baptists and all citizens of the nation to work to change those attitudes and conditions which encourage many people to turn to abortion as a means of birth control, and

Be it further RESOLVED, that in the best interest of our society, we reject any indiscriminate attitude toward abortion, as contrary to the biblical view, and

Be it further RESOLVED, that we also affirm our conviction about the limited role of government in dealing with matters relating to abortion, and support the right of expectant mothers to the full range of medical services and personal counseling for the preservation of life and health.)

Resolution On Abortion, adopted by the SBC convention, June 1978:

WHEREAS, Abortion is a matter of continuing moral concern to the American people, and

WHEREAS, The Southern Baptist Convention in annual session in 1977 spoke clearly and forthrightly to this issue,

Be it therefore RESOLVED, that we the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Atlanta in June 1978, reaffirm the resolution passed by the 1977 Kansas City Southern Baptist Convention.

Resolution On Abortion, adopted at the SBC convention, June 1979:

WHEREAS, Abortion is a matter of serious concern to the American people in general and to Christians in particular, and

WHEREAS, Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention have spoken clearly to this issue in 1976 as follow:

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have historically held a biblical view of the sanctity of human life, and

WHEREAS, Abortion is a very serious moral and spiritual problem of continuing concern to the American people, and

WHEREAS, Christians have a responsibility to deal with all moral and spiritual issues which affect society, including the problems of abortion, and

WHEREAS, The practice of abortion for selfish non-therapeutic reasons wantonly destroys fetal life, dulls our society's moral sensitivity, and leads to a cheapening of all human life, and

Therefore be it RESOLVED, that the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Norfolk in June, 1976 reaffirm the biblical sacredness and dignity of all human life, including fetal life, and

Be it further RESOLVED, that we call on Southern Baptists and all citizens of the nation to work to change those attitudes and conditions which encourage many people to turn to abortion as a means of birth control, and

Be it further RESOLVED, that in the best interest of our society, we reject any indiscriminate attitude toward abortion, as contrary to the biblical view, and

Be it further RESOLVED, that we also affirm our conviction about the limited role of government in dealing with matters relating to abortion, and support the right of expectant mothers to the full range of medical services and personal counseling for the preservation of life and health.

WHEREAS, This resolution was reaffirmed in 1978.

Therefore be it RESOLVED, that we affirm the positions taken by these Conventions, and

Be it further RESOLVED, that we urge all Southern Baptists to pray earnestly and work faithfully in dealing with this issue.

Resolution On Abortion, adopted at the SBC convention, June 1980:

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have historically affirmed the biblical teaching of the sanctity of all human life, and

WHEREAS, All medical evidence indicates that abortion ends the life of a developing human being, and

WHEREAS, Our national laws permit a policy commonly referred to as "abortion on demand,"

Be it therefore RESOLVED, That the Southern Baptist Convention reaffirm the view of the Scriptures of the sacredness and dignity of all human life, born and unborn, and

Be it further RESOLVED, That opposition be expressed toward all policies that allow "abortion on demand," and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we abhor the use of tax money or public, tax-supported medical facilities for selfish, non-therapeutic abortion, and

Be it finally RESOLVED, That we favor appropriate legislation and/or a constitutional amendment prohibiting abortion except to save the life of the mother.

Resolution On Abortion And Infanticide, adopted at the SBC convention, May 1982:

WHEREAS, Both medical science and biblical references indicate that human life begins at conception, and

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have traditionally upheld the sanctity and worth of all human life, both born and pre-born, as being created in the image of God, and

WHEREAS, Current judicial opinion gives no guarantee of protection of pre-born persons, thus permitting the widespread practice of abortion on demand, which has led to the killing of an estimated four thousand developing human beings daily in the United States, and

WHEREAS, Social acceptance of abortion has begun to dull society's respect for all human life, leading to growing occurrences of infanticide, child abuse, and active euthanasia.

Therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the messengers to the 1982 Southern Baptist Convention affirm that all human life, both born and pre-born, is sacred, bearing the image of God, and is not subject to personal judgments as to "quality of life" based on such subjective criteria as stage of development, abnormality, intelligence level, degree of dependency, cost of medical treatment, or inconvenience to parents.

Be it further RESOLVED, That we abhor the use of federal, state or local tax money; public, tax-supported medical facilities; or Southern Baptist supported medical facilities for the practice of selfish, medically unnecessary abortions and/or the practice of withholding treatment from unwanted or defective newly born infants.

Be it finally RESOLVED, That we support and will work for appropriate legislation and/or constitutional amendment which will prohibit abortions except to save the physical life of the mother, and that we also support and will work for legislation which will prohibit the practice of infanticide.

Resolution On Abortion, adopted at the SBC convention, 13 June 1984:

WHEREAS, The Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in New Orleans in June 1982, clearly stated its opposition to abortion and called upon Southern Baptists to work for appropriate legislation and/or constitutional amendment which will prohibit abortions except to save the physical life of the mother; and

WHEREAS, In addition to legislative remedies for this national sin, it is incumbent that we encourage the woman who is considering abortion to think seriously about the grave significance of such action by presenting information to her about the unborn child in her womb, who is a living individual human being, and encourage her to consider alternatives to abortion; and

WHEREAS, Christlike love requires that such alternatives be made available.

Therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Kansas City, Missouri, June 12-14, 1984, encourage all of its institutions, cooperating churches, and members to work diligently to provide counseling, housing, and adoption placement services for unwed mothers with the specific intent of bringing them into a relationship with Jesus Christ and/or a sense of Christian responsibility; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we deplore the practice of performing abortions, as well as dispensing to minors without parental consent or even notification, contraceptive medications which have potentially dangerous side effects, and deplore also the use of tax funds for such activities; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we call upon all Southern Baptists to renew their commitment to support and work for legislation and/or constitutional amendment which will prohibit abortion except to save the physical life of the mother; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we encourage Southern Baptists to inquire whether or not their physicians perform abortions on demand or give referrals for abortions, and that we commend those of the medical profession who abstain from performing abortions or making abortion referrals; and

Be it finally RESOLVED, That we urge our agencies and institutions to provide leadership for our cooperating churches and members, by preparing literature to take a clear and strong stand against abortion, and to inform and motivate our members to action to eliminate abortion on demand.

Resolution On Abortion, adopted at the SBC convention, 17 June 1987:

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have traditionally upheld the sanctity of all innocent human life and have opposed abortion on demand; and

WHEREAS, 4,000 unborn children are being killed daily in America's abortuaries;

Therefore, be it RESOLVED, That we, the messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, June 16-18, 1987, encourage the Christian Life Commission to continue the expansion of program services related to the sanctity of human life and to actively lobby for legislation to protect the lives of the unborn; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we encourage the Christian Life Commission to continue to make the abortion issue a priority on its agenda; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we encourage the Home Mission Board to train churches for ministry in crisis pregnancy centers and residential care homes for pregnant women and children; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we encourage churches, associations, and state conventions to expand their children's homes ministry to include outpatient and residential care for unwed mothers; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we encourage all agencies and institutions of the SBC to use their resources and program ministries to promote the sanctity of human life; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we encourage individuals to minister to those who need physical, emotional, and spiritual support in the midst of a crisis pregnancy; and

Be it finally RESOLVED, That we encourage all churches of the SBC to observe Sanctity of Human Life Sunday on the Convention's calendar, January 17, 1988.

Resolution On Support Of The Danforth Amendment, adopted at the SBC convention, 17 June 1987:

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have traditionally opposed abortion; and

WHEREAS, Title IX of the United States Code has been interpreted by federal regulatory agencies and federal courts to equate the failure or refusal to provide abortion services with "sex discrimination"; and

WHEREAS, The Civil Rights Restoration Act (formerly known as the Grove City Bill) if passed as is, will vastly expand the enforcement powers of federal agencies with regard to "sex discrimination"; and

WHEREAS, The Civil Rights Restoration Act, if passed as is, could be used in federal court to force pro-life hospitals to perform abortions; and

WHEREAS, The Danforth Abortion-Neutral Amendment which states, in part, that nothing in Title IX "shall be construed to grant to secure or deny any right relations to abortion or the funding thereof" will prevent the possibility that the Civil Rights Restoration Act could be used to require pro-life hospitals to perform abortions.

Therefore, be it RESOLVED, That we, the messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, June 16-18, 1987, call upon the Senate of the United States to pass the Danforth Abortion-Neutral Amendment to the Civil Rights Restoration Act; and

Be it finally RESOLVED, That the messengers to the 1987 Southern Baptist Convention urge the Christian Life Commission to vigorously support the Danforth Amendment.

Resolution On Pro-Life Actions Of SBC Agencies, adopted at the SBC convention, 15 June 1988:

WHEREAS, Abortion on demand was legalized by the United States Supreme Court on January 22, 1973; and

WHEREAS, Over 22 million innocent unborn American children have died by legalized abortion since that date; and

WHEREAS, Most Southern Baptist church members are firmly opposed to the aforementioned Supreme Court decision, understanding that that which is legal in this case is not moral; and

WHEREAS, The trustees of the Home Mission Board have created a staff position of Coordinator of Alternatives to Abortion Ministries to help Southern Baptists devleop ministries of Abortion Alternatives Outreach; and

WHEREAS, The trustees of the Christian Life Commission have adopted a firm policy opposing abortion except to prevent the death of the mother, which policy states, in part, that "Human life, from fertilization until natural death, is sacred and should be protected, not destroyed"; and

WHEREAS, The trustees of the Sunday School Board have adopted a plan to publish annual, dated lessons opposing abortion on Sanctity of Human Life Sunday.

Therefore, be it RESOLVED, That we, the messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in San Antonio, Texas, June 14-16, 1988, express our appreciation to the trustees of the Home Mission Board, the Christian Life Commission, and the Sunday School Board; and

Be it finally RESOLVED, That we call upon all Southern Baptists to take an active stand in support of the sanctity of human life.

Resolution On Encouraging Laws Regulating Abortion, adopted at the SBC convention, 14 June 1989:

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have historically upheld the sanctity and worth of all human life, both born and preborn, as being created in the image of God; and

WHEREAS, the messengers to the annual meetings of the Southern Baptist Convention during the past decade have repeatedly reaffirmed their opposition to legalized abortion, except in cases where the mother's life is immediately threatened; and

WHEREAS, the Supreme Court of the United States in the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, and its progeny, denied the right of the fifty state legislatures and the Congress to protect the preborn child by law; and

WHEREAS, the Court may now be willing to permit the states and the Congress once again to enact legislation regulating and restricting abortion.

Therefore, be it RESOLVED, That we, the messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in Las Vegas, June 13-15, 1989, do strongly urge the fifty state legislatures and the Congress to enact legislation to restrict the practice of induced abortion; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we urge the Christian Life Commission and the various state Baptist conventions, and their Christian Life Committees, affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention actively to promote the passage of such legislation; and

Be it finally RESOLVED, That we do reaffirm our opposition to legalized abortion and our support of appropriate federal and state legislation and/or constitutional amendment which will prohibit abortion except to prevent the imminent death of the mother.

Resolution On Sanctity Of Human Life, adopted at the SBC convention, 5 June 1991:

WHEREAS, The Bible teaches that God holds human life to be sacred and created human beings in His own image; and

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have historically affirmed biblical teaching regarding the sanctity of human life by adopting numerous pro-life resolutions at the national, state, and local levels; and

WHEREAS, Approximately 1.6 million unborn babies are killed each year in America as a result of the 1973 decision of the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade; and

WHEREAS, In 1989 the Supreme Court began the dismantlement of the Roe decision by upholding a Missouri pro-life statute in Webster v. Reproductive Health Services; and

WHEREAS, As a result of the Webster decision, states now have more flexibility to regulate and restrict the practice of abortion; and

WHEREAS, The Supreme Court is likely to erode or overturn the Roe decision in the near future; and

WHEREAS, Legislation has been introduced in the United States Congress which would codify and expand the Roe abortion rights and thereby restrict the rights of states to regulate abortions within their borders; and

WHEREAS, Pro-abortion legislators in Congress are also attempting to repeal restrictions on federal abortion funding; and

WHEREAS, New drugs and technologies, including RU-486, which will make the practice of abortion easier, are being researched and used in other nations and abortion advocates are attempting to bring these technologies to America; and

WHEREAS, Some scientists in America are experimenting with the tissues of babies from induced abortions in order to find cures to certain diseases and are working to repeal the ban on federal government research on fetal tissue transplantation; Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED, That we the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, June 4-6, 1991, affirm the biblical prohibition against the taking of unborn human life except to save the life of the mother; and

BE IT FUTHER RESOLVED, That we call on all Southern Baptists to work for the adoption of pro-life legislation in their respective states which would expand protection for unborn babies; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we call on all Southern Baptists to work with equal fervor to compassionately encourage and assist girls and women with unplanned or unwanted pregnancies to carry their children to term and to prepare for the best life possible for their children; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we oppose all efforts by the United States Congress to limit the rights of states to restrict abortion-on-demand and call upon Congress to maintain current pro-life policies which prohibit the use of federal funds to encourage, promote, or perform abortions except to save the life of the mother; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we oppose the testing, approval, distribution, and marketing in America of new drugs and technologies which will make the practice of abortion more convenient and more widespread; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we support the current federal government ban on funding any transplantation of tissue from induced abortions for purposes of experimentation and research and call on the federal government to maintain the ban despite pressure from the scientific community and pro-abortion organizations.

Resolution On Fetal Tissue Experimentation, adopted at the SBC convention, June 1992:

WHEREAS, The Southern Baptist Convention has repeatedly affirmed the sanctity of human life and has strongly opposed abortion on demand; and

WHEREAS, The United States Congress is considering legislation which would overturn the federal moratorium on the use of fetal tissue from induced abortions in federally funded transplantation research, thus allowing electively aborted babies to be exploited for scientific and commercial purposes.

Therefore, Be it RESOLVED, That we, the messengers to the 135th session of the Southern Baptist Convention urge the United States Congress to sustain the President's federal moratorium; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we affirm Southern Baptist opposition to the unethical practice of using fetal tissue from induced abortions in experimental research, whether privately or publicly funded.

Resolution On The Freedom Of Choice Act, Hyde Amendment, adoptd at the SBC convention, 16 June 1993:

WHEREAS, The Bible teaches that God holds human life to be sacred because He created human beings in His own image (Gen. 1:27, Gen. 9:6); and

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have historically affirmed biblical teaching regarding the sanctity of human life by adopting numerous pro-life resolutions at national, state, and associational meetings; and

WHEREAS, Approximately 1.6 million unborn babies are now being killed each year in America, nearly 30 million in the past 20 years, as a result of the 1973 decision of the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade and

WHEREAS, Last year in Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey, the Supreme Court reaffirmed the central holding of Roe and further entrenched abortion "rights" in the Constitution; and

WHEREAS, Although Casey reaffirmed abortion rights, states still retain a limited ability to regulate and restrict abortion; and

WHEREAS, The Freedom of Choice Act which is now poised for passage in the United States Congress, and would, if adopted, result in a national abortion-on-demand law prohibiting states from regulating and restricting abortions in any meaningful way, even during the last three months of pregnancy; and

WHEREAS, President Clinton and pro-abortion legislators in Congress are also attempting to repeal the Hyde Amendment and other pro-life policies which prohibit taxpayer funding of abortion; and

WHEREAS, Health care reform being considered by Congress and the Clinton Administration is likely to require taxpayers and private employers to pay for abortion in spite of their moral objections to this policy; and

WHEREAS, Congress is currently considering legislation which would deny pro-lifers their First Amendment freedom of speech rights during responsible non-violent protests outside abortion clinics; and

WHEREAS, President Clinton has instructed the Food and Drug Administration to make certain abortion pills available in the United States; and

WHEREAS, President Clinton has repealed the ban on federally-funded research using electively aborted fetal tissue in scientific experiments.

Therefore, Be it RESOLVED, That we, the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in Houston, Texas, June 15-17, 1993, affirm the biblical teaching that God is the author of life and that human life begins at conception (Psa. 51:5; 139:14-16, Jer. 1:5); and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we affirm the biblical prohibition on the taking of unborn human life except to save the life of the mother; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we oppose all efforts by the United States Congress to pass the radical abortion on demand bill, the Freedom of Choice Act; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we call upon Congress to maintain the Hyde Amendment and other pro-life policies which prohibit the use of federal funds to encourage, promote, or perform abortions except to save the life of the mother, thereby protecting the unborn and the consciences of millions of pro-life taxpayers; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we oppose the inclusion of abortion in any health care plan which may be proposed by the President and adopted by Congress and urge policy makers to protect the consciences of millions of pro-life taxpayers and employers by not forcing them to pay for such a repugnant act; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we oppose the passage of any legislation which would have the effect of denying First Amendment freedom of speech rights, especially as a means of responsible, non-violent protest at abortion clinics; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we oppose the testing, approval, distribution, marketing and usage in the United States of any abortion pills and urge U.S. corporations which are considering such business ventures to refuse to do so; and

Be it finally RESOLVED, That we remain morally opposed to the use of electively aborted fetal tissue in all experiments conducted by the federal government and urge President Clinton to reconsider his decision to advance such reprehensible research.

Resolution On Ru 486, The French Abortion Pill, adopted at the SBC convention, 15 June 1994:

WHEREAS, The Bible clearly teaches that human life is sacred and must be protected; and

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have consistently upheld the sanctity of human life by adopting numerous resolutions at the associational, state, and national venues, advocating public policies to protect the unborn and encouraging the development of crisis pregnancy centers; and

WHEREAS, RU 486, the French abortion pill, is a direct assault on the sacredness and value of unborn human life in that this drug kills an unborn child whose heart has already started to beat; and

WHEREAS, While RU 486 has often been called a "morning-after" pill, its only proven use is an abortifacient and is, therefore, not a true contraceptive; and

WHEREAS, President Clinton signed on Executive Order on January 22, 1993 (the 20th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion on demand), ordering the Food and Drug Administration to facilitate the introduction of RU 486 into United States markets; and

WHEREAS, On May 16, 1994, the French drug company Roussel Uclaf donated its U.S. patent rights for the RU 486 abortion technique to the Population Council, an American pro-abortion organization, for the purpose of bringing the drug to America; and

WHEREAS, Roussel Uclaf acknowledged the pressure applied by the Clinton Administration to accomplish the transfer of the patent rights when Roussel's representative said on May 16, "It was only when President Clinton changed the governmental policy and specifically asked Roussel to make the procedure available here that our client (Roussel Uclaf), out of respect for the President of the United States, agreed to make every effort to comply with his request"; and

WHEREAS, The stated purpose of the use of RU 486 according to its advocates is to make abortion more accessible to women by encouraging more physicians to become abortionists; and

WHEREAS, Past experience has demonstrated that increasing the number of abortionists vastly expands the number of abortions, which currently stands at 1.6 million per year in America; and

WHEREAS, The use of RU 486 has resulted in the injury and death of some women in nations where this abortion technique is currently available; and

WHEREAS, The Clinton Administration's advocacy for RU 486 clearly belies the President's repeatedly stated goal for his abortion policy to make abortion "safe and legal, but rare"; and

WHEREAS, Pro-life organizations, including the Southern Baptist Christian Life Commission, have announced the intention of initiating a boycott against Roussel Uclaf and its German parent company, Hoechst A G (including their American subsidiaries, Hoechst Celanese and Hoechst Roussel), for their corporate responsibility for making this drug available in America; and

WHEREAS, Economic boycotts are a legitimate means for Christians to use to express their convictions about immoral products in the marketplace.

Therefore, Be it RESOLVED, That we, the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in Orlando, Florida, June 14-16, 1994, condemn the blatant advocacy of RU 486 by the Clinton Administration, and oppose the testing, approval, manufacturing, marketing, and sale of the abortion pill in the United States; and

Be it finally RESOLVED, That we urge Southern Baptists and their churches, associations, state conventions, and national agencies to support the impending boycott which will be waged against Roussel Uclaf and Hoechst A G, including their American subsidiaries.

Resolution On The Partial-Birth Abortion Ban, adopted at the SBC convention, 12 June 1996:

WHEREAS, The Southern Baptist Convention has consistently and overwhelmingly adopted resolutions affirming the declarations of Scripture that all human life is a sacred gift from our sovereign God and therefore that all abortions, except in those very rare cases where the life of the mother is clearly in danger, are wrong; and

WHEREAS, A specific technique known as partial-birth abortion is a particularly grisly procedure wherein a doctor uses forceps and hands to deliver an intact baby, feet first, until only the head remains in the birth canal, whereafter the doctor pierces the base of the baby’s skull with surgical scissors, whereafter he or she then inserts a canula into the incision and suctions out the brain of the baby so the head collapses; and

WHEREAS, The Congress of the United States has passed legislation which would make this inhumane procedure, which the American Catholic cardinals have correctly characterized as More akin to infanticide than abortion illegal except to save the life of the mother; and

WHEREAS, The President of the United States vetoed this legislation and offered as justification for his action that he had prayed about the matter and determined that he could not sign the legislation unless it contained an exception for cases where there might be Serious health consequences to the mother and

WHEREAS, The mother’s health exception has been completely discredited as a catch-all loophole which has been demonstrated to include any reason the mother so desires; and

WHEREAS, The Bible is the perfect revelation of God’s will, including His perfect moral will for those whom He has created in His very own image; and

WHEREAS, It is impossible to conclude that God, who is perfect and unchanging in all His attributes, and whose laws are perfect and immutable, would reveal to any person, through prayer, that which is contrary to His Word; and

WHEREAS, Abortion in general, and partial-birth abortion in particular, continues as a blight upon our culture and surely deserves God’s judgment; Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in session June 11-13, 1996, in New Orleans, Louisiana, do commend those members of Congress who voted to support legislation which would have abolished partial-birth abortions; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we express our strong disapproval of the votes of those members of Congress who stood in opposition to this legislation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we express our strong disapproval of President Clinton’s veto of this legislation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we express our disapproval of the President’s suggestion that God would reveal to him in prayer that any abortion method, particularly one so barbarous in technique and so cruel in effect, would ever have God’s approval; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we, the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention, in a genuine spirit of love do admonish and encourage President Clinton, himself a Southern Baptist, to reverse his shameful decision to veto this legislation and sign it into law; or in the alternative of such failure to reverse his action, we call upon every member of Congress to vote to override the President’s veto; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, That we pray for our nation, upon whom the blight of abortion remains, that we might come to recognize the sanctity of innocent, unborn babies and that we might seek civil justice for these innocent victims of a cruelty so harsh that we are surely accountable for our failure to intervene on their behalf.

Resolution #7: On Human Embryonic and Stem Cell Research, adopted at the SBC Convention, 16 June 1999:

WHEREAS, Developments in human stem cell research have brought into fresh focus the dignity and status of the human embryo; and

WHEREAS, The National Bioethics Advisory Commission has called for the removal of the ban on public funding of human embryo research; and

WHEREAS, The Bible teaches that human beings are made in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:27; 9:6) and protectable human life begins at fertilization; and

WHEREAS, Efforts to rescind the ban on public funding of human embryo research rely on a crass utilitarian ethic which would sacrifice the lives of the few for the benefits of the many; and

WHEREAS, Current law against federal funding of research in which human embryos are harmed and/or destroyed reflects well-established national and international legal and ethical norms against misusing any human being for research purposes; and

WHEREAS, The existing law forbidding public funding of human embryo research is built upon universally held principles governing experiments on human subjects, including principles contained in the Nuremberg Code, the World Medical Association's Declaration of Helsinki, the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, and other statements; and

WHEREAS, The use of human embryos in research would likely lead to an increase in the number of abortions and create a market for aborted embryos and other fetal tissues; and

WHEREAS, Some forms of human stem cell research require the destruction of human embryos in order to obtain the cells for such research and Southern Baptists are on record for their decades-long opposition to abortion except to save the physical life of the mother and their opposition to destructive human embryo research; and

WHEREAS, Exciting advances in human stem cell research are on the horizon which do not require the destruction of embryos, leading the British Medical Journal to state that the use of human embryonic stem cells "may soon be eclipsed by the more readily available and less controversial adult stem cells;" and

WHEREAS, Treatments for Alzheimer's, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and a host of maladies may soon be within our reach without sacrificing human embryos.

Be it RESOLVED, that we, the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, June 15-16, 1999, reaffirm our vigorous opposition to the destruction of innocent human life, including the destruction of human embryos; and

Be it further RESOLVED, that we call upon the United States Congress to maintain the existing ban on the use of tax dollars to support research which requires the destruction of human embryos; and

Be it further RESOLVED, that we call upon those private research centers which perform such experiments to cease and desist from research which destroys human embryos, the most vulnerable members of the human community; and

Be it finally RESOLVED, that we encourage support for the development of alternative treatments which do not require human embryos to be killed.

Resolution #4: On Human Fetal Tissue Trafficking, adopted at the SBC convention, 14 June 2000:

WHEREAS, Experiments are currently being performed using organs, tissues, and cells obtained from human embryos and fetuses; and

WHEREAS, Most of these organs, tissues, and cells are harvested from embryos and fetuses destroyed through elective abortions; and

WHEREAS, Companies such as the Anatomic Gift Foundation and Opening Lines have been found to traffic in human fetal body parts-buying, dissecting, and selling those tissues; and

WHEREAS, Tax-funded research is being performed in Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, and other states using electively-aborted human fetal body parts; and

WHEREAS, The growing industry of buying and selling human fetal organs, tissues, and cells represents a grisly practice that converts human body parts into a commodity to be bought and sold in the marketplace; and

WHEREAS, Elective abortion is an act of violence against unborn human beings, and the sale of their tissues is an assault on the biblical truth that all human beings are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 139:13-16); and

WHEREAS, The Southern Baptist Convention is on record for its enduring, consistent, and vigorous opposition to (1) elective abortion, (2) the use of fetal tissues harvested from elective abortions for research, and (3) experimentation using human embryonic stem cells obtained from electively-aborted embryos.

Therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in Orlando, Florida, June 13-14, 2000, reaffirm our abhorrence of elective abortion, our repudiation of research using embryos and fetuses from elective abortions, and our repugnance toward the exploitation of unborn human beings through the sale of their body parts; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we call upon our elected officials at every level to enforce existing laws against the sale of human fetal tissues and to take appropriate steps to stop the trafficking of baby body parts; and

Be it finally RESOLVED, That we urge the presidential, vice-presidential, and congressional candidates for the 2000 election to make known publicly their stance on the harvesting and selling of human tissues obtained through elective abortions.

Resolution #10: On Partial Birth Abortion, adopted at the SBC convention, 12 June 2002:

WHEREAS, Our Convention has a long history of affirming the sanctity of life; and

WHEREAS, President George W. Bush has reiterated his agreement with us in our historical efforts to save children from their deaths by abortion, in his remarks to this convention on June 11, 2002; and

WHEREAS, There seems to have been a diversion from this tragedy of abortion by the national tragedy of September 11, 2001; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention, in St. Louis, Missouri, June 11-12, 2002, respectfully request that the President make the passage of legislation banning partial-birth abortion a high priority in this administration. With the current and past support of such legislation and without the threat of a veto, we believe that now is the time to end this inhumane and horrendous practice.

FURTHER, That this resolution be delivered to the President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate of the United States.

Resolution #8: On Thirty Years of Roe V. Wade, adopted at the SBC convention, June 2003:

WHEREAS, Scripture reveals that all human life is created in the image of God, and therefore sacred to our Creator (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 9:6); and

WHEREAS, The Bible affirms that the unborn baby is a person bearing the image of God from the moment of conception (Psalm 139:13Ð16; Luke 1:44); and

WHEREAS, Scripture further commands the people of God to plead for protection for the innocent and justice for the fatherless (Psalm 72:12Ð14; Psalm 82:3; James 1:27); and

WHEREAS, January 2003 marked thirty years since the 1973 United States Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion in all fifty states; and

WHEREAS, Resolutions passed by the Southern Baptist Convention in 1971 and 1974 accepted unbiblical premises of the abortion rights movement, forfeiting the opportunity to advocate the protection of defenseless women and children; and

WHEREAS, During the early years of the post-Roe era, some of those then in leadership positions within the denomination endorsed and furthered the "pro-choice" abortion rights agenda outlined in Roe v. Wade; and

WHEREAS, Some political leaders have referenced 1970s-era Southern Baptist Convention resolutions and statements by former Southern Baptist Convention leaders to oppose legislative efforts to protect women and children from abortion; and

WHEREAS, Southern Baptist churches have effected a renewal of biblical orthodoxy and confessional integrity in our denomination, beginning with the Southern Baptist Convention presidential election of 1979; and

WHEREAS, The Southern Baptist Convention has maintained a robust commitment to the sanctity of all human life, including that of the unborn, beginning with a landmark pro-life resolution in 1982; and

WHEREAS, Our confessional statement, The Baptist Faith and Message, affirms that children "from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord"; and further affirms that Southern Baptists are mandated by Scripture to "speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death"; and

WHEREAS, The legacy of Roe v. Wade has grown to include ongoing assaults on human life such as euthanasia, the harvesting of human embryos for the purposes of medical experimentation, and an accelerating move toward human cloning; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, June 17Ð18, 2003, reiterate our conviction that the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision was based on a fundamentally flawed understanding of the United States Constitution, human embryology, and the basic principles of human rights; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we reaffirm our belief that the Roe v. Wade decision was an act of injustice against innocent unborn children as well as against vulnerable women in crisis pregnancy situations, both of which have been victimized by a "sexual revolution" that empowers predatory and irresponsible men and by a lucrative abortion industry that has fought against even the most minimal restrictions on abortion; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we offer our prayers, our love, and our advocacy for women and men who have been abused by abortion and the emotional, spiritual, and physical aftermath of this horrific practice; affirming that the gospel of Jesus Christ grants complete forgiveness for any sin, including that of abortion; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we lament and renounce statements and actions by previous Conventions and previous denominational leadership that offered support to the abortion culture; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we humbly confess that the initial blindness of many in our Convention to the enormity of Roe v. Wade should serve as a warning to contemporary Southern Baptists of the subtlety of the spirit of the age in obscuring a biblical worldview; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge our Southern Baptist churches to remain vigilant in the protection of human life by preaching the whole counsel of God on matters of human sexuality and the sanctity of life, by encouraging and empowering Southern Baptists to adopt unwanted children, by providing spiritual, emotional, and financial support for women in crisis pregnancies, and by calling on our government officials to take action to protect the lives of women and children; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we express our appreciation to both houses of Congress for their passage of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003, and we applaud President Bush for his commitment to sign this bill into law; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge Congress to act swiftly to deliver this bill to President Bush for his signature; and be it finally

RESOLVED, That we pray and work for the repeal of the Roe v. Wade decision and for the day when the act of abortion will be not only illegal, but also unthinkable.

Resolution #2: On Stem Cell Research, adopted at the SBC convention, June 2005:

WHEREAS, The Bible teaches that all human life is sacred (Genesis 1:26-27); and

WHEREAS, Humans have a sacred trust to care for the most vulnerable among us (Matthew 25:31-46); and

WHEREAS, Current trends in stem cell research promise great benefit to some and threaten great peril to others; and

WHEREAS, Stem cell research using non-embryonic stem cells offers tremendous hope for millions of people and has already produced many successful results in humans, such as relieving the symptoms of juvenile diabetes, reversing Parkinson's disease symptoms, regenerating heart tissue, and restoring feeling and mobility to people with spinal cord injuries; and

WHEREAS, Embryonic stem cell research currently requires the destruction of human embryos; and

WHEREAS, Embryo-destructive research has not produced any positive results or cures; and

WHEREAS, Even if it does, it is never morally acceptable to prey on some humans to benefit others; and

WHEREAS, We do not believe that the issue of world competition in embryo-destructive research justifies our nation's entry into this barbaric activity; and

WHEREAS, The United States House of Representatives has voted to provide federal funding for human-destructive research on embryos being stored at fertility clinics; and

WHEREAS, The United States Senate is preparing to vote on this issue; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, June 21-22, 2005, wholeheartedly support efforts to find cures and therapies for human maladies that respect the sanctity of all human life; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we strongly support stem cell research that does not require the destruction of human embryos or put them at risk in obtaining human stem cells; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we deplore embryo-destructive research, since it kills human beings in their earliest stages of development; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we express our deep disappointment in those members of the United States House of Representatives who voted in favor of embryo-destructive research for their abject failure to protect the lives of these innocent human beings; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we commend those members of the United States House of Representatives who voted against embryo-destructive research for their courageous stand on behalf of these voiceless human beings; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the United States Senate to reject any legislation that calls for embryo-destructive research, regardless of the origin of the embryos, beyond the cell lines which are currently approved for federally funded research; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we commend the president for his commitment to veto any bills that call for federal funding of embryo-destructive research beyond the cell lines he has already approved; and be it finally

RESOLVED, That we encourage Southern Baptists to consider ways they can become involved in life-affirming activities, including adopting embryos being stored at fertility clinics.

Resolution #7: On Human Species-Altering Technologies, adopted at the SBC convention, June 2006:

WHEREAS, God created each living species to reproduce according to its kind (Genesis 1:12), prohibiting human-animal reproductive species confusion (Leviticus 18:23); and

WHEREAS, The Creator has ordained that humans exercise morally responsible dominion stewardship over the earth and all its creatures (Genesis 1:26) and calls us to love our neighbor (Leviticus 19:18; Mark 12:31); and

WHEREAS, Medical science is a legitimate and beneficial exercise of dominion stewardship, and Southern Baptists strongly favor work in biotechnology that respects moral boundaries and leads to cures for diseases and disabilities; and

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists are on record for their unflagging defense of the sanctity of every human life, including opposition to the experimental sacrifice of human embryos for the potential benefit of others; and

WHEREAS, In 2003, Chinese scientists at the Shanghai Second Medical University fused human cells with rabbit eggs, creating animal-human hybrids and Kentucky scientist Panos Zavos created approximately 200 cow-human hybrid embryos; and

WHEREAS, In 2004, researchers at Stanford University introduced human brain cells into mouse fetuses, creating mice with human neural cells; and

WHEREAS, In 2005, the National Academy of Sciences sanctioned the creation of animals in which human embryonic stem cells have been introduced to produce human-animal embryos; and

WHEREAS, In 2006, Ian Wilmut, the cloner of Dolly the sheep, announced that his group at the Roslin Clinic plans to create human-animal hybrids for embryo-destructive research; and

WHEREAS, In his 2006 State of the Union address, President George W. Bush called on Congress "to prohibit the most egregious abuses of medical research," including "creating human-animal hybrids"; and

WHEREAS, The creation of human-animal hybrids confuses human-animal species boundaries; and

WHEREAS, Human germline genetic modification (as opposed to somatic cell genetic modification) aims to alter human reproductive cells, therefore altering future generations; and

WHEREAS, Modification of the human germline affects offspring who cannot consent to the alterations, thereby risking harm to innocent human beings without their knowledge or consent; and

WHEREAS, Any technologically-inflicted errors passed from one generation to another could be irreversible and risk producing a generation of malformed human beings, who would pass the genetic defect to the next generation; and

WHEREAS, Many pro-life Christians have already affirmed "The Sanctity of Life in a Brave New World: A Manifesto on Biotechnology and Human Dignity," which calls for a comprehensive ban "on all human cloning and inheritable genetic modification"; and

WHEREAS, Eighteen countries have ratified and thirteen more have signed the Council of EuropeÕs "Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and the Dignity of the Human Being With Regard to the Application of Biology and Medicine: Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine" (Art. 13), which affirms that "An intervention seeking to modify the human genome may only be undertaken for preventive, diagnostic or therapeutic purposes and only if its aim is not to introduce any modification in the genome of any descendants"; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Greensboro, North Carolina, June 13-14, 2006, repudiate in strongest possible terms human species-altering technologies; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we oppose efforts at human-animal hybridization, specifically any attempts to mix human and animal gametes (sperm and egg) or implanting human embryos in animal wombs and vice versa; and be it further

RESOLVED, That while we support attempts at human somatic cell gene therapy for serious genetic illnesses if proper regard is given to informed consent, safety, efficacy, and the just allocation of available resources, we oppose any biotechnology that results in blurring the human-animal species barrier, such as the implantation of human brain cells into mice; and be it further

RESOLVED, That while we support the use of simple gene transfer from humans to animals for drug production (e.g., human insulin, human growth hormone, clotting factor VIII) and therapeutic human-animal technologies such as the use of pig heart valves in humans, we oppose any human germline genetic modification that results in the destruction of human embryos or their equivalent (e.g., totipotential cells); and be it further

RESOLVED, That we cannot endorse any use of human germline modification at this time, no matter how well-intentioned, due to the unpredictability of the process and the possible introduction of irreversible destructive errors into the human gene pool; and be it finally

RESOLVED, That we urge the members of both Houses of the United States Congress to pass as soon as possible a comprehensive ban on all human species-altering technologies, including the creation of animal-human hybrids and human germline genetic modification, given the current state of the unpredictability of the process and the possibility of the introduction of irreversible destructive errors into the human gene pool.

Resolution #8: On Planned Parenthood, adopted at the SBC convention, June 2008:

WHEREAS, Scripture speaks to the sanctity of human life in the womb (Psalm 139:13-16) and God's abhorrence of those who murder the innocent (Proverbs 6:16-17; 24:11-12), which apply directly to Planned Parenthood, America’s largest abortion provider; and

WHEREAS, Planned Parenthood is the offspring of Margaret Sanger, an early advocate of eugenics or the weeding out of "undesirable" people; and

WHEREAS, Planned Parenthood markets its warped view of human intimacy and encourages promiscuity among underage girls through its Teenwire Web site; and

WHEREAS, Planned Parenthood profits from helping underage girls abort their pregnancies without notice to their parents; and

WHEREAS, Planned Parenthood has launched a massive campaign to mobilize voters this year, planning to raise at least $10 million to recruit people to lobby legislators and vote for candidates who support the Planned Parenthood agenda of unlimited abortion, sex outside of marriage, value-free sex education in public schools, and increased taxpayer subsidies for the organization; and

WHEREAS, Planned Parenthood is already aided by huge federal subsidies, with over 300 million of our tax dollars funding the deaths of nearly 300 thousand innocent pre-born babies every year; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana, June 10-11, 2008, decry the immoral actions of Planned Parenthood clinics across America; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage the evaluation of candidates for elected office based on their affiliation with Planned Parenthood; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we call on both houses of the United States Congress to defund Planned Parenthood; and be it finally

RESOLVED, That we urge President George W. Bush to veto any budget requests that include funding for this merchant of family disintegration and death.

Resolution #1: On President Barack Hussein Obama, adopted at the SBC convention, June 2009:

WHEREAS, Our country has struggled with personal and institutional racism for centuries, even to the point of shedding blood on our own soil in war and in peace; and

WHEREAS, The family, anchored by the loving commitment between a husband and a wife, is the most important social unit for the foundation of any nation (Genesis 2:18-24); and

WHEREAS, A nation cannot prosper if it is too weak or compromised to defend itself from both foreign and domestic enemies; and

WHEREAS, The defense and protection of the most vulnerable humans among us is a value that defines the character and soul of any people (Proverbs 24:10-12); and

WHEREAS, Pro-life convictions are born out of deeply held beliefs in the sanctity of human life (Psalm 139:13-16); and

WHEREAS, God is concerned about the kind of judges nations choose, requiring that they "judge rightly" and "not show partiality" (Deuteronomy 1:16-17) and warning against the issuance of “oppressive laws” (Isaiah 10:1); and

WHEREAS, Our nation has declared its dependence on and trust in God; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Louisville, Kentucky, June 23-24, 2009, share our nation's pride in our continuing progress toward racial reconciliation signaled by the election of Barack Hussein Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we commend President Obama for his evident love for his family, displayed so clearly by his commitment to our First Lady Michelle Obama and his determination to spend meaningful time with their two daughters, Malia and Sasha; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we commend President Obama for his decisions to retain many foreign policies that continue to keep our nation safe from further terrorist attacks; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge President Obama to keep intact our strong military and national security defense measures in order to assure the ongoing security of America and our allies; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we deplore the President's decision to expand federal funding for destructive human embryo research; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we decry the President's decision to increase funding for pro-abortion groups and to reduce funding for abstinence education; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we oppose the President’s determination to strip pro-life healthcare professionals of their conscience protections, punishing them for refusing to participate in or facilitate abortions and other activities that violate their pro-life convictions; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we strongly urge the President to nominate strict constructionist judges who seek to make decisions based on the original intent of the United States Constitution and, therefore, faithfully interpret rather than make law or impose their political views on the nation; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we strongly protest any effort by the President or his administration to eradicate the symbols of our nation's historic Judeo-Christian faith from public or private venues; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we express our strong opposition to the President’s declaration concerning his decision to declare June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we earnestly pray for the President (1 Timothy 2:1-2) that he will use the constitutional authority assigned to his office to promote liberty and justice for all people, including the unborn; and be it finally

RESOLVED, That we will join hands with President Obama and his administration to advance causes of justice insofar as those efforts are consistent with biblical principles.

Resolution #2: On Adoption and Orphan Care, adopted at the SBC convention, June 2009:

WHEREAS, In the gospel we have received the "Spirit of adoption" whereby we are no longer spiritual orphans but are now beloved children of God and joint heirs with Christ (John 14:18; Romans 8:12-25; Galatians 3:27-4:9; Ephesians 1:5); and

WHEREAS, The God we now know as our Father reveals himself as a "father of the fatherless" (Psalm 68:5) who grants mercy to orphans (Deuteronomy 10:18; Hosea 14:3); and

WHEREAS, Our Lord Jesus welcomes the little ones (Luke 18:15-17), pleads for the lives of the innocent (Psalm 72:12-14), and shows us that we will be held accountable for our response to "the least of these brothers of mine" (Matthew 25:40); and

WHEREAS, The Scripture defines "pure and undefiled religion" as "to look after orphans and widows in their distress" (James 1:27); and

WHEREAS, The satanic powers and the ravages of sin have warred against infants and children from Pharaoh to Molech to Herod and, now, through the horrors of a divorce culture, an abortion industry, and the global plagues of disease, starvation, and warfare; and

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have articulated an unequivocal commitment to the sanctity of all human life, born and unborn; and

WHEREAS, Churches defined by the Great Commission must be concerned for the evangelism of children—including those who have no parents; and

WHEREAS, Upward of 150 million orphans now languish without families in orphanages, group homes, and placement systems in North America and around the world; and

WHEREAS, Our Father loves all of these children, and a great multitude of them will never otherwise hear the gospel of Jesus Christ; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Louisville, Kentucky, June 23-24, 2009, express our commitment to join our Father in seeking mercy for orphans; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we call on each Southern Baptist family to pray for guidance as to whether God is calling them to adopt or foster a child or children; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage our pastors and church leaders to preach and teach on God's concern for orphans; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we commend churches and ministries that are equipping families to provide financial and other resources to those called to adopt, through grants, matching funds, or loans; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage local churches to champion the evangelism of and ministry to orphans around the world, and to seek out ways to energize Southern Baptists behind this mission; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage Southern Baptist churches to join with other evangelical Christians in setting aside a special Sunday each year to focus upon our adoption in Christ and our common burden for the orphans of the world; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we pray what God is doing in creating an adoption culture in so many churches and families can point us to a gospel oneness that is determined not by "the flesh," or race, or economics, or cultural sameness, but by the Spirit, unity, and peace in Christ Jesus; and be it finally

RESOLVED, That we pray for an outpouring of God's Spirit on Southern Baptist congregations so that our churches will proclaim and picture, in word and in deed, that "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world."

Source: Search SBC Resolutions. Last updated 7 November 2010.

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