NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — Southern Baptist Convention messengers voted June 22 “to hold accountable schools, institutions and industries for their moral influence on our children.”
The resolution also urges parents and churches “to investigate diligently the curricula, textbooks and programs in our community schools and to demand discontinuation of offensive material and programs.”
The action came one year after SBC messengers rejected a proposal urging Southern Baptists to remove their children from “godless” and “anti-Christian” public schools.
Attorney Bruce Shortt of Texas was the co-author of proposed resolutions both last year and this year urging parents to withdraw their children from public schools. This year's proposal, co-written by Voddie Baucham Jr., called for removing children from schools that seek to influence students to accept homosexuality as a legitimate lifestyle.
While the measure presented by the SBC Resolutions Committee cited concerns about homosexuality, it stopped short of urging parents to withdraw their children from public schools.
Shortt said later he and Baucham support the committee's resolution as “an important first step in protecting our children.” He urged Southern Baptists to “investigate diligently … to determine if your school district is betraying your trust by teaching that homosexuality is an acceptable lifestyle.”
Prior to the vote, Robert Dreyfus of Florida told messengers: “It's just devastating to me what is happening to our children. Public schools are a mission field, but they're a killing field to our children. If we do not speak out on this issue, I think Southern Baptists will in the future greatly regret not having addressed this issue.”
Jim Goforth of Missouri, who spoke against the anti-public school proposal last year, offered an amendment this year commending teachers and students “who feel a call from God to take a stand in secular schools as a light shining in the darkness.”
Committee members accepted the proposal as a friendly amendment and it was approved prior to adopting the revised resolution.
Messengers also approved resolutions to end an eight-year boycott of Disney and to express appreciation for American troops and President Bush.
The Disney resolution declares that the SBC's boycott “has communicated effectively our displeasure concerning products and policies that violate moral righteousness and traditional family values.”
Urging Disney to provide “only those products that affirm traditional family values,” the resolution pledges “to continue to monitor the products and policies of the Disney Co.”
Wiley Drake, a California pastor and outspoken Disney opponent, affirmed the proposal to end the boycott but proposed an amendment calling for the SBC “to reinstitute another boycott if necessary.” Messengers rejected the proposed amendment.
Bill Dodson of Kentucky urged messengers to defeat the resolution and continue the boycott. Claiming Disney shifted “from Bambi to bimbos,” Dodson lamented the entertainment giant's “open and blatant disregard of the values we hold dear.” Saying the SBC was right to boycott Disney in 1997, he added, “This old warrior isn't ready to stop fighting the battle just yet.”
Messengers overwhelmingly voted to end the boycott, concluding with a call for Southern Baptists “to practice continued discernment regarding all entertainment products from all sources.”
The resolution honoring the military declares that “our troops play a vital role in preserving and protecting freedom in the United States and throughout the world.” It also notes that President Bush “has shown courage and leadership in his valiant opposition to terrorism.”
Without specifically referencing Iraq, Afghanistan or other countries where U.S. troops are stationed, the resolution encourages “all Southern Baptists to pray regularly for our president and to stand with him in opposing global terrorism as he makes decisions that potentially impact the entire earth.”
Connie Saffle, a U.S. Army veteran and pastor's wife from Kansas, offered an amendment encouraging Baptists to pray for and support family members of military personnel. It was approved without debate.
Messengers defeated an amendment that urged “maintaining the maximum individual freedoms of all loyal Americans.” Robert Dreyfus offered the amendment out of concern for “the abridgement of our constitutional rights” through the Patriot Act and other measures.
Messengers also approved six resolutions without discussion:
— Stem-cell research. Noting that messengers “wholeheartedly support efforts to find cures and therapies for human maladies that respect the sanctity of all human life,” the measure adds that “we deplore embryo-destructive research, since it kills human beings in their earliest stages of development.” It expresses “deep disappointment” in a recent U.S. House vote in favor of expanded stem-cell research and urges the U.S. Senate to reject such legislation.
— Federal judiciary. The measure calls on “all future presidents to nominate strict constructionist judges who will interpret rather than make law.” It also urges “all members of the Body of Christ to provide their United States senators with verbal and written encouragement to stop the obstruction of judicial nominees.”
— Religious freedom and freedom of speech. The resolution declares that messengers “will vote only for candidates and policies at all levels of government that will protect our religious freedoms and advocate traditional Judeo-Christian values.” It urges Southern Baptists to “use their freedom of speech and religious liberty to further the cause of Christ in the public arena.”
— Reducing teen smoking. Noting that every day 5,000 children under age 18 smoke their first cigarette, messengers pledged to “work to reduce tobacco use, especially among teens.” The resolution also applauds “jurisdictions that have helped reduce teen smoking with substantial tax increases on tobacco products.”
— Evangelism. Affirming SBC President Bobby Welch's call for Southern Baptists to “reach, win and baptize 1 million people” through the “‘Everyone Can' Kingdom Challenge for Evangelism,” the resolution encourages churches “to make reaching the lost a pre-eminent ministry priority.”
— Appreciation. The traditional resolution of appreciation expresses “profound gratitude to the Lord and to all those whom he used to bring about a convention characterized by grace, evangelism, worship, encouragement, unity and purpose in this annual meeting.”
Messengers submitted 23 proposals to the resolutions committee for consideration. Seven of the issues were addressed in three of the committee's nine resolutions. The committee declined to take action on the other 16 topics, including the SBC's “support for the unjust war in Iraq,” encouraging Southern Baptist churches “to make available natural family planning” and rescinding commendation for LifeWay Christian Resources' Holman Christian Standard Bible translation.