F
ethics & religious liberty
We work to awaken, inform, energize, equip and mobilize our churches to influence their communities, state, and nation with the Word of God as applied to the current cultural issues.
Southern Baptist churches speak for themselves but where they have corporately spoken on timely issues, we represent that voice. Our churches have agreed on:
OUR CONFESSION OF FAITH
The Baptist Faith & Message refers to several timely issues according to our best understanding of biblical truth.
RESOLUTIONS
Our convention’s messengers each year express opinions on the issues of the day. These are not binding on the convention or its ministries but instructive on the consensus of our churches.
THE PLAIN READING OF SCRIPTURE
Much of what the Bible says is very clear on matters of morality, human relationships and even the place of government in the lives of citizens.
priority issues
Life
God is the author and sustainer of life. Human life bears his image (Gen. 1:27). Our statement of faith says, “We should speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death.”
Education
Realizing that professional education has a role in building strong communities, the primary right and responsibility for the education of our children are with the parents (Deut. 6:5-7). It is they who will answer to God for their stewardship of this responsibility.
Family
The first human institution is foundational for all that followed. God has defined both marriage and family from the beginning (Gen. 2:24). Our statement of faith says, “Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime.”
The Nature of Man Kind
People are a special creation of God. This means we are spiritual beings as well as physical ones. All people come from the same parents and all possess full dignity. Thus, we condemn racism and any attitude or action that denies human dignity. People are all equally sinful and in need of redemption that only God can provide (Rom. 3:23). Our statement of faith says, “Man is the special creation of God, made in His own image. He created them male and female as the crowning work of His creation. The gift of gender is thus part of the goodness of God’s creation.”
Religious Liberty
Just as the family is the first basic human institution, religious liberty is the first human right. Men and women, created in God’s image, worship him with all their minds, souls and strength. That means people have the right and responsibility before God to live according to their beliefs. Our statement of faith says, “God alone is Lord of the conscience, and He has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are contrary to His Word or not contained in it.”
