Southern Baptists adopted resolutions lamenting Americas “cultural
drift
toward secularization” and urging Christians to engage culture
and vote “biblical values” last week.
Southern Baptists adopted resolutions lamenting Americas “cultural
drift
toward secularization” and urging Christians to engage culture
and vote “biblical values” last week.
However, in a much-publicized action, they stopped short of calling for a full-scale
withdrawal of children from public schools.
Eight resolutions were adopted with little debate or opposition by the 8,500
messengers attending the annual Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis.
The statements were presented by a 10-member committee and included resolutions
supporting the Federal Marriage Amendment, promoting Christian citizenship,
honoring the military, and praising the life and presidency of Ronald Reagan.
But the convention committee declined to act on a resolution proposed by T.C.
Pinckney of Virginia and Bruce Shortt of Texas, asking Southern Baptists to
remove their children from “godless” and “anti-Christian”
public schools.
When his resolution was not reported out by the committee, Pinckney attempted
to address the issue with an amendment from the floor. He proposed an addition
to the resolution on secularization of the culture that stopped short of calling
for a Christian exodus from public schools but called for Southern Baptists
to give their children a “thoroughly Christian education.”
His amendment described a thorough Christian education as “home schooling,
truly Christian private schools or some other innovative model of private Christian
education.” It also urged churches and pastors to equip parents to provide
their children with a thoroughly Christian education.
In speaking for his amendment, Pinckney told messengers there is an abundance
of evidence “government schools are becoming more and more anti-Christian,”
though he acknowledged “many differences from one public school to another.”
He commended Christians teaching and working in public schools.
In response, Resolutions Committee Chair Calvin Wittman of Colorado voiced
opposition, telling messengers the convention had passed 11 resolutions on education
in the last 19 years, pronouncing its support for public, private and home schooling.
The committee believes “this is a responsibility that God has given to
the parents of each individual child, and we encourage parents to exercise that
God-given responsibility over their children,” he added.
“We must be careful as a denomination not to usurp the authority that
God has placed firmly in the home.”
Jim Goforth of Missouri also spoke against Pinckneys amendment, saying
that pulling Christian children out of public schools means “darkness will
completely take over the schools.”
He told about his son leading a fellow public-school student to faith in Jesus.
“Teach them the truth,” Goforth said. “Theyll know it
when they hear it, and they will reject the falsehood.”
In turn, Shortt spoke in favor of the amendment, saying the belief that children
will positively influence schools as “salt and light” is misapplied
theology.
Childhood is a time of discipleship – and placing children in an “anti-Christian”
school will corrupt them, Shortt insisted.
Messengers easily defeated the Pinckney amendment on a show-of-hands vote.
They then passed the resolution on secularization unchanged. The statement
says “the cultural shift in our nation toward secularism obscures moral
absolutes under the guise of tolerance.”
Southern Baptists take blame and repent “for our part in the cultural
decline that is taking place on our watch.”
In turn, they urge Southern Baptists to “aggressively engage the culture
by speaking the truth in love concerning every aspect of life, public and private.”
The statement adds – “Americas only hope is a spiritual awakening
by the power of God through the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
A resolution on Christian citizenship urges “all Christians to vote in
accordance with biblical values rather than according to party lines, personalities
or candidate rhetoric.” It calls on churches to conduct voter registration
and education.
The resolution on a Federal Marriage Amendment supports the move to define
marriage as between one man and counter attempts to legalize same-sex marriage.
The resolution notes “the institution of marriage is in a state of crisis.”
The resolution commending Reagan calls him a man of prayer and strong faith
who “exemplified the hallmarks of a Christian leader.” It credits
Reagan with respecting the sanctity of life and liberating millions of people
from communism.
The resolution on the military calls Southern Baptists to pray for soldiers
and “to find tangible ways” to support them, but it does not take
a specific position on the ongoing American war in Iraq.
Another resolution expresses appreciation to God and to the “many faithful
men and women who made sacrifices to lead the conservative resurgence”
that won control of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Other resolutions commend LifeWay Christian Resources for producing the new
Holman Christian Standard Bible and thank those individuals who help to organize
the annual meeting in Indianapolis.