RESOLUTION 1: ON THANKING GOD FOR THE SUPREME COURT’S PRO-LIFE RULING IN DOBBS V. JACKSON
WHEREAS, Scripture reveals that all human life is created in the image of God, and therefore sacred to our Creator (Genesis 1:27; 9:6); and
WHEREAS, The Bible affirms that the preborn child is a person, bearing the image of God, from the moment of conception (Psalm 139:13–16; Luke 1:44); and
WHEREAS, Louisiana Baptists have historically recognized the sanctity of life in the womb and repeatedly reaffirmed our pro-life ethic, our opposition to the heinous act of abortion, our support for abortion-vulnerable women as well as our commitment to the sanctity of marriage and the health and growth of families; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana Baptists have prayerfully sought God’s favor in moving the nation’s highest court to affirm the truth that life begins at conception and that the preborn are worthy of dignity and protection; and
WHEREAS, The United States Supreme Court ruled in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to overturn its harmful decisions in Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992); which, combined, led to more than 63,000,000 preborn lives lost during the past 49 years; and
WHEREAS, The Louisiana Legislature, the governors of Louisiana, and the citizens of our state had enacted laws to end abortion in our state once Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey were overturned; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the 175th session of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, meeting in Alexandria, Louisiana, November 15, 2022, praise God and thank Him for His favor in the long-term effort to overturn the disastrous pro-abortion precedents set in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we applaud Associate Justices Samuel A. Alito, Jr., Amy Coney Barrett, Neil M. Gorsuch, Brett M. Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas for their courageous unity in the face of threats of violence against them and their families to stand firm in returning “the authority to regulate abortion … to the people and their elected representatives,” allowing Louisiana and other states to ban abortion, thus protecting the lives of the preborn and upholding the sanctity of the parent-child relationship; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we commend the churches and individuals who have worked tirelessly to cultivate a pro-life culture in our state through prayer, spiritual health and growth of our citizenry about pro-life matters, and public policy action (including the overwhelming passage of the 2020 statewide ballot measure, the Love Life Amendment); and be it further
RESOLVED, That we implore Louisiana Baptists to increase their efforts to serve and support local pregnancy resource centers, pro-life organizations, foster-care and adoptive families, doing invaluable and often under-recognized work in the care of mothers and children at every stage of life and the support of fathers so they may effectively bear their parental responsibilities; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we commit to stand with and pray for abortion-vulnerable women and the fathers of preborn children, to eliminate any perceived need for the horror of abortion, and to oppose Planned Parenthood and other predatory organizations or institutions who exploit vulnerable women for profit; and be it finally
RESOLVED, That we urge the Louisiana Legislature to designate the month of June as “Sanctity of Preborn Life Month” in celebration of the Supreme Court’s historic ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
RESOLUTION 2: ON PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM THE PERMANENT PHYSICAL HARM OF SEX CHANGE SURGERIES AND DRUGS
WHEREAS, Worldwide there has been an unexplained surge in the number of children who claim a transgender identity; and
WHEREAS, Research indicates that “childhood-onset gender dysphoria has been shown to have a high rate of natural resolution,” with Paul R. McHugh, the renowned psychiatrist who led Johns Hopkins University Hospital to stop sex reassignment surgery in part because of a study at Vanderbilt University (Nashville, Tennessee) and the Portman Clinic (London, England) which found “70 percent to 80 percent” of children who experienced gender confusion “spontaneously lost those feelings”; and
WHEREAS, There is no evidence that long-term mental health outcomes are improved or that rates of suicide are reduced by hormonal or surgical intervention; and
WHEREAS, Instead, the preponderance of the scientific literature shows that suicide rates, psychiatric morbidities, and mortality are higher after gender reassignment or hormone therapy; and
WHEREAS, So-called sex change surgeries, puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones cause permanent harm in children, including cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, irreversible infertility, liver dysfunction and increased cancer risks; and
WHEREAS, Children lack the mental and emotional maturity to give informed consent for such drastic measures; and
WHEREAS, Puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones are a growing source of lucrative in[1]come for pharmaceutical companies; and
WHEREAS, Planned Parenthood is now the second largest provider of cross-sex hormone therapy in the United States; and
WHEREAS, LGBT political considerations rather than medical evidence now appear to be the driving force behind sex reassignment surgeries and the prescription of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormone treatments for children; and
WHEREAS, At least four European countries (Finland, France, Sweden, United Kingdom) have reversed course and banned gender reassignment procedures for minors, and
WHEREAS, Even Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, home of one of the Nobel Prize advisory panels and a pioneer in surgical and chemical sex reassignment procedures, has ended all use of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for patients under the age of 18 years old; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the 175th session of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, meeting in Alexandria, Louisiana, November 15, 2022, do restate our belief that “God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them,” (Genesis 1:27); and be it further
RESOLVED, We understand that this means the sex of an individual is determined biologically at conception; and be it further
RESOLVED, We reject the culture’s increasing objectification and sexualization of children, making them vulnerable to predatory grooming and using questionable medical pretexts to justify drastic chemical and surgical procedures to alter physical organs in attempts to reject the child’s biological sex; and be it further
RESOLVED, We rebuke attempts by some in the education system to undermine the rights of parents by exposing students to the ideas of gender confusion, and luring them to adopt pronouns other than those which identify the child with his or her biological sex; and be it further
RESOLVED, We declare our commitment to protect the “little ones” as commanded in Scripture (Matthew 18:6); and be it finally
RESOLVED, That we call on state and federal lawmakers and government authorities to ban the abuse of children via so-called “sex change” surgeries and drugs.
RESOLUTION 3: ON PROTECTING LOUISIANA’S YOUTH FROM THE HARMS OF MARIJUANA
WHEREAS, We are commanded to protect the “little ones” (Matthew 18:6, 10, 14): and
WHEREAS, Louisiana rushed headlong into the legalization of so-called “medical marijuana” in 2016 without respecting the preponderance of scientific research or the opinions of known experts in the field who strongly cautioned against such public policy; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana has rapidly expanded from “limited” use (supposedly to alleviate “a debilitating medical condition” involving glaucoma, chemotherapy for cancer and spastic quadriplegia, while prohibiting “inhalation, and raw or crude marijuana”) to now specifying 30 conditions and any “condition not otherwise specified … that a physician … considers debilitating” and permitting smoking pot as a treatment; and
WHEREAS, Use of what is accepted as “medical marijuana” in Louisiana is not controlled either by specifying which compounds found in the pot plant are contained in any pot product nor by specifying the dosage of such compounds (lacking research into the effects of such); and
WHEREAS, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content (the psychoactive ingredient in the pot plant) has surged in pot products from about 2-4 percent as late as 1990 to as much as 30 percent today; and
WHEREAS, Even the New York Times has warned that “Medical Marijuana Is Not Regulated as Most Medicines Are”; and
WHEREAS, Kenneth Finn, a noted pain management specialist in Colorado who published the 544-page, “Cannabis in Medicine: An Evidence-Based Approach,” has concluded that “People are using a medical excuse for their recreational marijuana habit”; and
WHEREAS, California, which legalized “compassionate use” of marijuana in 1996 and recreational marijuana in 2016, is now moving to place warning labels on all pot products due to increasing incidences of psychosis, paranoia and schizophrenia in their state; and
WHEREAS, Colorado passed H.B.21-3-17 in 2022, to regulate THC content due to surging medical emergencies (psychosis, paranoia, schizophrenia) among children and youth, with Democratic Attorney General Phil Weiser declaring, “Medical marijuana laws are enabling teens access to high potency marijuana”; and
WHEREAS, Already, Louisiana high school students ranked #14 in the nation in marijuana use before medicinal pot was legalized for smoking in January; and
WHEREAS, The CDC has stated that “Marijuana products that contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can have health risks regardless of how they are used because THC is impairing and can affect memory, attention, decisions-making, and risk-taking”; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the 175th session of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, meeting in Alexandria, Louisiana, November 15, 2022, call for lawmakers to enact a moratorium on THC for medical uses, as well as a prohibition on smoking any part of a marijuana plant; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we call on the Louisiana Legislature to appoint the Louisiana Board of Medical Examiners and the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy, and other scientific and research experts as these two bodies determine, to robustly examine the scientific literature to determine what safety concerns need to be addressed in the state’s medical marijuana program; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we urge the Louisiana House and Senate to require the Louisiana Department of Health to develop and publish a database (similar to the COVID-19 dashboard it created) with cumulative data about adverse health events related to marijuana, especially involving anyone under the age of 21 years old; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the state require approved marijuana growers to include genetic markers in their respective strains of plants to ease the tracking of pot products in the state, facilitating medical safety and legal accountability; and be it finally
RESOLVED, That we call on Louisiana legislators to roll back the medical marijuana program until such time as vigorous testing leads to conclusive evidence about what, if any, part of the marijuana plant or the hemp plant offers relief for a medical condition and to the development of proper dosing protocols commensurate with any other medical product.
RESOLUTION 4: ON A CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO THOSE EXPERIENCING MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, RELATIONAL AND ADDICTION ISSUES
WHEREAS, God made all things perfectly good for His glory and the good of humanity (Genesis 1–2); and
WHEREAS, Adam and Eve rebelled against Him, choosing their own way and the way of the evil one, and consequently ushered sin and disorder into our world, negatively impacting the whole human race (Genesis 3; Romans 5:12–21; 8:22); and
WHEREAS, As a consequence of this fall, humanity is subjected to many kinds of mental, emotional, relational and addiction issues, spanning a broad spectrum, including autism disorders; intellectual disabilities; conditions like schizophrenia, clinical depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorders, and eating disorders; diseases of the aged such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease; as well as a host of addictions that take captive so many; and
WHEREAS, God did not abandon fallen humanity but loved the world (John 3:16–17) and launched a plan of redemption—a restoration that is incomplete in this age but will be perfected in Heaven (1 Peter 1:3–9); and
WHEREAS, Those experiencing mental, emotional, relational and addiction issues, like all people, are crowned with honor and dignity, being made in the image and likeness of God (Psalm 8:4–6; James 3:9); and
WHEREAS, Those experiencing mental, emotional, relational and addiction issues often feel isolated, stigmatized, and rejected, sometimes resorting to self-destructive behaviors, including suicide; and
WHEREAS, Suicide is a tragedy, leaving heartache, pain, and unanswered questions in its wake; and
WHEREAS, God has called us to share the Gospel of Christ with all people, including those experiencing mental, emotional, relational and addiction issues; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the 175th session of the Louisiana Baptist Convention meeting in Alexandria, Louisiana, November 15, 2022, affirm that those experiencing mental, emotional, relational and addiction issues are of immeasurable value to God, and we commit to proclaim liberty to them by supporting biblically sound counseling ministries; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we oppose all stigmatization and prejudice against those experiencing mental, emotional, relational and addiction issues (as well as their loved ones) and declare, instead, that we must offer care, concern, and compassion, including the assurance that those in Christ cannot be separated from the eternal love of God that is in Jesus; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we urge Louisiana Baptists to support the Granberry Counseling Centers provided through the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and Family Ministries, and other ministries such as Celebrate Recovery, and encourage those experiencing mental, emotional, relational and addiction issues to engage with these biblical counseling opportunities; and be it finally
RESOLVED, That we call on Louisiana lawmakers to establish a task force on mental, emotional, relational and addiction issues to investigate the safety nets available through governments, businesses, churches and other non-profits to ensure that the totality of the care and compassion system for these citizens is sound and that the process is secure such that no person is ever without the help they need.
RESOLUTION 5: ON EXPRESSION OF APPRECIATION
WHEREAS, Many individuals and groups have had a part in planning, preparing and con[1]ducting the 175th annual meeting of our Louisiana Baptist Convention; and
WHEREAS, The messengers of this Convention desire to warmly recognize and express appreciation to the following:
Dr. David Brooks and Rev. Todd Strain, pastors of Calvary Baptist Church, Alexandria, Louisiana, their staff and the congregation for their assistance with details and for providing the use of their facilities for this annual meeting; and
Dr. Reggie Bridges, Convention president, and pastor of Temple Baptist Church, Ruston, for his warm, gracious spirit in leading, speaking and listening to Louisiana Baptists this year, and his gentle firmness in moderating this annual meeting; and
Temple Baptist Church, Ruston, for their commitment to sharing the Gospel in our state by graciously supporting Dr. Bridges’s leadership of all the churches of the Louisiana Baptist Convention this past year; and
Jeremy Christ, music director for this annual meeting, and worship pastor with Calvary Baptist Church, Alexandria, for planning and coordinating the music, and the musicians and singers for their contribution of instrumental and vocal talents; and
Scotty Blackwell, chairman of the Committee on Order of Business, and minister of music with First Baptist Church, Minden, and the members of the Committee on Order of Business for planning this informative and inspirational annual meeting; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the 175th Session of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, meeting in Alexandria, Louisiana, November 15, 2022, express to each of the above, and to all who contributed, our deepest heartfelt gratitude.
