WHEREAS, The Bible teaches that God, the Author of life, created all human beings in his image and declares human life to be sacred and worthy of protection from conception until natural death (Genesis 1:26-27; Exodus 20:13; Job 14:5; Psalm 139:13,16; Jeremiah 1:5; Acts 17:28; James 3:9); and
WHEREAS, This Convention has previously warned against the emergence of a “culture of death,” and recent legal and cultural developments demonstrate that this concern remains urgently relevant (“Resolution on Assisted Suicide,” 1996); and
WHEREAS, The Southern Baptist Convention has consistently affirmed in resolutions adopted in 1992, 1996, and 2001, the sanctity of human life and has opposed euthanasia and assisted suicide, which are distinct from difficult medical decisions that may need to be made upon the approach of natural death; and
WHEREAS, In the years since those resolutions, the practice of assisted suicide has expanded significantly in the United States and is now legal in at least thirteen states and the District of Columbia, with most of these laws enacted in the past decade and several adopted in just the last few years; and
WHEREAS, Since the last annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, additional states, including some of the nation’s largest, have enacted or announced plans to enact such laws, demonstrating the accelerating normalization of assisted suicide; and
WHEREAS, Advocates of these laws often appeal to concepts such as autonomy, compassion, dignity, and the alleviation of suffering, while reframing assisted suicide as a form of medical care rather than the intentional ending of human life; and
WHEREAS, Experience in other countries demonstrates that such practices do not remain limited, but instead expand over time, as seen in Canada and in European nations such as the Netherlands, where initial safeguards have eroded and eligibility has broadened to include additional categories of patients; and
WHEREAS, These developments confirm that so-called safeguards are often temporary, as worldviews that reject a biblical view of personhood and of suffering ultimately erode meaningful limits on the taking of human life; and
WHEREAS, Scripture recognizes both the evil of personal suffering and the good of God’s redemptive purposes in it (Romans 5:3-4; 2 Corinthians 1:9, 12:7-10; James 1:2-4); and
WHEREAS, The intentional ending of innocent human life, whether by oneself or with the assistance of another, is contrary to biblical teaching and undermines the dignity and worth of every human being; and
WHEREAS, A person outside of Christ immediately enters into intensified, eternal misery upon death, and a person in Christ has the help of the Lord to persevere faithfully in suffering and bring glory to God, now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida, June 9-10, 2026, reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the sanctity of human life from conception until natural death, recognizing that every human being bears the image of God and is therefore deserving of protection, dignity, and care; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we reaffirm our continued opposition to euthanasia and assisted suicide in all its forms, including practices now described as “medical aid in dying” and “death with dignity,” which intentionally seek to end human life; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we reject the rebranding of assisted suicide through euphemistic language that obscures the moral reality of intentionally ending human life, misleads the public regarding the nature of these practices, and diminishes the tragedy of all suicides; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we warn that the legalization of assisted suicide leads to the expansion of such practices beyond their original limits, placing the elderly, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable populations at increased risk of coercion, neglect, and devaluation; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we call upon federal, state, and local governments to uphold laws that protect human life, to resist efforts to legalize or expand assisted suicide, and to promote policies that affirm the inherent dignity and worth of every person; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we urge medical professionals, healthcare institutions, and policymakers to prioritize ethical care that affirms the dignity of every patient, including effective pain management, hospice care, and palliative support, rather than interventions that intentionally cause death; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we call upon Southern Baptist pastors, churches, and families to provide compassionate, faithful presence to those who are suffering both physically and mentally, offering emotional, spiritual, and practical care that reflects the love of Christ and affirms the value of every life, even in its most fragile stages (Romans 12:15-16; Galatians 6:2; Philippians 2:4); and be it finally
RESOLVED, That we commit ourselves to bearing clear and faithful witness in the public square to a biblical ethic of life, proclaiming the hope of the gospel, which affirms both the dignity of every human life and the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6; 1 Peter 3:15).