WHEREAS, Experiments are currently being performed using organs, tissues, and cells obtained from human embryos and fetuses; and
WHEREAS, Most of these organs, tissues, and cells are harvested from embryos and fetuses destroyed through elective abortions; and
WHEREAS, Companies such as the Anatomic Gift Foundation and Opening Lines have been found to traffic in human fetal body parts—buying, dissecting, and selling those tissues; and
WHEREAS, Tax-funded research is being performed in Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, and other states using electively-aborted human fetal body parts; and
WHEREAS, The growing industry of buying and selling human fetal organs, tissues, and cells represents a grisly practice that converts human body parts into a commodity to be bought and sold in the marketplace; and
WHEREAS, Elective abortion is an act of violence against unborn human beings, and the sale of their tissues is an assault on the biblical truth that all human beings are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 139:13-16); and
WHEREAS, The Southern Baptist Convention is on record for its enduring, consistent, and vigorous opposition to (1) elective abortion, (2) the use of fetal tissues harvested from elective abortions for research, and (3) experimentation using human embryonic stem cells obtained from electively-aborted embryos.
Therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in Orlando, Florida, June 13-14, 2000, reaffirm our abhorrence of elective abortion, our repudiation of research using embryos and fetuses from elective abortions, and our repugnance toward the exploitation of unborn human beings through the sale of their body parts; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we call upon our elected officials at every level to enforce existing laws against the sale of human fetal tissues and to take appropriate steps to stop the trafficking of baby body parts; and
Be it finally RESOLVED, That we urge the presidential, vice-presidential, and congressional candidates for the 2000 election to make known publicly their stance on the harvesting and selling of human tissues obtained through elective abortions.