WHEREAS, God created the world with order, meaning, and purpose, revealing through both Scripture and creation enduring truths about human life, marriage, sexuality, and the family (Genesis 1:26-28, 2:24); and
WHEREAS, God made every person in his image as either male or female in accord with his good design for humanity, equal in worth but different by design, and this difference is not accidental or arbitrary (Genesis 1:27); and
WHEREAS, Marriage is a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman, designed by God for love, faithfulness, the raising of children, and as a picture of Christ’s love for the church (Ephesians 5:31-33); and
WHEREAS, Human life is sacred at every stage—from conception to natural death—because all people bear the image of God and law should grant equal protection for each stage of human development (Psalm 139:13-16); and
WHEREAS, God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society, prior to the state, with a divine mandate to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28), and entrusted parents with the primary responsibility of raising, educating, and discipling their children (Deuteronomy 6:6-7; Ephesians 6:4); and
WHEREAS, These truths about the created order are not only Christian convictions but also universal truths that are essential for a healthy, just, and free society; and
WHEREAS, Law is not meant to create moral truth but to recognize and uphold it, and lawmakers are accountable to God for the policies they promote and have a God-given duty to legislate in ways that honor the truth of creation and protect the common good (Romans 13:1-7); and
WHEREAS, Our culture is increasingly rejecting and distorting these truths by redefining marriage, pursuing willful childlessness which contributes to a declining fertility rate, ignoring and suppressing the biological differences between male and female, encouraging gender confusion, undermining parental rights, and denying the value and dignity of children; and
WHEREAS, Commercial surrogacy often treats children as products and women as a means to an end, and may entail the destruction of embryonic life, violating the dignity of human life and distorting God’s design for procreation within marriage; and
WHEREAS, Christians are called to grieve with and support couples who struggle with infertility and to uphold moral and compassionate paths to parenthood that protect human dignity; and
WHEREAS, The normalization of transgender ideology—especially the participation of biological males and females in opposite gender sports and the medical transition of minors—represents a rebellion against God’s design for male and female, inflicts unjust harm on children, men, and women, employs coercive language control, and undermines fairness, safety, and truth; and
WHEREAS, Free speech is increasingly threatened by policies that compel individuals to speak against their conscience, especially on matters of sex and identity; and
WHEREAS, Parents are being pushed out of essential decisions about their children’s health, education, and identity, in violation of their God-given rights and responsibilities; and
WHEREAS, Legal rulings like Obergefell v. Hodges and policies that deny the biological reality of male and female are legal fictions, undermine the truth of God’s design, and lead to social confusion and injustice; and
WHEREAS, Planned Parenthood remains a leading provider of abortion, undermines parental rights, and promotes harmful ideas about sex and the family, all while receiving taxpayer funds; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in Dallas, Texas, June 10-11, 2025, affirm the goodness and truth of God’s creation order and declare that it is vital for the health of our culture, the justice of our laws, and the well-being of future generations; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we affirm the duty of lawmakers to pass laws that reflect the truth of creation and natural law—about marriage, sex, human life, and family—and to oppose any law that denies or undermines what God has made plain through nature and Scripture; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we call for the overturning of laws and court rulings, including Obergefell v. Hodges, that defy God’s design for marriage and family; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we call for laws that affirm marriage between one man and one woman, recognize the biological reality of male and female, protect children’s innocence against sexual predation, affirm and strengthen parental rights in education and healthcare, incentivize family formation in life-affirming ways, and ensure safety and fairness in athletic competition; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we oppose any law or policy that compels people to speak falsehoods about sex and gender, and we defend the right of every person to speak the truth without fear or coercion; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we call on Southern Baptists to love all their neighbors in accordance with their God-given dignity as image bearers and to advocate for the government to restrain actions inconsistent with the dignity and value of every human being, including commercial surrogacy; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we call on Christians to celebrate and embrace marriage and childbearing—seeing children as blessings rather than burdens (Psalm 127:3-5)—and the privilege of raising the next generation; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we call for renewed moral clarity in public discourse regarding the crisis of declining fertility and for policies that support the bearing and raising of children within intact, married families; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we encourage and extend compassion to individuals who find themselves in situations of familial loss or breakdown and are seeking to honor the Lord in their parenting; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we call for the complete and permanent defunding of Planned Parenthood and for public funds to be directed to life-affirming healthcare providers; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we urge all Southern Baptists to advocate in the public square for laws and policies that reflect the moral order revealed in Scripture and nature, and to bear witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ, which alone restores broken lives, redeems sin, and brings eternal hope; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we encourage churches to disciple their members in a biblical view of marriage, sexuality, parenting, and the sanctity of life; and be it finally RESOLVED, That we commit to speaking the truth about God’s design with conviction and compassion, trusting that his ways lead to human flourishing, and praying that our nation’s laws and culture would once again reflect the beauty of the world as God created it.