WHEREAS, The principle of religious liberty is rooted in Scripture, demonstrated in the gospel, and foundational to the nature of the human spirit as created by God; and
WHEREAS, As Southern Baptists we believe that all people should have the Godgiven freedom to form and hold opinions and religious beliefs and prorogate them without interference from or coercion by any government, religion, or person, and
WHEREAS, American individuals, businesses, and government officials experience everincreasing pressure to value economic gain over religious liberties; and
WHEREAS, There is evidence in many nations of escalating imprisonment, torture, killing, and other forms of persecution which demands much greater response by the United States government and the Christian community;
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, That we, the messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in Dallas, Texas, June 1719, 1997, express our opposition to religious persecution and encourage our government officials to elevate religious liberty concerns to the highest priority in foreign policy, invoking sanctions against those nations which tolerate persecution of those with differing religious beliefs; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we urge Americans to refrain from international trade, even at the risk of financial loss, with or in nations that practice religious persecution; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we respectfully encourage the media to bring these issues to the attention of the American public; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, That we urge believers to pray fervently for persecuted Christians worldwide and to pray for and urge government officials to eliminate such practices in countries where religious persecution exists.