WHEREAS, A continuing permissive attitude in contemporary society toward extramarital sexual activity has precipitated an epidemic of teenage pregnancy; and
WHEREAS, Many public school systems across America believe that the most effective way to combat to this problem is to make birth control information and contraceptives widely available to public school students; and
WHEREAS, This mindset has led to the provision of amoral counsel, of contraceptive medications, and devices within the framework of public schools; and
WHEREAS, The newest assault on parental authority and responsibility with respect to their adolescent children is the concept of School Based Clinics, which are being introduced into public schools across the country with the ostensible reason being to provide general medical services to public school students; and
WHEREAS, Many proponents of School Based Clinics claim that contraceptive services and treatment of sexually-related medical conditions are only a small portion of the total services to be delivered, it is obvious because of the philosophical base of their chief proponents that general medical services are only a camouflage for their primary motivation which is to provide contraceptives to public schools students; and
WHEREAS, Provision of contraceptive services in School Based Clinics is virtually always done under the cover of patient confidentiality, resulting in the provision of contraceptive services, medications, and devices without parental knowledge or permission, undermining God-ordained parental authority and responsibility; and
WHEREAS, This causes the public school, which represents to students the authority of the government and of the community at large, to condone immoral sexual behavior; and
WHEREAS, That for public schools to condone and lend assistance to immoral sexual behavior is an abdication of moral responsibility and a breach of the trust which parents expect from those to whom they entrust the education of their children.
Therefore be it RESOLVED, That we, the messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in San Antonio, Texas, June 14-16, 1988, abhor the tendency to bypass parental consent involving birth control and abortion; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we deplore the operation of School Based Clinics which have as any part of their function the provision of contraceptive counseling, medications, or devices; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we do not believe that any fair interpretation of the doctrine of separation of church and state requires the public schools of our nation to adopt and maintain an amoral value-free approach to teenage promiscuity, and we call for public schools as they deal with the sensitive areas of sexual behavior to uphold the standard of sexual abstinence outside marriage; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we support those public school educators in their efforts to promote traditional moral values that teach abstinence; and
Be it finally RESOLVED, That if “Just Say No” is the standard for drug education, we affirm that it is equally applicable to sex education.