WHEREAS, President Bill Clinton has nominated Dr. Henry Foster to be Surgeon General of the United States; and
WHEREAS, The previous Surgeon General was highly controversial due to her strong advocacy of abortion on demand, deviant sexuality and especially harmful premarital sexuality; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Foster holds similarly controversial ethical and policy positions including:
–absolute abortion on demand, including opposition to parental involvement legislation as exemplified by his role as a Public Policy Advocate for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America
–personal performance of abortions
–advocacy of the failed safe sex approach to sex education for young people including the distribution of condoms and contraceptives to minors without parental consent as demonstrated in his I Have A Future program
–sterilization of mentally impaired women in the 1970s; and
WHEREAS, Though he holds impressive academic and professional credentials, Dr. Fosters credibility has come into question because of the changing accounts of the number of abortions he has performed, the initial failure to disclose his long-time association with Planned Parenthood Federation of America the leading abortion provider in America, and the questions about when he became aware of the infamous experiments on black men with syphilis at Tuskegee; and
WHEREAS, As an official of the United States government who is a spokesperson on public health issues the Surgeon General has a prominent platform with which he or she can be an advocate of public policies.
Be it therefore RESOLVED, that we the messengers to the Sesquicentennial meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, assembled in Atlanta, Georgia, June 20-22, 1995, oppose the confirmation of Dr. Henry Foster; and
Be it further RESOLVED, that we urge senators to oppose the nomination and to support any filibuster which may be waged against the nomination; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that we urge President Clinton to appoint a health professional who will advocate principles consistent with the Judeo-Christian ethic.