WHEREAS, The establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and the Vatican has been predicted in press releases from Washington, and
WHEREAS, Such action, if attempted, would not only violate the cherished principle of religious liberty and its inevitable corrollary, the complete separation of church and state, as set forth and guaranteed in the first amendment to the Constitution of the United States; but would seriously hinder rather than help in the present national emergency, and,
WHEREAS, Our Baptist people have stood resolutely and without compromise for this principle of religious liberty and complete separation of church and state in all relationships of religion and government–local, state, national, and international; therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, By the messengers to this the 87th annual session of the Southern Baptist Convention in San Antonio, Texas, this the 19th day of May, 1942,
First, that we reaffirm our time-honored conviction that there must be no infringement upon the principle of complete separation of church and state by either the government or by any religious group, and,
Second, that we are convinced that any effort to establish diplomatic relations with the Vatican or any other religious body, under any conditions or considerations whatsoever, would be a violation of the principle of religious liberty as set forth in the first amendment to the Constitution, and
Third, that we most earnestly and respectfully urge and petition the President and the Congress of the United States to promptly and definitely defeat any effort to establish diplomatic relations with the Vatican or any other religious body.