Southern Baptist Convention

Official Denominational Website: http://www.sbc.net

Beginning of Life

Official Statement: from Southern Baptist Convention, "Position Statements: Sanctity of Life" “Procreation is a gift from God, a precious trust reserved for marriage. At the moment of conception, a new being enters the universe, a human being, a being created in God's image. This human being deserves our protection, whatever the circumstances of conception.” ("Position Statements: Sanctity of Life")

Abortion

The SBC is against abortion for all reasons except to save the life of the mother:

Official Statement: from Southern Baptist Convention, "Resolution on Abortion and Infanticide" (New Orleans, LA, 1982)

“[We]affirm that all human life, both born and pre-born, is sacred, bearing the image of God, and is not subject to personal judgments as to ‘quality of life’ based on such subjective criteria as stage of development, abnormality, intelligence level, degree of dependency, cost of medical treatment, or inconvenience to parents.

. . . we abhor the use of federal, state or local tax money; public, tax-supported medical facilities; or Southern Baptist supported medical facilities for the practice of selfish, medically unnecessary abortions and/or the practice of withholding treatment from unwanted or defective newly born infants.

. . . we support and will work for appropriate legislation and/or constitutional amendment which will prohibit abortions except to save the physical life of the mother, and that we also support and will work for legislation which will prohibit the practice of infanticide.” ("Resolution on Abortion and Infanticide," reaffirmed in 1989, 1991, and 1993 Resolutions)

Healthcare & Medicine

Organ Donation & Transplantation

Official Statement: from Southern Baptist Convention, "Resolution On Human Organ Donations" (San Antonio, TX, 1988)

“[We] . . encourage physicians to request organ donation in appropriate circumstances; and . . .

we encourage voluntarism regarding organ donations in the spirit of stewardship, compassion for the needs of others, and alleviating suffering; and

we recognize the validity of living wills and organ donor cards, along with the right of next of kin to make decisions regarding organ donations; and

Be it finally RESOLVED, That nothing in the resolution be construed to condone euthanasia, infanticide, abortion, or harvesting of fetal tissue for the procurement of organs. ("Resolution on Human Organ Donations")

Privacy of Healthcare Information

Official Statement: from Southern Baptist Convention, "Resolution On Genetic Technology and Cloning" (Dallas, TX, 1997)

“[W]e solicit lawmakers to pass federal legislation protecting genetic privacy and prohibiting the use of information gathered through genetic testing to stigmatize and discriminate against individuals on the basis of their genetic information.” ("Resolution on Genetic Technology and Cloning")

Science & Technology

Biotechnology

Animal-Human Hybrids

Official Statement: from Southern Baptist Convention, "On Human Species-Altering Technologies" (Greensboro, NC, 2006)

“[we] repudiate in strongest possible terms human species-altering technologies; and . . .

we oppose efforts at human-animal hybridization, specifically any attempts to mix human and animal gametes (sperm and egg) or implanting human embryos in animal wombs and vice versa; and . . .

while we support attempts at human somatic cell gene therapy for serious genetic illnesses if proper regard is given to informed consent, safety, efficacy, and the just allocation of available resources, we oppose any biotechnology that results in blurring the human-animal species barrier, such as the implantation of human brain cells into mice; and . . .

while we support the use of simple gene transfer from humans to animals for drug production (e.g., human insulin, human growth hormone, clotting factor VIII) and therapeutic human-animal technologies such as the use of pig heart valves in humans, we oppose any human germline genetic modification that results in the destruction of human embryos or their equivalent (e.g., totipotential cells); and . . .

we cannot endorse any use of human germline modification at this time, no matter how well-intentioned, due to the unpredictability of the process and the possible introduction of irreversible destructive errors into the human gene pool, and . . .

we urge the members of both Houses of the United States Congress to pass as soon as possible a comprehensive ban on all human species-altering technologies, including the creation of animal-human hybrids and human germline genetic modification, given the current state of the unpredictability of the process and the possibility of the introduction of irreversible destructive errors into the human gene pool.” ("On Human Species-Altering Technologies")

Human Cloning

Official Statement: from Southern Baptist Convention, "On Human Cloning" (New Orleans, LA, 2001)

“[we] express our abhorrence at attempts to clone a human being; and . . .

consistent with our positions on both cloning and embryo research, we repudiate both reproductive cloning and research cloning of human embryos; and . . .

we urge Congress to enact a permanent, comprehensive ban on human cloning, making it unlawful to clone a human being, including a human embryo, and attaching severe penalties to attempts to clone human beings, including human embryos; and be it further

RESOLVED, That, with the exception of cloning humans and human embryos, we do not oppose the use of nuclear transfer or other cloning techniques to produce molecules, DNA, cells, tissues, organs, plants, or animals; and . . .

we encourage policymakers around the world to make the cloning of a human being illegal among the entire human family.” ("Resolution on Human Cloning")

Stem Cell Research

Official Statement: from Southern Baptist Convention, "Resolution on Human Embryonic and Stem Cell Research" (Nashville, TN, 2005)

“[W]e . . . strongly support stem cell research that does not require the destruction of human embryos or put them at risk in obtaining human stem cells; and . . .

we deplore embryo-destructive research, since it kills human beings in their earliest stages of development, and . . .

we express our deep disappointment in those members of the United States House of Representatives who voted in favor of embryo-destructive research for their abject failure to protect the lives of these innocent human beings; and . . .

we commend those members of the United States House of Representatives who voted against embryo-destructive research for their courageous stand on behalf of these voiceless human beings; and . . .

we urge the United States Senate to reject any legislation that calls for embryo-destructive research, regardless of the origin of the embryos, beyond the cell lines which are currently approved for federally funded research; and . . .

we commend the president for his commitment to veto any bills that call for federal funding of embryo-destructive research beyond the cell lines he has already approved; and . . .

we encourage Southern Baptists to consider ways they can become involved in life-affirming activities, including adopting embryos being stored at fertility clinics.” ("On Stem Cell Research")

Genetic Ethics

Gender Selection

Official Statement: from Southern Baptist Convention, "Resolution On Genetic Technology And Cloning" (Dallas, TX, 1997)

“[W]e voice our emphatic opposition to the use of prenatal genetic testing for the purpose of abortion decisions.” ("Resolution on Genetic Technology and Cloning")

Genetic Testing

Official Statement: from Southern Baptist Convention, "Resolution On Genetic Technology And Cloning" (Dallas, TX, 1997)

“[W]e voice our emphatic opposition to the use of prenatal genetic testing for the purpose of abortion decisions; and . . .

we solicit lawmakers to pass federal legislation protecting genetic privacy and prohibiting the use of information gathered through genetic testing to stigmatize and discriminate against individuals on the basis of their genetic information.” ("Resolution on Genetic Technology and Cloning")

Patenting of Human Tissue/Gene Patenting

Official Statement: from Southern Baptist Convention, "Resolution On The Patenting Of Animal And Human Genes" (Atlanta, GA, 1995)

“[We] encourage the continued development of genetic technologies which contribute to the treatment and cure of genetic illnesses; and . . .

we encourage a national dialogue about the merits and liabilities of patenting animal and human genes; and . . .

that our national discussion include religious communities and their values, as well as the scientific community with its values; and . . .

we call upon the President, the Congress, the National Institutes of Health, and the United States Patent Office to place an immediate moratorium on the patenting of animal and human tissues and genetic sequences until a full and complete discussion has occurred.” ("Resolution on the Patenting of Animal and Human Genes")

Human Research Ethics

Experimentation on Human Embryos

Official Statement: from Southern Baptist Convention, "On Human Fetal Tissue Trafficking" (Orlando, FL, 2000)

“[We] reaffirm our abhorrence of elective abortion, our repudiation of research using embryos and fetuses from elective abortions, and our repugnance toward the exploitation of unborn human beings through the sale of their body parts; and…That we call upon our elected officials at every level to enforce existing laws against the sale of human fetal tissues and to take appropriate steps to stop the trafficking of baby body parts; and . . .

we call upon our elected officials at every level to enforce existing laws against the sale of human fetal tissues and to take appropriate steps to stop the trafficking of baby body parts.” ("Resolution on Human Fetal Tissue Trafficking")

Official Statement: from Southern Baptist Convention, "Resolution on Genetic Technology and Cloning" (Dallas, TX, 1997)

“[We] call on Congress to enact federal legislation against providing human embryos for the purpose of experimentation, whether by tax-funded or privately-funded researchers.” ("Resolution on Genetic Technology and Cloning")

End of Life

Artificial Hydration & Nutrition

Official Statement: from Southern Baptist Convention, "Resolution On Euthanasia And Assisted Suicide" (Indianapolis, IN, 1992)

“[W]e oppose efforts to designate food and water as "extraordinary treatment," and urge that nutrition and hydration continue to be viewed as compassionate and ordinary medical care and humane treatment.” ("Resolution on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide")

Extraordinary Measures

Official Statement: from Southern Baptist Convention, "Resolution On Euthanasia And Assisted Suicide" (Indianapolis, IN, 1992)

“[W]e oppose efforts to designate food and water as "extraordinary treatment," and urge that nutrition and hydration continue to be viewed as compassionate and ordinary medical care and humane treatment.” ("Resolution on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide")

Physician-Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia

SBC is against physician-assisted suicide, but it encourages palliative care: Official Statement: from Southern Baptist Convention, "Resolution On Euthanasia And Assisted Suicide" (Indianapolis, IN, 1992)

“we . . . affirm the biblical prohibition against the taking of innocent human life by another person, or oneself, through euthanasia or assisted suicide; and . . .

in light of the fact that the end of life may be painful, we urge scientists and physicians to continue their research into more effective pain management; and . . .

we encourage hospitals, nursing care facilities, and hospices to increase their efforts to keep dying persons as comfortable as possible and call on Christians to help provide companionship and appropriate physical and spiritual ministry to persons who are dying; and . . .

we reject as appropriate any action which, of itself or by intention, causes a person's death; and . . .

we call upon federal, state, and local governments to prosecute under the law physicians or others who practice euthanasia or assist patients to commit suicide." ("Resolution on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide")