Messengers adopt resolutions at GBC annual meeting

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Resolutions concerning gambling, the dangers of marijuana, and human trafficking were among those adopted by messengers at the Georgia Baptist Convention annual meeting held Nov. 9-10 at Roswell Street Baptist Church in Marietta. The full report is available below:

REPORT OF THE 2015 RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE

RESOLUTION ON CASINO GAMBLING AND PARI-MUTUEL WAGERING ON HORSE RACING Submitted by: Tommy Fountain, Messenger Grace Baptist Church, Monroe, Ga

WHEREAS, the Georgia Baptist Convention has frequently stated its opposition to the gambling industry, and the devastating effects of gambling upon the moral and economic life of our nation; and WHEREAS, the Bible indicates that man is to work creatively and use his possessions for the good of others (Eph. 4:28); gambling fosters a something-for-nothing attitude. The Bible calls for careful stewardship; gambling calls for reckless abandon. The Bible condemns covetousness and materialism (Matt. 6:24-34); gambling has both at its heart. The Christian work ethic is damaged by gambling; and WHEREAS, Georgia Republican and Democrat legislators are discussing legislation that would allow for casino gambling and for pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing in Georgia; and WHEREAS, aggressive actions by gambling interests in recent months make abundantly clear their intention of seeking to expand legalized gambling in Georgia, including pari-mutuel gambling or wagering on horse racing and casino gambling; and WHEREAS, out-of-state corporations and businesses are poised to invest multi-millions of dollars in a bold effort to change state laws to allow casinos and pari-mutuel gambling; and WHEREAS, the usual arguments for increasing gambling continue to be "this will create jobs" and "it is for the children", because it will generate revenue for Pre-K and for the HOPE scholarship, and WHEREAS, these reasons fail to overcome the societal costs of gambling, which are substantial; risks include such consequences as (1) the break-up of families, because gamblers are twice as likely to divorce as non-gamblers, (2) an increase of local crime by at least eight percent within five years or less after the establishment of a casino, as experienced by states that have allowed casino gambling, (3) local job loss because local citizens change their spending habits, (4) an increase of bankruptcies, and (5) an increase of child neglect and domestic violence; and WHEREAS, once the gambling industry is allowed to operate legally in the state, its lobbying power will grow and increase its influence over legislators and local community officials; and WHEREAS, once the State of Georgia allows Class III gambling, as described in this resolution, this would open the door for any Indian tribe to venue shop for property to open casinos on land that would be taken out of the governance of the State and off the local tax digest; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we urge the members of the Georgia Legislature to cease and desist with any efforts to open the State of Georgia to casino gambling and pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we urge state legislators to have the moral courage to oppose the efforts by representatives of the lucrative gambling industry, who unashamedly seek to exert their influence in the political process with the proceeds of their nefarious profits; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we pray for and lend our aid and support to Mike Griffin and our Public Affairs Ministry as we confront this menacing issue in the days to come; and BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that copies of this Resolution be forwarded to Georgia’s Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House and the sitting state senators and representatives who represent the people of Georgia.

RESOLUTION ON THE DANGERS OF MARIJUANA Submitted by: Gerald Harris, Messenger from Ephesus Baptist Church, Villa Rica, GA

WHEREAS, the drug problem is a complex and intricately interrelated phenomenon in our society, now including a widespread misuse of valuable prescription products, a broad spectrum of unscientific self-medication, deeply entrenched customs of drinking alcohol beverages, and an alarmingly developing culture involving marijuana and a variety of illegal drugs; and WHEREAS, the pervasive drug orientation of our culture is resulting in widespread social disruption and destruction of life by causing a variety of diseases, accidents and other drug addiction, and is a factor in other serious social problems such as crime, family disruption, workplace issues, and automobile accidents; and WHEREAS, basic factors now recognized as perpetuating the drug approach to life are social pressure for using, the fascination of drug use created by the entertainment industry, and widespread ignorance of accurate information pertinent to usage of these drugs; and WHEREAS, contemporary efforts of government, church, civic groups, and other independent agencies are failing to cope effectively with the drug orientation of our culture; and WHEREAS, since 1996, 23 states and Washington, D.C. currently have laws legalizing marijuana in some form. This trend reflects a growing national tolerance for the use of marijuana for both recreational and medicinal purposes; and WHEREAS, in 2015, Georgia legalized medical marijuana for eight specified medical conditions; and WHEREAS, the State Commission on Medical Cannabis is now considering a recommendation that legislation be introduced in 2016 that would authorize the State of Georgia to cultivate, produce and sell marijuana and its extracts; and WHEREAS, federal seed laws and federal fertilizer laws add complexity and perhaps liability to those involved in cultivation; and WHEREAS, legislation has been introduced in the Georgia State Senate for the legalization and regulation of recreational marijuana; and WHEREAS, marijuana is defined as having a high potential for abuse; and no clinical trials have proven efficacy of marijuana as medicine, nor recommended any dosing requirements; and several major medical organizations including the American Medical Association, National Cancer Institute and American Cancer Society have rejected smoked marijuana as medicine; and WHEREAS, marijuana is a gateway drug leading to addiction and other drug abuse; and marijuana is also a gateway to health problems, introducing multiple toxic chemicals into the user’s body, many of which we do not know the effects on the human body; and marijuana use is associated with higher risk for cancer, psychosis, strokes, respiratory damage and heart attacks; and marijuana is also a gateway to crime, because the relationship between illegal drug use (including marijuana) and crime is undeniable; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we urge the members of the Georgia Legislature to oppose any legislation that would authorize the cultivation of marijuana in the State of Georgia; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we urge the members of the Georgia Legislature to oppose any legislation that would legalize recreational marijuana in the State of Georgia; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we call for all Georgia Baptists and others of like-mind and purpose to voice their protest of further legalization of illegal drugs, including marijuana; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we pledge our cooperation with others to neutralize social pressures and minimize glamorization of drug usage; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that preventive education in the homes, churches, and the schools be strongly encouraged; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the GBC Public Affairs Committee be encouraged to work diligently with appropriate agencies of the state convention to publicize this position and to encourage cooperation with others seeking these same objectives; and BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that copies of this Resolution be forwarded to Georgia’s Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House and the sitting state senators and representatives who represent the people of Georgia.

RESOLUTION ON AFFIRMING GOD’S DESIGN FOR MALE AND FEMALE PERSONS Submitted by: Tom Rush, Messenger from Berean Baptist Church, Social Circle, GA

WHEREAS, all persons are created in God’s image and are made to glorify Him (Genesis 1:27; Isaiah 43:7); and

WHEREAS, God’s design was the creation of two distinct and complementary sexes, male and female (Genesis 1:27; Matthew 19:4) which designate the fundamental distinction that God has embedded in the very biology of the human race; and WHEREAS, distinctions in masculine and feminine roles as ordained by God are part of the created order and should find expression in every human heart (Genesis 2:18, 21–24; 1 Corinthians 11:7–9; Ephesians 5:22–33; 1 Timothy 2:12–14); and WHEREAS, transgender activists have sought to normalize the transgender experience, and to define gender according to one’s self-perception apart from biological anatomy; and WHEREAS, the growing transgender movement is aggressively seeking to pass anti-discrimination laws and ordinances, in addition to pushing for sex-integrated bathrooms, locker rooms and showers in public and private schools; and WHEREAS, some public and private schools are now encouraging parents and teachers to affirm the feelings of children whose self-perception of their own gender is at variance with their biological sex; and WHEREAS, public and private schools are beginning to capitulate to the powerful transgender lobby by allowing access to restrooms and locker rooms according to children’s self-perception of gender, and not according to their biological sex; and WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Education has ruled that an Illinois school district must give a transgender male full access to a female locker room or lose Title IX funding; and WHEREAS, Houston Mayor Annise Parker in 2014 subpoenaed sermons that challenged the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, a legal measure that allows transgender people to use public restrooms of the gender in which they identify themselves; and WHEREAS, in a landslide 62-38% victory, Houston voters overwhelmingly rejected the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance; and WHEREAS, these cultural currents run counter to the biblical teaching as summarized in The Baptist Faith and Message, Article III that “Man is the special creation of God, made in His own image. He created them male and female as the crowning work of His creation. The gift of gender is thus part of the goodness of God’s creation;" THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we affirm God’s good design that gender identity is determined by biological sex and not by one’s self-perception—a perception which is often influenced by fallen human nature in ways contrary to God’s design (Ephesians 4:17–18); and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we extend love and compassion to those whose sexual self-understanding is shaped by a distressing conflict between their biological sex and their perceived gender identity; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we oppose efforts to alter one’s bodily identity (e.g., cross-sex hormone therapy, gender reassignment surgery) to refashion it to conform with one’s perceived gender identity; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we oppose steadfastly all efforts by any governing official or body to validate transgender identity as morally praiseworthy (Isaiah 5:20) through Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Nondiscrimination laws and ordinances, and sex-integrated bathrooms, locker rooms and showers in public and private schools; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we oppose sex education curriculum or any other curriculum that teaches that all imagined and actual sexual and gender-related identities are equally desirable; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that our love for the Gospel and urgency for the Great Commission must include declaring the whole counsel of God, proclaiming what Scripture teaches about God’s design for us as male and female persons created in His image and for His glory (Matthew 28:19–20; Acts 20:27; Romans 11:36); and BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that copies of this Resolution be forwarded to Georgia’s Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House and the sitting state senators and representatives who represent the people of Georgia.

RESOLUTION ON HUMAN FETAL TISSUE TRAFFICKING Submitted by: Tanya Ditty, Messenger from Roswell Street Baptist Church, Marietta, GA

WHEREAS, experiments are currently being performed using organs, tissues, and cells obtained from human embryos and fetuses; and WHEREAS, most of these organs, tissues, and cells are harvested from embryos and fetuses destroyed through abortions; and WHEREAS, Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the world, has been shown on video this year to be complicit in altering abortion procedures to aid in the procurement of human fetal body parts – even selling whole bodies; and WHEREAS, the growing industry of buying and selling human fetal organs, tissues, and cells represents a grisly practice that converts human body parts into a commodity to be bought and sold in the marketplace; and WHEREAS, facilities providing abortions in Georgia are documented to already be in violation of state law and regulations regarding how they operate, yet are not inspected or held accountable; and WHEREAS, abortion is an act of violence against unborn human persons, and the sale of their tissues is an assault on the biblical truth that all human beings are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 139:13-16); and WHEREAS, the Georgia Baptist Convention is on record for its enduring, consistent, and vigorous opposition to abortion; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Georgia Baptist Convention reaffirm our abhorrence of abortion, our repudiation of research using embryos and fetuses from abortions, and our repugnance toward the exploitation of unborn human beings through the sale of their body parts; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we call upon our elected officials throughout Georgia 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 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we call upon the Georgia General Assembly to pass legislation to enforce common sense safety regulations at all facilities which provide abortions, and to protect women and children throughout our state, both born and preborn; and BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that copies of this Resolution be forwarded to Georgia’s Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House and the sitting state senators and representatives who represent the people of Georgia.

RESOLUTION SUPPORTING A STATE-LEVEL FIRST AMENDMENT DEFENSE ACT Submitted by: Art Williams, Messenger from First Baptist Church, Ellijay, GA

WHEREAS, in 2014, the Georgia Baptist Convention passed a resolution defending traditional marriage; and WHEREAS, Georgia Baptists embrace the biblical definition of marriage as the exclusive life-long union of one man and one woman, and that equating same-sex marriage with natural marriage creates a host of domestic and religious liberty issues; and WHEREAS, the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges legalized same-sex marriage for the entire country; and WHEREAS, the U.S. Solicitor General admitted during oral arguments that the tax-exempt status of religious schools is “going to be an issue” if the Supreme Court finds a constitutional right to same-sex marriage in Obergefell v Hodges; and WHEREAS, with the Supreme Court’s redefinition of marriage the respect for religious belief concerning the nature of marriage is no longer secure, and attacks against religious liberty and right of conscience have escalated since Obergefell v Hodges; and WHEREAS, Kim Davis, a Kentucky court clerk became the first woman in United States history to be jailed for her religious beliefs regarding marriage after refusing to issue marriage licenses bearing her name as clerk to same-sex couples; and WHEREAS, the Ohio Supreme Court’s Board for Professional Conduct said a judge may not refuse to conduct a ceremony for same-sex couples, and that a judge may not refuse to do all marriages based on personal religious beliefs about marriage that do not allow him or her to celebrate same-sex marriages; and WHEREAS, the New Mexico State Supreme Court ruled that a husband and wife who own and operate a photography studio must act against their religious beliefs and take photographs of a same-sex commitment ceremony, if they want to do business in the state. One of the judges wrote that violating one’s religious beliefs was “the price of citizenship;” and WHEREAS, in a disturbing trend, faith-based charities have been forced out of adoption and foster care services because of their religious beliefs that children belong with both a mother and father; and WHEREAS, a federal First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) has been introduced in Congress that would prohibit any federal agency from denying tax exemption, grants, contracts, licenses, or certifications to an individual, association, or business based on the belief that marriage is the union between one man and one woman; and WHEREAS, a federal First Amendment Defense Act would only affect the federal government, so without a state-level FADA state and local governments could discriminate in their dealings with individuals, organizations and businesses that adhere to the religious viewpoint that marriage is the union between one man and one woman; and WHEREAS, the State of Georgia and local municipalities must not be allowed to discriminate against people who believe what 76 percent of Georgians said about marriage in 2004 — that it’s the union of one man and one woman; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we must defend religious liberty and the right of conscience by curtailing the misuse and abuse of government power for religious persecution; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Georgia Baptists urge the state legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign both the 1993 version of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and a state-level First Amendment Defense Act; and BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that copies of this Resolution be forwarded to Georgia’s Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House and the sitting state senators and representatives who represent the people of Georgia.

RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION

Submitted by the 2015 Committee on Resolutions: David Huff, Chair, Carlisle Driggers, Stanley Luke, David Meacham, Paul Robertson

WHEREAS, the 194th Annual Session of the Georgia Baptist Convention met at Roswell Street Baptist Church, in Marietta, Georgia on November 9 and 10, 2015, in which the messengers representing Georgia Baptist Churches were greeted with Christian grace and warm Southern hospitality; and WHEREAS, the Roswell Street church staff, membership and many volunteers have tirelessly served the needs of the messengers to the Georgia Baptist Convention, living out the truth of this verse: “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ” (Col 3:23-24 NKJV). WHEREAS, the musicians, choirs and worship leaders have provided thrilling praise and uplifting celebration in every convention session; and WHEREAS, the Noonday Association of churches has demonstrated second-mile cooperation, service and hospitality in preparation for and during the meeting; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the messengers of the 194th session of the Georgia Baptist Convention offer sincere appreciation to the leaders and members of Roswell Street Baptist Church together with the churches of the Noonday Association; and, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we, the messengers to the 194th session of the Georgia Baptist Convention express our loving appreciation for and extend our heartfelt blessing to Dr. Don Hattaway, president of our beloved Convention; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we, the messengers of this session of the Georgia Baptist Convention extend honor and thanksgiving to the officers and platform leaders for their guidance and service throughout this meeting. We express gratitude to Mrs. Sonny Hattaway and family for their loving support of our president and this Convention over the past year; and, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we also express our sincere thanks and gratitude to God for 23 years of loyal service provided by our esteemed Executive Director, Dr. J. Robert White. We express appreciation to all those who serve on the Georgia Baptist Executive Committee, as well as all the Georgia Baptist Convention staff who loyally serve the causes of Christ here in Georgia and around the world; and, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we commend the Committee on Order of Business and Rev. Shep Johnson, Chairman, for the preparation of this inspirational program; and, BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that this Convention join our beloved President and Executive Director in continuing to emphasize and respond to the theme, “Awaken 2015” as expressed in Acts 5:14, “Believers were added to the Lord in increasing numbers – crowds of both men and women.” (HCSB) as we commit ourselves to pray fervently for renewal within our churches and strengthen our resolve to obey both the Great Commandment and the Great Commission of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
2015 GBC annual meeting, resolutions