New resolution submitted for 2008 annual meeting of Southern Baptist Convention tests seriousness of SBC leadership's commitment to Christian principles

Contact: Chaplain (Lt. Col., Ret.) E. Ray Moore, Jr., Th.M., Exodus Mandate, 803-714-1744

COLUMBIA, Sc., May 22 /Christian Newswire/ -- For many years a growing number of government schools under the guise of promoting tolerance, safety, diversity, and multiculturalism have been endangering children and betraying their community's trust by influencing our children to regard homosexuality and other forms of sexual deviancy as acceptable lifestyles and silencing those within the schools who disagree.

Recently, with the enactment of SB 777 and related legislation, California has mandated that every child in California's government schools be indoctrinated to believe that the homosexual, bisexual, and other sexually deviant lifestyles are normal, acceptable, and the moral equivalent of biblical heterosexuality.

To make Christian parents and pastors more aware of California's child endangering abject capitulation to the sexual deviancy lobby, Dr. Voddie Baucham, Jr., a prominent Southern Baptist lecturer, preacher, and author of  Family Driven Faith and The Ever-Loving Truth, and Bruce N. Shortt, author of The Harsh Truth About Public Schools, have submitted a resolution addressing this issue for consideration at the SBC's 2008 Annual Meeting.
 
The resolution asks the messengers to the 2008 SBC Annual Meeting to express the following views:

1. It urges California parents to withdraw their children from California public schools at least until Senate Bill 777 and all other legislation mandating that schoolchildren be indoctrinated to accept various forms of sexual deviancy as normal or acceptable are completely repealed;
    
2. It encourages all Southern Baptist churches to work vigorously as a missions effort to encourage and support the expansion in California of (1) Christian schools, (2) homeschooling and homeschool co-ops, and (3) alternative models for providing Christian education such as University Model Schools and Christian One Room Schoolhouses, giving particular regard to the needs of children from low income and single parent families;
    
3. It encourages all Southern Baptist agencies to communicate repeatedly with California parents, pastors, and Christian California school employees about: (1) what has been done to California's public schools by SB 777 and its related legislation, (2) what that legislation means for California's children, families, churches, and culture, and (3) what Christian educational alternatives are available; and,
    
4. It urges Baptists to pray for the deliverance of all homosexuals and other sexual deviants from their sexual sin and for their salvation.

Dr. Baucham believes it is urgent that Christian parents become better informed: "I am convinced that if government schools had to recruit students by sending out brochures outlining the academic, moral, and spiritual aspects of their curriculum, most Baptists would throw it in the trash without a second thought.  However, when these schools can hide behind stealth phrases like tolerance, safe schools, multiculturalism, and safer sex, parents are often unaware of the dangers lurking beneath the surface.  Moreover, parents who speak up are often branded as narrow-minded bigots with outdated values.  This resolution is an effort to shine the light of truth in the dark corners of our schools and force our brethren to take a long, hard, honest look at what we have tolerated for far too long."

According to Shortt, "Homosexuals and others trapped in sexual sin need our prayers and concern, but Christian parents must make sure that their children are not being endangered by false teaching in government schools."

"Unfortunately, most of our churches and other Christian organizations have refused to acknowledge that children in government schools are being inundated by a cascading torrent of spiritual and moral pathologies. Instead of boldly stating the truth about government schools, the church's voice has been hesitant and compromised by the public school tares within our congregations and organizations. Now, we are confronted with a calamity in California that will not allow pastors and other leaders to mouth the usual evasions about 'our schools are different' or 'our children are salt and light'. Under the new legislation, no school in California is permitted to be 'different'. The question today is whether the SBC leadership can find the moral courage to do something."

Additional information, including the text of the resolution, can be found at www.exodusmandate.org.