Last week, messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention passed a resolution opposing “any effort to establish a state religion” in the U.S. or any nation, addressing the ongoing debate within conservatism over religious liberty and Christian nationalism. The resolution, titled simply “On Defending Religious Liberty,” doesn’t mention Christian nationalism, although it does take a stance against positions held by some of its proponents.
“[W]e oppose any effort to establish a state religion of any nation, including the United States of America,” the resolution says. “… [W]e oppose any effort to use the people and the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention to establish Christianity as the state religion of the United States of America.”
The resolution says Southern Baptists “refute the idea that God has commanded any state to establish any religion or any denomination” and “reject any government coercion or enforcement of religious belief, including blasphemy laws.”
“[W]e object to any suggestion that our historic, God-given distinctive of religious liberty should be abandoned in favor of a state-mandated religion,” it says.
The resolution passed on a show of ballots after about 30 minutes of debate, according to BaptistNews.com.
“Baptists have historically affirmed that nothing in the public square is truly neutral and have promoted active and holistic participation in society, which should reflect biblical values as outlined in Article XV of the Baptist Faith and Message, ‘The Christian and the Social Order,’” it says.
“… Our Christian witness is better preserved by the separation of church and state, and Scripture and history have shown that true revival comes through the Spirit of God by means of fervent prayer, gospel evangelism, and biblical discipleship.”
God “has endowed every human with religious liberty,” the resolution says, citing the denomination’s Baptist Faith and Message as saying, “God alone is Lord of the conscience” and “Civil government being ordained of God, it is the duty of Christians to render loyal obedience thereto in all things not contrary to the revealed will of God.”
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Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
