Southern Baptist Convention Changes to Abortion

The Southern Baptist Convention's views on abortion have changed over the years, fortunately lately for the better. Previously, as I will show later in this article, they believed in significant exceptions where abortion was tolerable.

Decades ago William F Buckley Jr hosted the television show "The Firing Line." On the show in 1969 was the famous televangelist and Baptist minister affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention --Billy Graham. In the clip below they discuss the issue of abortion. Billy Graham plainly states he believes in abortion in certain instances,

"I believe in abortion for those who have been raped, for those who may be diseased to the point the child may be affected. I think there are certain areas we need some of our laws brought up to date."--Billy Graham, Interview on the "The Firing Line," 1969 (said at minute 41:33)

He explains that certain areas the Bible is silent on and therefore individuals must make ethical judgements for themselves, to which William makes a comment about the need for a magisterium.

Go to 41:33

Billy Graham was advocating at the time for expanding the nation's abortion laws before Roe v. Wade nationally legalized abortion. Granted, Mr Graham did not want it to the extend the Supreme Court legalized, he nonetheless was far from being an opponent of abortion. His views, in fact, were in line with his denomination's views. 

The Southern Baptist Convention believes the local congregation is self governing, so when the convention makes statements they are representative of the beliefs of its members. As we see below the convention's views on abortion over time:

WHEREAS, Christians in the American society today are faced with difficult decisions about abortion; and

WHEREAS, Some advocate that there be no abortion legislation, thus making the decision a purely private matter between a woman and her doctor; and

WHEREAS, Others advocate no legal abortion, or would permit abortion only if the life of the mother is threatened;

Therefore, be it RESOLVED, that this Convention express the belief that society has a responsibility to affirm through the laws of the state a high view of the sanctity of human life, including fetal life, in order to protect those who cannot protect themselves; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we call upon Southern Baptists to work for legislation that will allow the possibility of abortion under such conditions as rape, incest, clear evidence of severe fetal deformity, and carefully ascertained evidence of the likelihood of damage to the emotional, mental, and physical health of the mother --Southern Baptist Convention Resolution on Abortion. 1971. St Louis, Missouri. (emphasis mine)

These are famous exceptions for abortion that some conservatives believe in, which fails to recognize the intrinsic value of human life. As a side note, in 1962 the SBC acknowledged a decline in morals in the nation even among members of the SBC, in San Francisco of all places (Resolution On Christian Morality.  San Francisco, California - 1962). Then in 1967, the SBC passed a resolution on population control--another fad to worry about of the time, the SBC actively encouraged couples to use "medically approved methods of planned parenthood" (Resolution On Population Explosion. Miami, Florida. 1968) which is a euphemism for birth control, but not explicit mention of abortion that it is now. Contraception is a precursor to abortion. The 1968 position on birth control seems to be a reverse of its older position in 1934 that opposed the Hastings Bill in Congress which dealt with contraceptives since the SBC believed the "dissemination of information concerning contraceptives and birth control.....would prove seriously detrimental to the morals of our nation" (Resolution On Birth Control Fort Worth, Texas - 1934). We see the SBC discouraged contraceptives in 1934 them generation later promoting contraceptives in 1967 and promoting looser abortion laws by 1971!

After the 1971 Resolution permitting abortion in certain cases, a 1974 resolution referred to the 1971 one on abortion, and noted that the 1971 abortion resolution passed "overwhelmingly" but now the SBC was now starting to push back against total abortion legalization, while still affirming instances of justified abortion as they did in 1971:

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have historically held a high view of the sanctity of human life, and

WHEREAS, The messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in St. Louis in 1971 adopted overwhelmingly a resolution on abortion, and

WHEREAS, That resolution reflected a middle ground between the extreme of abortion on demand and the opposite extreme of all abortion as murder, and

WHEREAS, That resolution dealt responsibly from a Christian perspective with complexities of abortion problems in contemporary society;

Therefore, be it RESOLVED, that we reaffirm the resolution on the subject adopted by the messengers to the St. Louis Southern Baptist Convention meeting in 1971, and

Be it further RESOLVED, that we continue to seek God's guidance through prayer and study in order to bring about solutions to continuing abortion problems in our society.--Southern Baptist Convention, 1974. Resolution On Abortion And Sanctity Of Human Life. Dallas, Texas. (emphasis mine)

So in 1971 and 1974 some abortions were considered tolerable. By 1976 we see even more significant change that seems to become more pro-life:

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have historically held a biblical view of the sanctity of human life, and

WHEREAS, Abortion is a very serious moral and spiritual problem of continuing concern to the American people, and

WHEREAS, Christians have a responsibility to deal with all moral and spiritual issues which affect society, including the problems of abortion, and

WHEREAS, The practice of abortion for selfish non-therapeutic reasons want-only destroys fetal life, dulls our society's moral sensitivity, and leads to a cheapening of all human life, and

WHEREAS, Every decision for an abortion, for whatever reason must necessarily involve the decision to terminate the life of an innocent human being.

Therefore be it RESOLVED, that the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Norfolk in June 1976 reaffirm the biblical sacredness and dignity of all human life, including fetal life, and

Be it further RESOLVED, that we call on Southern Baptists and all citizens of the nation to work to change those attitudes and conditions which encourage many people to turn to abortion as a means of birth control, and

Be it further RESOLVED, that in the best interest of our society, we reject any indiscriminate attitude toward abortion, as contrary to the biblical view, and

Be it further RESOLVED, that we also affirm our conviction about the limited role of government in dealing with matters relating to abortion, and support the right of expectant mothers to the full range of medical services and personal counseling for the preservation of life and health. --Southern Baptist Convention, 1976 Resolution On Abortion. Norfolk, Virginia (emphasis mine)

This statement as the prior ones is against abortion as birth control, but its unclear if its still holding to its prior views on abortion being acceptable for incest, rape, fetal abnormality, the health of the mother. There is no clear reaffirmation of the 1971 or 1974 resolutions on abortion. The last statement about supporting "the right of expectant mothers to the full range of medical services.....for the preservation of life and health" makes you wonder if its just simply stating women need better care and services, or if "full range" includes abortions to as the 1971 resolution defended for reasons of health of the mother. Likely the ambiguity of these statements was intentional, though clearly this resolution is more hostile to abortion than 1974 and 1971 resolutions on abortion. The next resolution on abortion in 1977 seems to acknowledge the confusion caused by the 1976 statement and does little to clarify other than stating opposition to abortion. Below is a chart comparing the 1976 and 1977.

Resolution On Abortion Norfolk, Virginia - 1976	Resolution On Abortion Kansas City, Missouri - 1977
RESOLVED that this Convention reaffirm the strong stand against abortion adopted by the 1976 Convention, and, in view of some confusion in interpreting part of this resolution we confirm our strong opposition to abortion on demand and all governmental policies and actions which permit this.
The 1976 resolution on abortion is as follows:
WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have historically held a biblical view of the sanctity of human life, and	WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have historically held a biblical view of the sanctity of human life, and
WHEREAS, Abortion is a very serious moral and spiritual problem of continuing concern to the American people, and	WHEREAS, Abortion is a very serious moral and spiritual problem of continuing concern to the American people, and
WHEREAS, Christians have a responsibility to deal with all moral and spiritual issues which affect society, including the problems of abortion, and	WHEREAS, Christians have a responsibility to deal with all moral and spiritual issues which affect society, including the problems of abortion, and
WHEREAS, The practice of abortion for selfish non-therapeutic reasons wantonly destroys fetal life, dulls our society's moral sensitivity, and leads to a cheapening of all human life.	WHEREAS, The practice of abortion for selfish non-therapeutic reasons want-only destroys fetal life, dulls our society's moral sensitivity, and leads to a cheapening of all human life, and
	WHEREAS, Every decision for an abortion, for whatever reason must necessarily involve the decision to terminate the life of an innocent human being.
Therefore be it RESOLVED, that the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Norfolk in June, 1976 reaffirm the biblical sacredness and dignity of all human life, including fetal life, and	Therefore be it RESOLVED, that the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Norfolk in June 1976 reaffirm the biblical sacredness and dignity of all human life, including fetal life, and
Be it further RESOLVED, that we call on Southern Baptists and all citizens of the nation to work to change those attitudes and conditions which encourage many people to turn to abortion as a means of birth control, and	Be it further RESOLVED, that we call on Southern Baptists and all citizens of the nation to work to change those attitudes and conditions which encourage many people to turn to abortion as a means of birth control, and
Be it further RESOLVED, that in the best interest of our society, we reject any indiscriminate attitude toward abortion, as contrary to the biblical view, and	Be it further RESOLVED, that in the best interest of our society, we reject any indiscriminate attitude toward abortion, as contrary to the biblical view, and
Be it further RESOLVED, that we also affirm our conviction about the limited role of government in dealing with matters relating to abortion, and support the right of expectant mothers to the full range of medical services and personal counseling for the preservation of life and health.)	Be it further RESOLVED, that we also affirm our conviction about the limited role of government in dealing with matters relating to abortion, and support the right of expectant mothers to the full range of medical services and personal counseling for the preservation of life and health.

As can be seen the 1977 resolution seems to omit, perhaps mistakenly, the part of the resolution stating "WHEREAS, Every decision for an abortion, for whatever reason must necessarily involve the decision to terminate the life of an innocent human being." Though it would seem strange for a very sensitive issue to see such a big omission. The 1977 Resolution, interestingly, while trying to clarify the matter clouds it further with "we confirm our strong opposition to abortion on demand." This statement would make it seem the SBC is only opposed to abortion on demand, implying the permissibility of abortion for other circumcstances like the 1971/1974 Resolutions affirmed. 

The following year in 1978 the SBC reaffirmed the 1977 resolution on abortion stating:

WHEREAS, Abortion is a matter of continuing moral concern to the American people, and

WHEREAS, The Southern Baptist Convention in annual session in 1977 spoke clearly and forthrightly to this issue,

Be it therefore RESOLVED, that we the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Atlanta in June 1978, reaffirm the resolution passed by the 1977 Kansas City Southern Baptist Convention.--Southern Baptist Convention, Resolution On Abortion. 1978. Atlanta, Georgia

The SBC strangely claims its 1977 resolution was stated "clearly and forthrightly to this issue" when the resolution omitted the section about abortion in all cases being the termination of an innocent life, and it only clearly condemns abortion on demand.

In 1979, the Resolution on abortion states:

WHEREAS, Abortion is a matter of serious concern to the American people in general and to Christians in particular, and

WHEREAS, Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention have spoken clearly to this issue in 1976 as follow:

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have historically held a biblical view of the sanctity of human life, and

WHEREAS, Abortion is a very serious moral and spiritual problem of continuing concern to the American people, and

WHEREAS, Christians have a responsibility to deal with all moral and spiritual issues which affect society, including the problems of abortion, and

WHEREAS, The practice of abortion for selfish non-therapeutic reasons wantonly destroys fetal life, dulls our society's moral sensitivity, and leads to a cheapening of all human life, and

Therefore be it RESOLVED, that the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Norfolk in June, 1976 reaffirm the biblical sacredness and dignity of all human life, including fetal life, and

Be it further RESOLVED, that we call on Southern Baptists and all citizens of the nation to work to change those attitudes and conditions which encourage many people to turn to abortion as a means of birth control, and

Be it further RESOLVED, that in the best interest of our society, we reject any indiscriminate attitude toward abortion, as contrary to the biblical view, and

Be it further RESOLVED, that we also affirm our conviction about the limited role of government in dealing with matters relating to abortion, and support the right of expectant mothers to the full range of medical services and personal counseling for the preservation of life and health.

WHEREAS, This resolution was reaffirmed in 1978.

Therefore be it RESOLVED, that we affirm the positions taken by these Conventions, and

Be it further RESOLVED, that we urge all Southern Baptists to pray earnestly and work faithfully in dealing with this issue--Southern Baptist Convention, Resolution On Abortion. 1979. Houston, Texas.

 The resolution, again, insisting the SBC has been clear, then seems to only directly condemn "non-therapeutic" abortion and "as a means of birth control."

In the 1980 Resolution on Abortion progresses to a clearer pro-life position after years of lack of clarity called clarity:

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have historically affirmed the biblical teaching of the sanctity of all human life, and

WHEREAS, All medical evidence indicates that abortion ends the life of a developing human being, and

WHEREAS, Our national laws permit a policy commonly referred to as "abortion on demand,"

Be it therefore RESOLVED, That the Southern Baptist Convention reaffirm the view of the Scriptures of the sacredness and dignity of all human life, born and unborn, and

Be it further RESOLVED, That opposition be expressed toward all policies that allow "abortion on demand," and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we abhor the use of tax money or public, tax-supported medical facilities for selfish, non-therapeutic abortion, and

Be it finally RESOLVED, That we favor appropriate legislation and/or a constitutional amendment prohibiting abortion except to save the life of the mother.--Southern Baptist Convention, Resolution On Abortion. 1980. St. Louis, Missouri.

The 1980 resolution says abortion to save the mother's life is the only acceptable time, while just 9 years before in 1971 they accepted it for rape, incest, fetal abnormality.

In 1982 the Resolution reads:

WHEREAS, Both medical science and biblical references indicate that human life begins at conception, and

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have traditionally upheld the sanctity and worth of all human life, both born and pre-born, as being created in the image of God, and

WHEREAS, Current judicial opinion gives no guarantee of protection of pre-born persons, thus permitting the widespread practice of abortion on demand, which has led to the killing of an estimated four thousand developing human beings daily in the United States, and

WHEREAS, Social acceptance of abortion has begun to dull society's respect for all human life, leading to growing occurrences of infanticide, child abuse, and active euthanasia.

Therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the messengers to the 1982 Southern Baptist Convention 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.

Be it further RESOLVED, That 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.

Be it finally RESOLVED, That 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.--Southern Baptist Convention, Resolution On Abortion And Infanticide. New Orleans, Louisiana - 1982  (Emphasis mine)

This 1982 Resolution includes slight improvement and embellishment over the previous resolution. It changes the language from "unborn" to "preborn" a term that is important to Abortion Abolitionists. The Resolution affirms life starts at conception, which was not clearly stated in the previous years resolutions. The Resolution only allows abortion strictly to save the "physical life of the mother." The addition of the word physical restricts the reasons for abortion down to physical, whereas the 1971 Resolution on abortion (that was advocating for looser abortions laws) stated "damage to the emotional, mental, and physical health of the mother" as valid reasons for an abortion, this resolution also rejects the fetal "abnormality" exception the 1971 Resolution defended.

The 1984 Resolution on abortion makes slight changes but advocates for more anti-abortion activism while preserving the language for the physical life of the mother:

WHEREAS, The Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in New Orleans in June 1982, clearly stated its opposition to abortion and called upon Southern Baptists to work for appropriate legislation and/or constitutional amendment which will prohibit abortions except to save the physical life of the mother; and

WHEREAS, In addition to legislative remedies for this national sin, it is incumbent that we encourage the woman who is considering abortion to think seriously about the grave significance of such action by presenting information to her about the unborn child in her womb, who is a living individual human being, and encourage her to consider alternatives to abortion; and

WHEREAS, Christlike love requires that such alternatives be made available.

Therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Kansas City, Missouri, June 12-14, 1984, encourage all of its institutions, cooperating churches, and members to work diligently to provide counseling, housing, and adoption placement services for unwed mothers with the specific intent of bringing them into a relationship with Jesus Christ and/or a sense of Christian responsibility; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we deplore the practice of performing abortions, as well as dispensing to minors without parental consent or even notification, contraceptive medications which have potentially dangerous side effects, and deplore also the use of tax funds for such activities; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we call upon all Southern Baptists to renew their commitment to support and work for legislation and/or constitutional amendment which will prohibit abortion except to save the physical life of the mother; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we encourage Southern Baptists to inquire whether or not their physicians perform abortions on demand or give referrals for abortions, and that we commend those of the medical profession who abstain from performing abortions or making abortion referrals; and

Be it finally RESOLVED, That we urge our agencies and institutions to provide leadership for our cooperating churches and members, by preparing literature to take a clear and strong stand against abortion, and to inform and motivate our members to action to eliminate abortion on demand.--Southern Baptist Convention, Resolution On Abortion Kansas City, Missouri - 1984

Again, we see language similar to 1982, but again still mentioning the exception for "the physical life of the mother," the language reverts to "unborn" instead of "pre-born"

In 1986 the SBC in a resolution on adolescent pregnancy states:

We also affirm that abortion is unscriptural and has harmful effects on the mother as well as the elimination of the unborn child.--Southern Baptist Convention, 1986. Resolution On Sex Education And Adolescent Pregnancy. Atlanta, Georgia

 The resolution overtly calls abortion unscriptural, a big improvement over Billy Graham in 1969 who said the Scripture is silent on the matter in cases of rape, incest, fetal abnormality and the life of the mother at risk, and it is up to each person's conscience.

The 1987 Resolution seems to be fairly creative, and it did not copy the language of prior years

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have traditionally upheld the sanctity of all innocent human life and have opposed abortion on demand; and

WHEREAS, 4,000 unborn children are being killed daily in America's abortuaries;

Therefore, be it RESOLVED, That we, the messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, June 16-18, 1987, encourage the Christian Life Commission to continue the expansion of program services related to the sanctity of human life and to actively lobby for legislation to protect the lives of the unborn; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we encourage the Christian Life Commission to continue to make the abortion issue a priority on its agenda; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we encourage the Home Mission Board to train churches for ministry in crisis pregnancy centers and residential care homes for pregnant women and children; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we encourage churches, associations, and state conventions to expand their children's homes ministry to include outpatient and residential care for unwed mothers; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we encourage all agencies and institutions of the SBC to use their resources and program ministries to promote the sanctity of human life; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we encourage individuals to minister to those who need physical, emotional, and spiritual support in the midst of a crisis pregnancy; and

Be it finally RESOLVED, That we encourage all churches of the SBC to observe Sanctity of Human Life Sunday on the Convention's calendar, January 17, 1988.--Southern Baptist Convention, 1987 Resolution On Abortion. St. Louis, Missouri.

The language advocates more activism against abortion, including resources to prevent them. The SBC honestly says they have always opposed abortion on demand, though one must wonder if their advocacy for looser abortion laws lead to abortion on demand unintentionally. This resolution does not directly mention the sort of abortions tolerable or forbidden besides the opposition to abortion on demand. The mention of lobbying for the "lives of the unborn" seems to apply to all those yet born. The Convention encourages members to adopt Sanctity of Life Sunday.

A 1987 Resolution on the Danforth Amendment starts off:

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have traditionally opposed abortion; --

The Resolution as a whole is to prevent government expansion on abortion, and the Left's push to make it a civil right. The SBC though makes a whooper with the blanket claim they "traditionally opposed abortion," rather than their language in other years that was more honest when it stated they are "opposed abortion on demand." The omission of "on demand" gives the false impression the Convention did not have giant exceptions for when abortion was tolerable as it did in 1971.

Since that time the SBC has included several more statements on abortion, all of which are opposed to it and encourage its abolition. In 2019 the SBC condemned the decisions of governors that expanded abortion even to birth and commended the southern governors that passed laws verging on abolition of abortion.