June 12, 2000
Resolutions affirm death penalty,
warn of New Age globalism
___ By Trennis Henderson
___ Kentucky Western Recorder
___ ORLANDO, Fla. (ABP)--For the first time, the Southern Baptist Convention has adopted a resolution supporting capital punishment as "a legitimate form of punishment for those guilty of murder or treasonous acts that result in death."
___The resolution was one of only two proposed resolutions that generated debate among convention messengers June 14. A proposal focusing on the threat of "New Age globalism" was amended twice before gaining final approval.
___ Messengers adopted a total of 10 resolutions during the SBC annual meeting in Orlando. The statements addressed such diverse issues as religious persecution in Sudan and China, sex trafficking and the 75th anniversary of the SBC's Cooperative Program unified giving plan.
___ The resolution affirming capital punishment comes amid growing public debate and media coverage of efforts in several states to re-evaluate and perhaps revamp current capital punishment guidelines. Those studies have been prompted by advances in DNA testing and other technology that can aid criminal investigations.
___ The SBC resolution declares that God "established capital punishment as a just and appropriate means by which the civil magistrate may punish those guilty of capital crimes."
___ Urging that capital punishment "be administered only when the pursuit of truth and justice result in clear and overwhelming evidence of guilt," the resolution calls for the death penalty to be carried out "as justly and as fairly as possible without undue delay, without reference to the race, class or status of the guilty."
___ David Crosby of New Orleans encouraged messengers to defeat the resolution, invoking the name of Karla Faye Tucker, a convicted murderess who repented of her crime and became a Christian before she was executed by the state of Texas.
___ Noting that Jesus was executed "under an unjust system," Crosby said; "I wonder why the church of Jesus Christ wants to stand up and favor capital punishment. … There are better ways we can witness to the testimony of Christ than this."
___ Resolutions Committee Chairman Hayes Wicker responded: "It was with tremendous struggle and agony of thought and prayer that we dealt with this resolution. … We believe there must be great pains taken in the entire process of carrying out a capital sentence."
___ However, Wicker said: "God's word has spoken clearly on the issue of capital punishment. We believe it is time to speak since the world is saying so much about it."
___ Greg Titus, a messenger from Lafayette, Ga., countered: "The Bible teaches that every human life has sacred value. We are a people who value life, and we should vote against this."
___ "We are saved from the penalty of sin but not from the consequences of sin," responded Lee Taylor of Parrish, Ala. "When people commit crimes, punishment must follow or we will live in a society that does not follow the commands of Jesus Christ."
___ Messengers voted overwhelmingly to approve the resolution, which had been preceded by a resolution opposing trafficking in human fetal tissue. The fetal tissue resolution declared that "elective abortion is an act of violence against unborn human beings, and the sale of their tissues is an assault on the biblical truth that all human beings are created in the image of God."
___ During a news conference, Wicker said endorsing capital punishment does not compromise the denomination's traditional "pro-life" views.
___ "We feel it is very consistent to be just as much for the victim as the murderer," he said. "We feel like we are pro-life in every sense of the word.
___ "We have been very clear and precise in our wording," he added. "Everything we stand for is based on the infallible word of God."
___ A resolution decrying "the threat of New Age globalism" expressed concern about promotion of "a one-world government, a one-world religion and a one-world economy." It warned that the success of such a movement "would mean the destruction of the sovereignty of nations."
___ Calling for Christians to "demonstrate love for country by praying and standing for national sovereignty," the resolution also urges Congress and other national leaders to guard U.S. national sovereignty, prevent the placement of American troops under foreign military command and reverse the trend toward globalism.
___ The resolution opposing religious persecution in Sudan and the People's Republic of China cited last month's report of the Commission on International Religious Freedom. The report calls Sudan "the world's most violent abuser" of religious freedom, with more than 2 million people killed in a 17-year genocidal war.
___ Other resolutions adopted without debate:
___ Urged Southern Baptist churches to consider increasing their church budget giving to the Cooperative Program by 1 percent.
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