RESOLUTION ON EQUAL PROTECTION FOR PREBORN CHILDREN

To be presented at the

Louisiana Baptist Convention Annual Meeting

New Orleans, Louisiana, Nov 14, 2023

Submitted to the Committee on Resolutions on October 26, 2023

Author: Brian Gunter, Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Livingston, LA

(1) WHEREAS, an individual human life begins at the moment God combines the reproductive cell of a man with that of a woman and begins the process of forming the body of the child in the womb—biblically called conception and biologically called fertilization (Genesis 4:1, 17; 16:11; 21:2; 25:22; 29:32; 29:33-35; 30:5, 7, 17, 19, 23; 38:3-5, 24-25; Exodus 2:2; 21:22; Leviticus 12:2; Numbers 11:12; Judges 13:2-7; Ruth 4:13; 1 Samuel 1:20; 2:21; 4:19; 2 Samuel 11:5; 2 Kings 8:12; 15:16; 1 Chronicles 4:17; 7:23; Job 10:8-12; 31:15; Psalm 51:5; 139:13-15; Ecclesiastes 11:5; Isaiah 7:14; 8:3; 26:17; 44:2, 24; 49:5; Jeremiah 1:4-5; 20:17; 31:8; Hosea 1:3, 6, 8; 2:5; 12:3; 13:16; Amos 1:13; Matthew 1:18-20; Luke 1:24, 31, 36); and

(2) WHEREAS, from the moment of conception/fertilization, all human beings are created equal—of equal value because all are made by God in His own image (Gen 1:26-27; 5:1; 9:6; Proverbs 22:2; James 3:9); and

(3) WHEREAS, God commands civil authorities to do justice generally and, specifically, to do justice to the fatherless, and He despises and forbids the showing of partiality in judgment (Exod 22:22-24; 23:2-3; Lev 19:15, 35-36; Deuteronomy 1:16-17; 10:17; 16:18-20; 24:17; 25:13-15; 27:19; 2 Chronicles 19:7; Job 34:10-21; Psa 82:2- 3; 94:6; Prov 11:1; 16:11; 18:5; 20:10, 23; 22:2; Isa 1:16-17, 23; 10:1-2; Jer 5:28; 7:5-7; 21:12; 22:3; Ezekiek 45:9- 10; Hosea 12:7; Amos 5:15; Micah 6:11; Matt 23:23; Acts 10:34-35; Romans 2:6-12; 10:12; Galatians 2:6; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 3:23-25; 1 Timothy 5:21; James 2:1-9; 1 Peter 1:17-19; and

(4) WHEREAS, consistent with His character, God’s Word treats preborn persons like unto born persons, including requiring similar justice for harm criminally done to either and using the same terms to define children whether inside or outside the womb (Exod 21:22-25; Judg 13:2-7; 16:17; Psa 22:9-10; 71:6; Isa 49:1; Jer 20:14-18; Ruth 1:11; Gen 25:21-26; Rom 9:10-13; Job 3:3; Luke 1:15, 24, 36; Gen 21:7; 25:22; Luke 1:41, 44; 2:12, 16; 18:15; Acts 7:19; 1 Pet 2:2; Col 4:14); and

(5) WHEREAS, Jesus commands what is commonly called the Golden Rule: that “whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them,” and He sums up the whole of the Scriptures for how we must think and act toward our neighbors from conception/fertilization onwards with the Royal Law: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt 7:12; 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 6:31; 10:27; Lev 19:18; Rom 13:9; Gal 5:14; James 2:8); and

(6) WHEREAS, after the overturn of Roe v. Wade in the Dobbs decision, a 2022 trigger law (SB342) went into effect in Louisiana which prohibited abortionists from performing abortions but showed partiality against preborn children by permitting women to perform their own abortions without any legal penalty, stating: “the pregnant female shall not be held responsible for the criminal consequences of any violation of this Section” (SB 342, Page 11, Section D, Lines 5-8).

(7) WHEREAS, another 2022 Louisiana law (SB388) was passed which prohibited doctors and pharmacies in Louisiana from providing the abortion pill to women but permitted women to order abortion pills online from an out of state source and to perform a self-managed abortion at home, stating: “None of the following shall be construed to create the crime of criminal abortion by means of an abortion-inducing drug: . . . Possessing for her own consumption or consuming an abortion-inducing drug by a pregnant woman in violation of this Section” (SB388, Page 3, Section D, Lines 6-7, 12-13).

(8) WHEREAS, a study published on November 1, 2022 in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that online orders of abortion pills – which are the most common form of self-managed abortion – nearly tripled following the overturn of Roe, and that Louisiana has the highest rate of increase in abortion pill usage of all 50 states; now, therefore, be it

(9) RESOLVED, by the messengers of the LBC meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, November 14, 2023, that we will strive to love our preborn neighbors as ourselves by urging all civil authorities to cease showing partiality against preborn children and instead provide them the equal protection of the laws from conception/fertilization; and be it further

(10) RESOLVED, that equal protection requires the same legal prohibitions and available sanctions against homicide that exist to protect persons after birth likewise to protect persons before birth, thereby establishing justice for preborn children and serving to deter all persons from willingly aiding, procuring, or performing prenatal homicide; and be it further

(11) RESOLVED, that such equal protection would require a case-by-case determination and would not alter any existing presumption of innocence, defense, justification, immunity, or clemency, including that mothers would not be subject to criminal liability if under criminal duress, mistake of fact, or in a life-threatening medical emergency, or for an accidental or natural death, or for an act prior to the effective date of the law (ex post facto); and be it further

(12) RESOLVED, that we love both our born and preborn neighbors as ourselves by continuing steadfastly in our commitment to pursue pure and undefiled religion towards both mothers and children prayerfully, financially, and practically through prenatal and postnatal care in pregnancy resource centers, counseling, fostering, adoption, and other available means; and be it further

(13) RESOLVED, that we denounce the May 12, 2022, “Open Letter to State Lawmakers From America’s Leading Pro-Life Organizations,” which (1) instructed legislators to permit pregnant women to kill their preborn children without legal consequence and (2) has been utilized by lobbyists and politicians in various states to hinder the progress of bills that would have established equal protection for preborn children, and we reprove the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the SBC for co-signing the open letter; and be it further

(14) RESOLVED, that we state unequivocally that all preborn children are image-bearers of God; therefore, call upon the Louisiana Legislature and Governor to fulfill their God-given duty to uphold justice by establishing equal protection under the law for all preborn children, rejecting all partiality in judgment, and implementing the legal prohibitions and sanctions applicable to homicide for the safeguarding of all persons, both born and preborn (Exod 22:22-24; Lev 19:15; Deut 1:16-17; 16:18-20; 24:17; 27:19; Psa 82:1-4; 94:6; Prov 18:5;24:11; Isa 1:16-17, 23; 10:1-2; Jer 5:28; 7:5-7; 21:12; 22:3; Ezek 45:9; Amos 5:15; Matt 23:23); and be it finally

(15) RESOLVED, that as Louisiana Baptists, we, by the authority of God’s Word, will engage, with God’s help, in establishing justice for preborn children through equal protection of the law and call upon pastors and leaders to use their God-given gifts of preaching, teaching, and leading to speak with one unified, principled, prophetic voice to abolish abortion.