BGCO Cowardice

The Oklahoma Legislature is currently considering a personhood/abolition bill, referred to as Senate Bill 13.  The bill has recently run into opposition by supposedly prolife senators in both the committee and on the general floor.  Unfortunately, it has also run into opposition from an unexpected source, the state's Southern Baptist leadership.  The official name of the organization is the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, or BGCO.

Here is the open letter they posted to Oklahoma Baptists in which they state their opposition to Senate Bill 13: https://www.baptistmessenger.com/an-open-letter-to-oklahoma-baptists-regarding-abortion-and-protecting-human-life/

February 21, 2019

Dear Oklahoma Baptists,

The Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma’s stance against abortion and for protecting human life is long-held and well-known. We want to make sure you hear directly from us what our position is regarding recent efforts to fight abortion and protect life.

The BGCO is categorically opposed to abortion, and it is our prayer and goal to see lives saved and an end to abortion in Oklahoma and beyond. Through the years, Oklahoma Baptists have championed numerous bills designed to protect life and fight abortion.

Together, we have seen lives saved and the abortion rate decline. Yet much more needs to be done, and we will not rest until every life is safe. That is why we will be forming a work group to work even more aggressively toward the goal of ending abortion in Oklahoma.

In recent days, you may have read discussions about Oklahoma State Senate Bill 13, the “Abolition of Abortion Act.” Regarding SB 13, after considerable prayer and careful study of the proposed policy, including direct conversations with the bill’s principal author, we have several concerns, including:

·         Credible expert legal/policy analysis indicates SB 13 will be invalidated immediately by the courts, if it passes at all, and we cannot save lives with legislation that never goes into effect.

·         SB 13, as proposed, unnecessarily and purposely repeals hard-earned pro-life laws that have helped significantly reduce Oklahoma’s abortion rate, including repealing our state’s ban on partial birth abortion, parental notification requirements, the unborn child protection from dismemberment abortion, among numerous other life-saving laws.

·         The bill even goes so far to repeal original Oklahoma laws already on the books that allows abortion only to save a mother’s life.

We recently held discussions with the bill’s author, asking these concerns to be taken into consideration. In the meantime, we cannot in good conscience get behind SB 13 as it is proposed.

There are more proven and plausible life-saving policies Oklahoma could enact en route to ending the tragic practice of abortion, while simultaneously offering support and help for abortion-vulnerable mothers.

We will continue to strive for the day in which every human life—unborn and born—in this state and beyond is protected. With all the strength God gives us, we resolve to build a culture of life that recognizes each person is made in His image (Gen. 1:27). God help us…

For Christ, for life,

Dr. Hance Dilbeck

Executive Director-Treasurer, Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma

Dr. Blake Gideon

Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church of Edmond;
President, Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma

Brian Hobbs

Editor, The Baptist Messenger

I immediately responded with the following:

I don't think I have ever read a more cowardly letter written by members of what is supposed to be an evangelical organization. The Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton court opinions (and let us not forget that they are mere court opinions, not law) were issued 46 years ago. 46 years! And in that time, over 60 million babies have been murdered. 60,000,000. The Super Bowl held earlier this month had just over 70,000 people in attendance. You would need 857 such stadiums to represent the number of babies killed from abortion since 1973.

The Constitution of the United States never granted the sole authority to interpret said Constitution to any court. That was a power that the Supreme Court took for itself. Thomas Jefferson once said that the Constitution was a compact among the states and that "this government, created by this compact, was not made the exclusive or final judge of the extent of the powers delegated to itself, since that would have made its discretion, and not the Constitution, the measure of its powers; but that, as in all other cases of compact among powers having no common judge, each party has an equal right to judge for itself, as well of infractions as of the mode and measure of redress." The States who created the Constitution (and thus the Federal government, which includes the Supreme Court) should have more say than the courts over what is Constitutional or not. That they have abdicated this power to the Federal government is an erroneous miscarriage of justice. It is past time for the States to take this power back.

You say that "SB 13, as proposed, unnecessarily and purposely repeals hard-earned pro-life laws" without realizing that all of those laws spelled out conditions under which an abortionist may murder a baby. We finally have a bill that says unequivocally that abortionists may NOT murder a baby, and you are opposed to this? I can understand a tiny bit the pro-life organizations' fear of irrelevancy if SB 13 passes, but I cannot understand why the Baptist General Convention should fear the abolition of abortion.

Since this letter reeks of fear, I will leave with a few Bible verses:

For I, the Lord your God,
hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, “Fear not,
I am the one who helps you.”
Isaiah 41:13

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
1 John 4:18

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
Romans 8:15

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Matthew 10:29-31