Southern Baptist messengers this morning passed resolutions on President Obama (see previous blog entry),  adoption and orphan care, and biblical sexuality and public policy. The adoption resolution passed unanimously, while the biblical sexuality resolution -- which deals with homosexuality -- passed near-unanimously.

The resolution on adoption care and orphan care says, in part:

-- "Upward of 150 million orphans now languish without families in orphanages, group homes, and placement systems in North America and around the world …

-- "Our Father loves all of these children, and a great multitude of them will never otherwise hear the gospel of Jesus Christ …

-- "we call on each Southern Baptist family to pray for guidance as to whether God is calling them to adopt or foster a child or children …

-- "we encourage our pastors and church leaders to preach and teach on God's concern for orphans …

-- "we commend churches and ministries that are equipping families to provide financial and other resources to those called to adopt, through grants, matching funds, or loans …

-- "we encourage Southern Baptist churches to join with other evangelical Christians in setting aside a special Sunday each year to focus upon our adoption in Christ and our common burden for the orphans of the world …

-- "we pray for an outpouring of God's Spirit on Southern Baptist congregations so that our churches will proclaim and picture, in word and in deed, that 'Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world.'"

The resolution on biblical sexuality and public policy details the Bible's teaching on sexuality, including homosexuality, and opposes the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, hate crimes legislation, and the overturning of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. It reads, in part:

-- ENDA "would create a specially protected class for homosexuality and other unbiblical lifestyles for employment purposes, preventing many ministries, religiously-based businesses, and employers from honoring their personal religious beliefs in their hiring practices …

-- Hate crimes legislation "would create a special federally-protected class for homosexuality and other unbiblical lifestyles, providing greater protections for crimes committed against them than against many other groups, and criminalizing religious belief and speech about homosexuality and other unbiblical lifestyles …

-- Overturning Don't Ask, Don't Tell would result "in free speech restrictions, the deterioration of unit cohesion, a weakening of military readiness, forced sensitivity training, and a mass exodus of many fine active service personnel …"