Southern Baptist Convention Resolution Acknowledges Severity of AIDS Pandemic, Expresses Support for Abstinence Education
The Southern Baptist Convention on Wednesday approved several resolutions on the last day of its annual meeting in Phoenix, including a resolution expressing concern for people living with HIV/AIDS, the AP/Richmond Times-Dispatch reports. The Southern Baptists, the nation's largest Protestant denomination, also acknowledged the severity of the AIDS pandemic and expressed support for President Bush's five-year, $15 billion global AIDS initiative. The denomination also denounced condom distribution to prevent HIV transmission and instead voiced support for abstinence education programs that emphasize "a biblical view of sexuality," which the resolution said would be more effective than condom use, according to the AP/Times-Dispatch. The resolutions are not binding on individual churches but serve as expressions of the denomination's opinions (AP/Richmond Times-Dispatch, 6/19).
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