Bush Addresses Southern Baptists at Annual Meeting, Supports Culture of Life

By Pauline J. Chang, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, June 21, 2005

In an address made out to over 10,000 Southern Baptists today, President Bush said he will build the culture of life by opposing gay marriage, abortion, embryonic stem-cell research and cloning.

“You know that freedom is a divine gift that carries serious responsibilities," said Bush. "We are called by our Creator to use this gift of freedom to build a more compasssionate society.

"A compassionate society protects and defends its most vulnerable members at every stage of life," he said to the crowd, gathered at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tenn. "A compassionate society rejects partial birth abortion. A compassionate society will not sanction the creation of life only to destroy it."

The telecasted address marked the fourth year in a row the U.S. President spoke to Southern Baptists at their annual meeting. Bush addressed the denomination via satellite in 2002 and 2004, and sent a taped message in 2003.

The 16-million-member Southern Baptist Convention is the largest protestant denomination in the U.S., and constitutes a major part of Bush’s voter base. Last November, a vast majority of Southern Baptists voted for Bush, mainly for his stance on key moral issues such as gay marriage and abortion.

“Remember, 84 percent of Southern Baptists who voted in the presidential elections voted for George W. Bush,” said Richard Land, president of the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission. “He is the most popular president among Southern Baptists that I’ve every seen, and you heard why.

“The president and the messengers at this convention are in sync on the vital, moral, social issues of our time.”

Similar to his address last year, Bush said he will support a constitutional amendment to protect the institution of marriage “for the good of family children and society.”

"Because marriage is a sacred institution and the foundation of society, it should not be re-defined by local officials and activists judges," said Bush, amid thunderous applause and scattered "amens."

He also said he will "continue to nominate federal judges who faithfully interpret the law and do not legislate from the bench.”

Damon Aust, a 33-year-old member of Magnolia Springs Baptist Church in Alabama, said he views Bush as a man of faith and a strong advocate for the sanctity of life.

“[Bush] was in support judges and officers that will protect life,” said Aust. “And that’s very important to me because I believe the good Lord is the only one that can determine a person’s life.”