The ERLC filed an amicus brief in conjunction with both the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC) and the Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT) supporting a Texas law in November, highlighting that Southern Baptists are opposed to pornography in any form and seek to protect children from exposure to it. On Jan. 15, 2025, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case on protecting kids from pornography. The case is named Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Paxton, with Texas Attorney General Paxton arguing on behalf of the State of Texas. This case will determine if a Texas state law protecting children from being exposed to sexually graphic material online through requiring websites to implement age verification will be able to remain in place.
Southern Baptists are decidedly opposed to pornography and view it as an affront to God’s design for gender and sexuality. Furthermore, Southern Baptists have time and again passed resolutions that argue the government has proper jurisdiction and ought to protect children from accessing pornography and other explicit content online. In 2015, a resolution “On Pornography and Sexual Purity “was passed, in which Southern Baptists resolved to “call on government authorities to enact and enforce laws that restrict all forms of pornography, particularly those that include and exploit minors.”
With many children gaining unsupervised access to the internet at younger and younger ages, there has been an explosion in awareness of the harms this is bringing to many children. New data has demonstrated the detrimental effects on mental health, learning, and self-image that have come as a result from unhindered access for minors. Current laws allow much of this to happen without the knowledge or consent of parents.
More must be done to prevent children from accessing harmful content, such as pornography, and to empower parents in overseeing the online activity of their children. The ERLC remains committed to empowering parents and pushing back against a culture that weaponizes technology to exploit children and families.
