Policy / Support Parental Rights

Support Parental Rights

Southern Baptists believe that children are a gift from the Lord, and that it is the responsibility of their parents to raise them with a biblical worldview. The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 affirms that “children … are a blessing and heritage from the Lord …Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth.”

Southern Baptists have resolved to support parents in the education and upbringing of their children. In the resolution “On Educating Children,” Southern Baptists recognized that “involved parents are the ultimate influence in the lives of their children” and urged parents and churches to “research and monitor the entertainment and educational influences on children.”

The ERLC is vocal in the right of parents to be made aware of new developments in their child’s self-identified gender and of exposure to sexual orientation and gender identity-related issues in the classroom. Recent years have seen increased challenges to these rights in areas of education, online access, and matters of gender and sexuality. In 2023, the ERLC worked with numerous Baptist state conventions to oppose laws that hid information about a child’s adopted gender identity from his or her parents. As children experiencing gender dysphoria navigate their struggles, parents should be deeply involved in assisting their children—not shut out by educators and administrators.

In line with the Southern Baptist view of the role of parents in raising their children, the ERLC has endorsed the Parents’ Rights and Responsibilities Act in the 118th Congress. This legislation would ensure that the federal government is unable to supersede the right of a parent to be informed of their child’s self-identified gender, including requests to be referred to by other pronouns and names while at their school.

The ERLC remains committed to empowering parents and pushing back against a culture that exploits children and families. Through endorsing legislation, filing public comments in response to federal rulemaking, and submitting amicus briefs in district court cases, the ERLC is continuing to be active and aware of new developments in religious liberty and sexual orientation and gender identity issues around the country.