Southern Baptists believe that life begins at conception and that every person, including the preborn, is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 139:13-16). The dignity of every human life, from conception onward, is a foundational truth rooted in God’s design. As followers of Christ, we are called to protect vulnerable lives and advocate for policies that uphold the dignity of the preborn, religious liberty, and conscience rights.
A significant priority of the Biden administration was to expand abortion access through the regulatory process. These efforts include changes to Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act that threaten conscience protections by requiring healthcare providers to participate in abortion procedures, expanded contraceptive mandates that compel organizations to provide coverage for abortion-inducing drugs, reforms to HIPAA that prioritize abortion access over patient confidentiality, and a Department of Veterans Affairs Interim Final Rule allowing taxpayer-funded abortion travel. Each of these actions undermines the sanctity of life and disregards the conscience rights and religious liberty of Americans.
With many of these regulatory changes finalized in 2024 and now in effect, the ERLC is urging policymakers to act swiftly to repeal these harmful regulations. These actions represent a concerning shift toward prioritizing abortion over the protection of preborn life and conscience rights. Southern Baptists have consistently opposed such measures, as reflected in over 20 resolutions on abortion over the last 40 years. At the 2022 annual meeting, Southern Baptists passed the Resolution On Anticipation of a Historic Moment in the Pro-life Movement, reaffirming their commitment to protecting life and rejecting policies that promote abortion.
The ERLC calls on the Trump administration to reverse these regulatory changes and restore protections that defend life, religious liberty, and conscience rights. Specifically, we urge the repeal of mandates that compel participation in abortion-related services and the reinstatement of policies that protect healthcare providers from being forced to act against their convictions. By taking these steps, policymakers can uphold the dignity of life and respect the deeply held beliefs of millions of Americans.
The ERLC remains steadfast in advocating for the protection of the preborn, the defense of religious liberty, and the safeguarding of conscience rights. We urge swift action to repeal these harmful regulations and promote a culture that values every human life.
