WHEREAS, the Scriptures teach “righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34); and
WHEREAS, early American history proves we are a nation founded on the principles of equality without allocating equal rights in many quarters to people of color and women, and
WHEREAS, legally sanctioned inequality on the basis of race through multiple Supreme Court decisions throughout American political history has become “our national curse”; and
WHEREAS, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 prevents voting discrimination based on race, color, or membership in a minority group; and
WHEREAS, exercising one’s right to vote in the political process is a privilege that citizens should not take lightly; and
WHEREAS, African-Americans were denied the right to vote for several centuries in American political history; and
WHEREAS, evangelical Christians of all ethnic persuasion must champion the cause of social justice and civil rights without contradicting the gospel and clear principles of Scripture concerning race, class, and gender; and
WHEREAS, many mainline protestant denominations have subjugated Scripture in order to support current perceptions of discrimination against the LGBTQ community; and
WHEREAS, Kentucky Baptists are committed to partnering together across racial barriers in the political process to elect officials who embrace a Christian world view and promote ethics consistent with Scripture; and
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that we, the messengers to 2015 Annual Meeting of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, celebrate and commemorate the federal legislation which gave African-Americans the right to vote without fear of racially discriminatory practices.