WHEREAS, Scripture teaches that all human beings are made in the image of God, possess full dignity, and are worthy of equal respect and Christian love (Gen 1:26–27; 9:6; Ps 8:4–6; Jas 3:9; Jn 13:34–35); and
WHEREAS, God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. (Gen1:26-27.) Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person; and
WHEREAS, the law of God forbids the taking of innocent life and calls Christians to obey God rather than men when earthly authorities require disobedience to this law (Ex 20:13; Acts 5:29; Prov 6:16–17); and
WHEREAS, the civil authorities are called by God to uphold righteousness and to protect human life and the rights of conscience (Rom 13:1–4; 1 Pet 2:13–14; 1 Tim 2:1–2; Jas 4:12); and
WHEREAS, federal law, in the form of the Church Amendment of 1973, prohibits any individual or organization receiving federal funding from coercing individuals to perform a medical procedure contrary to that individual’s religious beliefs or moral convictions; and
WHEREAS, conscience protections are rooted in natural rights endowed by God and therefore apply to all people, not merely to employees of entities receiving federal funding (1 Tim 2:1–2; Jas 4:12); and
WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Kentucky does not currently provide a legal remedy for healthcare professionals who are forced to violate their conscience, and
WHEREAS, though it is not the civil government that grants their rights, it is the duty and God-ordained calling of civil government to correct any legislation that is not in accord with the natural or eternal law of God (Ps 94:20-21; Dan 4:26-27; Rom 13:3-4); now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the messengers to the Kentucky Baptist Convention, meeting in Cold Spring, Kentucky, on November 11, 2025, affirm the biblical truth that every human being is made in the image of God and is therefore endowed with inherent dignity, moral worth, and the right to act according to conscience; and be it further
RESOLVED, that we affirm the right of healthcare professionals to abstain from participation in procedures, prescriptions, treatments, or compelled speech that would violate their sincerely held religious or moral convictions, including—but not limited to—such procedures as abortion, euthanasia, and so-called “gender transition” interventions, as well as compelled usage of false pronouns; and be it further
RESOLVED, that we commend Kentucky legislators and public officials who have sought to protect these rights and urge the Kentucky General Assembly to enact comprehensive medical conscience protections that ensure that no healthcare worker, medical student, or institution is coerced into violating sincerely held religious or moral convictions in order to maintain their employment, licensure, or livelihood; and be it further
RESOLVED, that we call upon Christian healthcare workers to exercise their callings with integrity, stand firm in their faith even under temptation to compromise, and to treat every human being—from fertilization to natural death—as an image bearer of God, always seeking to avoid harm and promote the well-being of their patients, in accordance with natural and biblical law and the ethical principles historically associated with Hippocratic tradition; and be it finally
RESOLVED, that we, as Kentucky Baptists, will continue in fervent prayer for the General Assembly to uphold righteousness with regard to medical conscience protections—protecting both human life and the God-given rights of conscience—and for all healthcare workers to perform their callings with honesty and integrity, exercising their rights of conscience in a Christ-honoring manner.