BWA World Congress Resolution 1950.4

of the Commission on Social Justice and Human Rights

WHEREAS, The Baptist World Alliance in 1934, 1939 and 1947 condemned racial discrimination;

WHEREAS, The question of race relations is world-wide in scope and is one of the most serious and baffling problems confronting mankind today;

WHEREAS, This problem manifests itself in several unchristian ways such as discrimination against Jews in many lands, the Apartheid Movement in South Africa, the discrimination against orientals and Mexicans in some areas, and the segregation by law of Negroes in the United States;

WHEREAS, We believe that racial and cultural exploitation of one group by another leads to international conflict;

WHEREAS, Discrimination, based on religion, culture, color and race provides fertile soil for the development and spread of communism, fascism and other antisocial programs;

WHEREAS, We Baptists ourselves are not free from prejudice and discriminatory practices against racial and cultural groups in our worship and communities;

WHEREAS, We believe that discrimination and segregation based on religion, race, color and culture are ethically and morally indefensible and contrary to the gospel of Christ and the principle of freedom for which Baptists stand;

The Baptist World Alliance, a World Fellowship of Baptists, therefore:

(1) Urge our Baptist churches to examine their interracial practices and policies with a view to removing from their worship and fellowship all forms of segregation and discrimination based on race, color or culture;

(2) Urge that the Baptists of the world use their influence to have discriminatory laws repealed wherever they appear in their respective countries;

(3) Urge that Baptists everywhere seek where necessary the enactment of laws designed to safeguard the rights of oppressed racial groups;

(4) Urge that each individual Baptist throughout the world sincerely and prayerfully search his own soul with a view to freeing himself from racial and cultural prejudice and embodying in his own person the mind and spirit of Christ in all human relations—in work, business, education, government, politics, recreation, social life and religion.

Citations

Original Source Bibliography: Ohrn, Arnold T, editor. Eighth Baptist World Congress, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A., July 22-27, 1950. Valley Forge: Judson Press, 1951.

Original Source Footnote/Endnote: Arnold T. Ohrn, ed., Eighth Baptist World Congress, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A., July 22-27, 1950 (Valley Forge: Judson Press, 1951), pp. 340-341.

Online Document Full Citation: BWA World Congress Resolution 1950.4 Resolution on Race Relations; https://baptistworld.org/resolutions.

In-text Online Document Citation: (BWA World Congress Resolution 1950.4).