A Resolution against Requiring Women to Register for the Draft and to Serve in Combat Units

The Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting will be in St. Louis next week, and it is my hope that the messengers will have the opportunity to make a statement against requiring women to serve in combat units. I have proposed a resolution with wording that derives greatly from the The Danvers Statement and from a 1998 resolution on the same topic. The committee can decline from bringing this resolution to the floor for a vote. They can recommend an edited version. Or they can recommend it as is. We’ll see next week. Until then, you can read my proposal below.

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A Resolution against Requiring Women to Register
for the Draft and to Serve in Combat Units

WHEREAS, the United States military has now opened all jobs in combat units to female soldiers; and

WHEREAS, the Army and Marine Corps chiefs have testified to Congress that it is time to require women to register for future military drafts; and

WHEREAS, both Adam and Eve were created in God’s image, equal before God as persons and distinct in their manhood and womanhood (Gen 1:26-27, 2:18); and

WHEREAS, God made Adam a leader, provider and self-sacrificial protector and made Eve to be a helper and nurturer; and

WHEREAS, distinctions in masculine and feminine roles are ordained by God as part of the created order, and should find an echo in every human heart (Gen 2:18, 21-24; 1 Cor 11:7-9; 1 Tim 2:12-14); and

WHEREAS, The pattern established by God throughout the Bible is that men, not women, bear responsibility to serve in combat if war is necessary (Genesis 14:14; Numbers 31:3, 21, 49; Deuteronomy 20:5-9; 3:14; Joshua 1:14-18; 6:3, 7, 9; 8:3; 10:7; 1 Samuel 16:18; 18:5; 2 Samuel 11:1; 17:8; 23:8-39; Psalm 45:3-5; Song of Solomon 3:7-8; Isaiah 42:13); and

WHEREAS, Biblical examples of women serving in combat (Judges 4:4-23) are presented as contrary to proper and normal gender-based distinctions, and result from a shameful failure of male responsibility (Judges 4:9-10; Nahum 3:13); and

WHEREAS, Inclusion of women in combat roles risks to: (1) threaten good military order and discipline by unnecessarily escalating sexual tensions among combat warriors, (2) weaken unit cohesion, (3) expose female warriors taken as POWs to the special trauma of rape and sexual abuse, (4) and place a major new strain on marital fidelity.

Therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting June 14-15, 2016, in St. Louis, Missouri, do, with loyal respect and deep concern, dissent from the new policy of allowing women to serve in combat units; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we call upon the President, Congress, and all military leaders to reverse the present policy and to restore the historic limitation of military combat service to males only.

Be it further RESOLVED, That we call on the President, Congress, and all military leaders not to require women to register for future military drafts; and

Be it further RESOLVED, That we give deepest gratitude and honor to those courageous women who have served their country in military support roles; and

Be it finally RESOLVED, That we commit our prayer support to all military members and families serving this great nation around the world.