In a disheartening turn of events at last week’s Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) annual meeting, messengers voted overwhelmingly to affirm the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), defeating a motion that would have defunded the entity amid a clear leftward drift. By a show of ballots, the motion to defund the ERLC failed by estimated margins of nearly 4-to-1, demonstrating a troubling endorsement of its undeniable progressive agenda.

Earlier this year, a petition was brought forth to remove the current president, Brent Leatherwood, from the ERLC, citing his departure from a biblical worldview and push to advance causes that most Southern Baptists didn’t support. This petition was not without merit. The ERLC, under the leadership of Leatherwood and his predecessor Russell Moore, has consistently undermined efforts to advance pro-life legislation, instead advocating for policies that compromise the sanctity of life and the authority of Scripture.

The results of last week’s vote are a clear reminder of the SBC’s gradual but undeniable shift to the left. Despite clear evidence of the ERLC’s progressive leanings, messengers chose to continue funding an entity that has actively campaigned against pro-life legislation aimed at abolishing abortion. Leatherwood’s tenure has been marked by a series of actions that betray the pro-life cause, including signing a joint letter calling on politicians not to criminalize women who seek abortions. This ludicrous stance essentially allows women to perform self-abortions, even with a coat hanger, at any gestational age with no legal repercussions.

The ERLC’s defense of women who procure abortions under the guise of “compassion” is nothing short of an endorsement of infanticide. Their argument that mothers are merely “victims” of circumstance—pressured by abortionists and men, an argument used by raging nazi-feminists—completely absolves them of responsibility for the murder of their unborn children and paves the way for the legal slaughter of innocent lives, all while masquerading as a form of social justice.

Bart Barber, the former SBC president, echoed this absurdity by claiming that at an abortion clinic, the mothers are “never the ones doing the killing,” thereby supporting the continued legalization of abortion for mothers. This position is not only illogical but also unbiblical, suggesting that those who take their children to be killed bear no guilt.

The ERLC’s leftist agenda doesn’t stop at abortion. Its contributors, like Kelly Rosati, argue that Christians should never support abortion bans without also supporting expansive government welfare programs. Rosati’s advocacy for government intervention and handouts, under the pretext of helping “pregnant, scared, poor women,” ignores the root issue—personal responsibility and the consequences of promiscuity and unprotected sex. Instead, Rosati and the ERLC push for a government solution to what is fundamentally a moral and spiritual problem.

This endorsement of a welfare state is a blatant move towards socialism, a system fundamentally at odds with biblical principles of personal responsibility, hard work, and charity through the church rather than the state. The ERLC’s insistence that government, not the church, should provide for those in “crisis situations” is a clear departure from scriptural mandates.

By voting to continue funding the ERLC, Southern Baptists have not only endorsed this leftward shift but have also shown a naivety to the broader implications of such a move. This decision reflects an acceptance of the Overton window shift to the left within the SBC, revealing a troubling trend toward progressive ideologies that undermine biblical truth. Southern Baptists are now reaping what they have sown—play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

Leatherwood’s actions in sabotaging the Missouri anti-abortion bill provide a clear example of this betrayal. The bill, which aimed to ban abortions after around six weeks of pregnancy, was seen by some as a critical step toward protecting the unborn, though still not enough. Yet, Leatherwood and the ERLC worked tirelessly to ensure its failure. This is not an isolated incident, rather, it is part of a disturbing pattern where the ERLC has consistently sided against substantial pro-life legislation, always finding an excuse to maintain the status quo, primarily in the name of “compassion” for the mother, who they claim is the “victim” of abortion.

And about that absurd notion propagated by these leaders, that mothers are mere victims. This lame notion suggests that abortion is something done to women rather than something they actively choose to do to her child. According to this flawed logic, women should be free to abort their children without consequence because they are pressured by external forces, completely disregarding personal accountability and treating women as incapable of moral decision-making, which is both patronizing and false.

The parallels between this reasoning and the arguments surrounding “trans-affirming” surgeries for children are striking. Just as abortion should be called what it is—murder—these procedures should be recognized as child abuse. Yet, progressive talking heads like David French, who has significant influence in the SBC through his relationship with former ERLC head, Russell Moore, argue that parents seeking these procedures for their children should not be held accountable. Instead, he believes the state should “regulate” these treatments rather than classify them as abuse. This is the same illogical and unbiblical thinking that excuses mothers who abort their children.

And while this battle is only beginning to raise its head in the SBC, if history tells us anything about the feckless leadership it has, you can rest assured that this battle will rage on for the next several years. This is not a prophecy, but a prediction based on current trends. And if you’re familiar with the mantras of the ERLC, it will probably sound something like “making trans-affirming surgeries unnecessary.”

As Southern Baptists continue to wrestle with these issues, one thing is clear: the ERLC is leading the denomination down a path that is both unbiblical and destructive. The decision to continue funding this entity is a tacit endorsement of its leftist agenda. It is imperative for Southern Baptists to wake up to this reality if there is any hope for it at all. Sadly, it’s pretty clear that ship has sailed.

In light of Revelation 18:4, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues,” it is clear that true followers of Christ must separate themselves from entities that embrace and promote ungodly ideologies. The SBC’s decision to continue funding the ERLC is a call to action for all who seek to remain faithful to God’s Word—stand firm, speak out, and demand a return to uncompromising biblical principles.