The Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant group in the U. S. , is gearing up for a significant meeting in Dallas. This year, the focus is on pushing for legal bans on pornography and reversing the Supreme Court's decision on same-sex marriage. This is not just about internal matters.  The group is also pushing for policies that promote childbearing and curb sports betting.

        The Southern Baptist Convention is not just about religion. It's also about politics. The group has a strong support base for President Trump, but there's little on the agenda about his specific actions. This meeting is a chance for the group to show its political muscle.  The group is also dealing with internal issues. There are calls to defund the organization's public policy arm, which has been criticized for not supporting criminal charges for women having abortions.  There is also a push to ban churches with women pastors, which has been a contentious issue in the past.

        This meeting is happening 40 years after a major showdown in Dallas. Back then, a record 45, 000 church representatives clashed in a battle that reshaped the convention. The influence of that meeting is still felt today.  The resolutions up for debate reflect long-standing positions of the convention. They are especially pointed in their demands on the wider political world.  The group is pushing for laws that reflect what they see as the biblical order of creation. This includes marriage, sex, human life, and family.  To some outside observers, this language is theocratic.

        The Southern Baptist Convention's views are more politically viable today. Their conservative allies control all levers of power in Washington.  Some have embraced aspects of a Christian nationalist agenda.  A Southern Baptist, Mike Johnson, is the speaker of the House of Representatives and third in line to the presidency.  At least one Supreme Court justice, Clarence Thomas, has called for revisiting the 2015 Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide.  Other religious conservatives have promoted the view that a robust government should legislate morality, such as banning pornography while easing church-state separation.

        The Southern Baptist Convention is also dealing with internal divisions. There are calls to defund the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, the group's public policy arm.  The commission has been accused of being ineffective and has been criticized for not supporting criminal charges for women having abortions.  A group of Southern Baptist ethnic groups and leaders signed a statement in April citing concern over Trump's immigration crackdown.  They said it has hurt church attendance and raised fears.  The Center for Baptist Leadership, however, denounced the denominational Baptist Press for working to "weaponize empathy" in its reporting on the statement.  The meeting comes as the Southern Baptist Convention continues its long membership slide.  However, the group's baptism numbers are more promising.  They stand at 250, 643, exceeding pre-pandemic levels and reversing a long slide.

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