Date: Sun, 16 Jun 1996 23:55:40 -0400
From: purdom@rabbit.com (Chris Purdom)


    >               THE BAPTISTS' RESOLUTION
    >    WHEREAS, Southern Baptists and their children have for many decades
    enjoyed and trusted the Disney Co.'s television programming, feature-length
    > films and theme parks which have reinforced basic American virtues and
    > values; and
    >    WHEREAS, The virtues promoted by Disney have contributed to the
    development of a generation of Americans who have come to expect and demand
    > high levels of moral and virtuous leadership from the Disney Co.; and
     WHEREAS, In recent years, the Disney Co. has given the appearance that the
   promotion of homosexuality is more important than its historic commitment to
   traditional family values and has taken a direction which is contrary to its
    > previous commitment; and 
    >    WHEREAS, In recent years, we have watched the world's largest family
    > entertainment company with growing disappointment as Disney Co.'s moral
    leadership has been eroded by a variety of corporate decisions, which have
    > included but are not limited to:
    >    (1) Establishing of an employee policy which accepts and embraces
    > homosexual relationships for the purpose of insurance benefits;
    >    (2) Hosting of homosexual and lesbian theme nights at its parks;
    >    (3) Choosing of a convicted child molester to direct the Disney movie
    > Powder through its subsidiary Miramax Productions;
      (4) Publishing of a book aimed at teenage homosexuals entitled Growing Up
   Gay: From Left Out to Coming Out through its subsidiary Hyperion, connecting
    > Disney to the promotion of the homosexual agenda;
     (5) Producing, through its subsidiary corporations, objectionable material
    > such as the film Priest which disparages Christian values and depicts
    > Christian leaders as morally defective; 
    >    WHEREAS, These and other corporate decisions and actions represent a
    > significant departure from Disney's family-values image, and a gratuitous
    > insult to Christians and others who have long supported Disney and
    > contributed to its corporate profits; and
      WHEREAS, Previous efforts to communicate these concerns to the Disney Co.
    > have been fruitless; and 
    >    WHEREAS, Boycotts are a legitimate method for communicating moral
    > convictions; Now, therefore,
    >    BE IT RESOLVED, We as Southern Baptist messengers meeting in annual
   session on June 11-13, 1996, go on record expressing our deep disappointments
    > for these corporate actions by the Disney Co.; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we affirm the employees of the Disney Co. who
      embrace and share our concerns; and
    >    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we encourage Southern Baptists to give
  serious and prayerful reconsideration to their purchase and support of Disney
    products and to boycott the Disney theme parks and stores if they continue
    > this anti-Christian and anti-family trend;
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we encourage the Christian Life Commission to
    > monitor Disney's progress in returning to its previous philosophy of
    > producing enriching family entertainment; and
    >    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we encourage state Baptist papers and
    national Southern Baptist publications to assist in informing the Southern
    > Baptist family of these issues; and
    >    FINALLY, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Convention requests the Executive
    > Committee to send a copy of this resolution to Michael Eisner, CEO of the
    > Disney Co., and to encourage the Southern Baptist family to support this
    > resolution with our purchasing power, letters and influence.