CHARLOTTE — Christian evangelical groups have been demonstrating around the Democratic National Convention venue in protest of Democratic support for abortion and same-sex marriage.
Kristin McCora and Brooke McGowen came together to speak out against abortion, which they said was a “human issue.”
“It’s certainly important for women,” McGowen said. “When they claim that it’s their bodies and their choice, they totally take God out of the picture and forget that he’s the giver of life, not them.”
McCora said she sees hypocrisy in the idea that men have no right to make decisions about abortion, but are considered “dead beat dads” if they fail to take care of children once born.
“While you will see more men on the street, they are doing their godly duty standing up for the rights of these children,” McCora said.
Other demonstrators lined the streets with images of abortion victims to protest the party’s pro-choice platform. Michael Sugar, a college student from North Carolina, said abortion is the “shedding of innocent blood.”
Ministers stood on street corners with megaphones spreading their Christian messages and expressing concern about “fellow men and where they will spend eternity,” said
Kris Estep, a preacher from Western North Carolina and leader of “A Holy Ambition” ministry.
Don Grundmann of Southern California held up a sign saying “Democrats Attack: Morality, Family and Children” to express his protest of the platform’s support of same-sex marriage. Grundmann said the Democratic Party’s support of same-sex marriage constitutes a direct attack on the American culture and its foundation.
Father Alexander Karloutsos, who accompanied Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit to give his opening prayer at the DNC, said protests are a part of the American political system and are protected under the freedoms to assemble as well as the rights to free speech and religion.
“The Orthodox spread their Gospel as well, but they don’t necessarily do it with a lot of words, they try to do it more with actions,” Karloutsos said. “So I believe that the best way of educating anybody is by example, Einstein said that.”
President Obama has been attacked from both the left and the right of the political spectrum throughout his presidency. Occupy Wall Street protestors as well as Christian evangelists have descended on Charlotte, North Carolina to express their discontent with the President’s policies and his party’s platform.
