'Come Out of Her, my People, So That You Will Not Share in Her Sins'

"Come Out of Her, my People,
So That You Will Not Share in Her Sins."

Why Born-Again Christians Should Leave the Democratic Party

Many of us feared that this day was coming, and now, sadly, it is here. The Democratic Party has officially sanctioned the sin and rebellion against God that has been spreading like cancer within its ranks. Support for the practices of homosexuality and abortion, both of which God has clearly revealed to us in the Bible are wrong, are now part of the official Democratic Party platform.

If you do not believe this, you may obtain a free pdf copy of the 2012 Democratic Party platform at the following link: http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/422016/2012-democratic-national-platform.pdf

In that document, you will find the following paragraphs, which I quote word for word below:

Protecting A Woman’s Right to Choose. The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to make decisions regarding her pregnancy, including a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay. We oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right. Abortion is an intensely personal decision between a woman, her family, her doctor, and her clergy; there is no place for politicians or government to get in the way. We also recognize that health care and education help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and thereby also reduce the need for abortions. We strongly and unequivocally support a woman’s decision to have a child by providing affordable health care and ensuring the availability of and access to programs that help women during pregnancy and after the birth of a child, including caring adoption programs. (Page 53)

Gay Rights as Human Rights. Recognizing that gay rights are human rights, the President and his administration have vowed to actively combat efforts by other nations that criminalize homosexual conduct or ignore abuse. Under the Obama administration, American diplomats must raise the issue wherever harassment or abuse arises, and they are required to record it in the State Department’s annual report on human rights. And the State Department is funding a program that finances gay rights organizations to combat discrimination, violence, and other abuses. (Page 69)

President Obama and the Democratic Party are committed to supporting family planning around the globe to help women care for their families, support their communities, and lead their countries to be healthier and more productive. That’s why, in his first month in office, President Obama overturned the "global gag rule," a ban on federal funds to foreign family planning organizations that provided information about, counseling on, or offered abortions. And that is why the administration has supported lifesaving family planning health information and services. (Page 69)

That last sentence is so brazenly two-faced that it simply begs the question: How is "family planning" that involves taking the life of unborn children "lifesaving"?

Despite the fact that our Lord clearly commanded us in Leviticus 18:22, "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination," the Democratic Party now not only supports this practice, but considers it to be "a human right."

The First Lady recently referred to this as " the right to love whomever we choose." That clever little phrase deserves a response. Most devout Christians are not saying that you should refrain from loving anyone. We think all people should love each other. We just don't think you should have sex outside of the confines of heterosexual marriage. So please, let's stop equating sex with love. If you really love someone you are not married to, or someone of the same sex, you should show that love by keeping your desires in check, and refraining from trying to get in his or her pants. Lust does not equal love, even though the word "love" is so often used to sugarcoat it!

Nearly all Christians follow Jesus' example of extending mercy to the woman caught in adultery, and therefore do not support the death penalty for gay sex that Moses commanded in the Old Testament. Like Jesus, we say, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone," and "neither do I condemn you." However, like Jesus, we also follow those words with "Go, and sin no more." Jesus made it clear that His mercy does not give one license to continue sinning.

Disapproving of someone's actions does not constitute hate. When gays accuse Christians of "hate" because we disapprove of some of their actions, they are truly slandering us with outright lies. We do not hate them; we love them and want them to find freedom from slavery to sin in Christ, just as we did. If you had a friend who was an alcoholic, and it was destroying her health, would you be hating her if you disapproved of her actions and tried to help her stop? No, you would be acting in love. If she, like a spoiled child, accused you of "hating" her because you did not approve of her alcoholism, would there be any veracity to her words?

Lastly, we Christians do not consider ourselves to be better than gays, as some of them like to accuse. We are not looking down our noses at them or anyone else, for that matter. Why? Because prior to God's intervention, we were lost and enslaved to sin. We know that without Jesus, we are just as lost as anyone else, and that our only hope of being found righteous before God is to be found in Christ, who alone of all men is righteous. We want His righteousness to clothe us and enable us to love others. And we want other people to experience the righteousness of Christ, too!

Now let's turn our attention to the issue of abortion.

The right of children in the womb to life was recognized as far back as the time of Moses. In Exodus 21:22-23, we learn that contrary to Roe v Wade (which the Democratic Party Platform now firmly supports), God considers unborn children to be persons worthy of protection by law:

"If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise."

Notice that God worded this command in such a way as to protect both the mother and the child, in case either of them was hurt. This verse clearly shows us that God regards a preborn baby to be a human being and a person. Not only that, but He considers the life and health of the baby to be just as important as that of the person who injured the child. If the mother or baby died as a result of the man’s careless action, then his life was to be taken too. If the mother or baby lost a hand as a result of the man’s recklessness, then the man’s hand was to be cut off. Why? God considered the preborn baby’s life to be just as important as that of the man who hurt him or her.

Since we Christians are now under a New Covenant, we are not calling for the hands and feet of abortionists to be torn off, as the law of Moses prescribed. However, we want these physicians to stop doing that very thing to children in the womb! When physicians do that, they are violating The Hippocratic Oath. It is an oath that physicians have historically sworn since it was written in the 5th century BC. The oath includes the following words:

"I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody if asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art."

In the aftermath of war, people tend to think more soberly, and to see the value human life more clearly than ever before. Following the atrocities of WWII, the delegates to the United Nations were determined that something should be done to help assure that those crimes were not ever repeated. The result of their efforts was a marvelous declaration of human rights which was approved by the unanimous vote of the General Assembly. It is called The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is very well written. So well written, in fact, that the Encyclopedia Britannica calls it "scarcely less than the sum of all of the important traditional political and civil rights of of national constitutions and legal systems."

When the General Assembly enumerated those basic human rights, interestingly, their list did not include "the right to love [i.e., have sex with] whomever we choose." The Democrats are marching into strange and uncharted territory with that affirmation.

Instead, the delegates did not want any group of people to ever again be denied consideration as persons, and thereby denied basic human rights, as happened with the Jews in Germany, the blacks previously in America, and with many prisoners of war.

That is why Article 3 states,

"Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and the security of the person."

And Article 6 states,

"Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law."

Roe v Wade flagrantly ignores these two vital Articles of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, because it declares that children in the womb are not persons, and therefore not entitled to the protection of the US Constitution. In the majority opinion of Roe v Wade, Justice Blackmun wrote: "All this... persuades us that the word "person," as used in the Fourteenth Amendment, does not include the unborn."

Yes, despite the fact that The Bible protected children in the womb, The Hippocratic Oath forbids the taking of their lives, and The Universal Declaration of Human Rights declares their right to life and consideration as persons, the Democratic Party now not only endorses abortion but considers it to be a strange and twisted "right." By doing so, it is openly violating these three valuable moral writings which historically have elevated the conscience of man. Since when have we ever had the "right" to take another human life in order to selfishly improve our own lives? This is no "right" at all, but rather a disguised attempt to take away the right of another person to life! It is double-speak, an attempt to cover up the truth by using a good word to disguise a horrible moral violation. Just as the word "love" is now being used to cover up acts of sexual lust, the words "right to choose" are being used to cover up taking away the life of another human being!

And so, there is no doubt that in regard to the matters of homosexuality and abortion, the Democratic Party is now officially endorsing disobedience of God and His commands! It’s no wonder that when the Obama administration insisted that the word "God" be railroaded into the party platform (after the Romney campaign drew attention to the omission and it became apparent that it would cost them votes) that there was loud and vocal opposition to this during the voice vote by what appeared to be more than half of the delegates.

I know that there are Christians still within the Democratic Party. But can you support this party any longer with a clear conscience? Perhaps you believe that you can, because you believe the Democratic Party has historically done a better job of protecting the poor and minorities than the Republican Party has. But let’s not forget the tax credit to families that the Bush administration brought us. This tax credit has been a tremendous blessing to poor families with children, and this was money that went directly to the poor, rather than being administered through a government program.

There are many Republicans who want to help the poor. Most Republicans do not want to end government programs that help the poor; they just want to remove waste and graft from them. They want to help the poor in a way that fosters independence and self-sufficiency rather than dependence upon the government. The idea is to teach a man to fish rather than merely give him fish.

In addition, there are many other ways to help the poor and minorities than through inefficient and wasteful government spending. There are thousands of nonprofit charitable organizations that help the poor and disadvantaged much more effectively and efficiently than government. So why, for the sake of inefficient and wasteful government programs, support a party that endorses abortion and homosexuality when the poor can be helped in much better ways?

We all know people who can't help themselves and need charity, or who have temporarily fallen on tough times and need our help. Let's help them, but in ways that encourage them to become as self-supporting as possible.

On the other hand, the Bible tells us, "If a man will not work, then let him not eat." Most of us also know people who receive government assistance and are capable of working, but prefer to let the government support them. The Democratic Party, when it refuses to cut wasteful entitlement spending, fosters the non-productive lifestyles of those who abuse the system, and in exchange, receives their votes and support. Consequently, our government is spending much more than it is taking in. Is not our nation headed for financial ruin as a result of this?

In the Bible, the book of Revelation tells us that one day, a voice from heaven will call to the Christians within the city of Babylon: "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins..." In this verse (Revelation18:4), the city of "Babylon" represents a worldly power in rebellion against God. When the sinfulness of Babylon becomes too great, God will command His people to come out of her, because they cannot remain in her without sharing in her sins.

Isn’t this a universal principle? Clearly, it is not a good idea to give a ride in your car to some friends who have just robbed a convenience store. When people are doing something wrong, and won't to listen to moral reasoning, shouldn’t we disassociate ourselves and refuse to participate in what they are doing, lest we also share in their guilt?

This is why the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6:14,

"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?"

We also read in 1 Corinthians 15:33,

"Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."

Don't the same principles apply to the Democratic Party now that it has committed itself to disobeying God in these matters? Is it still possible to support her without sharing guilt for her sins?

Granted, there may be a few born-again Christians who still have good reason to stay in the Democratic Party, such as those who are fighting to have the pro-life voice heard within the Democratic Party. But unless you have a similar mission, isn't the call from heaven now resounding more loudly and clearly?

"Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins."

When you leave, I suggest that you let the Democratic Party know, in some way, why you are doing so. Perhaps if enough people explain why they are leaving, it will have some preserving influence.

Whatever party you join next, work hard to hold it to important biblical moral principles. Fight for the poor, the disadvantaged, for justice, for the nuclear family, for children inside and outside of the womb, for responsible government spending, for responsible sexual behavior, for religious liberty, for a responsible work ethic, against racial discrimination, against unjust or unnecessary war, and for other things that are right. You can make a difference! Hold your party accountable. Don’t allow it to slide down the same slippery slope that the Democratic Party has now tragically succumbed to.

Rusty Entrekin is a theology graduate of Louisiana College. He and his wife Julie have seven children, with four still at home, and four grandchildren. Currently, he resides in Kennesaw, GA. He writes apologetic and theological articles to help people come to know Christ and grow closer to the Lord.

"Come Out of Her, my People, So That You Will Not Share in Her Sins."

Why Born-Again Christians Should Leave the Democratic Party

"Come Out of Her, my People,
So That You Will Not Share in Her Sins."