Keeping a Conscience When Voting
A Reference Guide for Morals, Ethics, and Voting
A question that pops up every election year is the same old and tired problem: should a person vote on a candidate based on one sole issue alone, or should they not? Mostly, this argument comes from the evangelical Christian side of the spectrum, and nine times out of ten will be about abortion. The Roman Catholic Church does not believe in abortion, and by those who claim to be faithful to the Magisterium (the Church's teachings) this clearly means they will always have to vote for the Republican candidate. However, on that note, 'pro-life' (the term used to refer to those who are anti-abortion) is rather self explanatory and would technically include opposing the death penalty - something Republicans are in favor of. So.....
What Are the Bishops Saying?
It is hard to say what the Bishops are saying simply because each Bishop is saying something different. On the one hand, there is Bishop Joseph Martino, who wrote a letter about moral voting. He asked that it be read in place of the Homily (a part of the Catholic mass where a Priest or a Deacon will speak to the congregation), and published in all of the bulletins handed out on that Sunday (in Scranton, PA, where Vice Presidential Nominee Senator Joe Biden is also from). The letter, also posted to the website The Crossroads Initiative, tells Catholics that abortion is the only issue of any importance and "being “right” on taxes, education, health care, immigration, and the economy fails to make up for the error of disregarding the value of a human life." In essence, the statement is telling Catholics indirectly how to vote.
On the other side of the coin, Faithful Citizenship, a website of the United States Conference of Bishops released a statement which said, "As Catholics we are not single-issue voters. A candidate’s position on a single issue is not sufficient to guarantee a voter’s support. Yet a candidate’s position on a single issue that involves an intrinsic evil, such as support for legal abortion or the promotion of racism, may legitimately lead a voter to disqualify a candidate from receiving support." Though this statement does not tell someone how to vote, it doesn't quite layout cleanly a helpful hint for an undecided voter. So some are left wondering, should Catholics (or any Christian or person) vote on one issue?
Putting It All Together
When it really comes down to it, voting on a single issue is essentially not the way to go. Choosing to support a candidate for being anti-abortion alone is turning one's back on those already on this earth who are in need. Voting for the candidate who proclaims his patriotism is implying that the other candidate is not patriotic. Ultimately, a person must look at the whole picture and not just a piece of the puzzle and decide what their dream for the future is and who is the closest to resembling that. Advice taken from Religious leaders seems ideal, but consider this: near the end of his letter, Bishop Martino announces, "Furthermore, public officials who are Catholic and who persist in public support for abortion and other intrinsic evils should not partake in or be admitted to the sacrament of Holy Communion." Suppose Bishop Martino never wondered what Jesus would do.
References:
I Beg You Not to Be Misled by Confusion and Lies
The Challenges of Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship
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