How Will You Vote? What Principles will Guide You? Get Ready!

From Tim Staples at Catholic Answers:

Catholic Answers published its now-famous “Voter’s Guide for Serious Catholics” back in 2004 (updated in 2006) that has now sold millions of copies with millions more having been distributed for free. In that document, for which Catholic Answers has taken a lot of flack by the way, we give guidance to Catholics in voting so that, quite frankly, Catholics will “vote like Catholics,” yet, we do much more than just that.

We give instruction, in complete harmony with the teaching authority of the Church, as to the most important moral issues of our day that are politically in play. We called them “the Five Non-Negotiables” of abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem-cell research, human cloning, and so-called homosexual “marriage.”

To put it simply: these are “deal-breakers” when it comes to the Catholic voting. These are matters definitively declared by the Church to be objectively and absolutely immoral. That is what we mean by “non-negotiable.” There is no legitimate debate–no “wiggle room”–on these issues. Now then, are these the only “non-negotiables” from a Catholic perspective?

No, they are not. There are many non-negotiables we could speak of, and we mention a couple of them in our Voter’s Guide: “Genocide and Contraception” are specifically mentioned and we could add “pornography” and many other “non-negotiables.”

In fact, in our most recent iteration of the Voter’s Guide we had to add “religious liberty” as another “non-negotiable” with the advent of the recent assaults from our government on our religious liberty. 

Stay posted! With the present trajectory of our government in the United States there will most likely be more coming!

But at any rate, pornography, contraception, genocide, and the denial of genuine religious liberty are also “non-negotiables” in Catholic moral theology because they too are matters that are intrinsically and absolutely immoral, and gravely so. However, the point we make in the Voter’s Guide is that not all matters non-negotiable are matters in play politically generally speaking. Our big five are. Six adding the assault on religious liberty. Thus, we focused our attention on the “non-negotiables” that are in fact in play politically. 

Are You a “Single Issue Voter?”

But wait a minute, Tim, some will say here. “Are you saying Catholics are single issue voters?” Well, no! I’m saying we are at least “six-issue voters!” I say that kind of tongue and cheek, but remember this: There are two things to consider here. First, these “six non-negotiables” I have mentioned are indeed deal-breakers, generally speaking, when it comes to Catholics voting, but we also must consider that Catholics, Christians, men and women of good will, ALL OF US, should be engaged in all the issues of the day. At least, as best we can.

We should be knowledgeable on all of the issues that are in play, such as the economy, war, counter-terrorism, immigration policy and more—we should be deeply involved politically and leading the charge when it comes to these matters and more whether there is an election imminent or not. Remember folks: Public policy is never determined on election-day alone! Election-day is critical, to be sure, but even if the worst of politicians are elected, we still have a voice that can shape the agenda and impede evil legislation from ever being able to be passed on whatever the issue may be.

Politics and Religion

It is inevitable that whenever the topic of politics or anything that may be construed as “political” arises, you will hear words to the effect of—“What does the Church have to do with politics! You should stay out of politics!” To use my best theological language… HOGWASH! The Catechism of the Catholic Church makes clear that Catholics have an obligation to be involved in whatever capacity we can be in politics inparagraph 2246:

It is a part of the Church’s mission to pass moral judgments even in matters related to politics, whenever the fundamental rights of man or the salvation of souls requires it.

In each of these six non-negotiables, we have issues that involve both the salvation of souls and the fundamental rights of man. And very importantly, each of these matters represent points of the moral law definitively taught by the Church making these matters absolutely “black and white” and unchangeable where there is no “wiggle room” for Catholics. Catholics must not vote for any of these six non-negotiables, or for any politician who supports them.

Jiminy Cricket! ….    For the whole article, click here.