On Tuesday You, the Voter, will have the Last Word on Life

Each Catholic Christian, prior to placing their vote, must answer three fundamental questions.

WASHINGTON (Catholic Online) - On Tuesday a choice will be made that will affect the United States for more than just the next four years. And, for some of the future children of America, the decision will be a matter of life and death.

In their document "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship," the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a joint declaration affirming life as the preeminent issue in any election. While some have tried to spin the meaning of the Catholic Bishops document on faithful citizenship, the essential teaching is clear; not every issue is of equal moral gravity. As the bishops stated, "The inalienable right to life of every innocent human person outweighs other concerns where Catholics may use prudential judgment..."

In recent months, close to 100 bishops have spoken clearly about the importance of voting for life. Countless priests and deacons have done the same. Even in the midst of silence by some clergy, we must consider that the Church has spoken.

How tragic that, when hearing this teaching echoed in writing and preaching, many faithful Catholics have not checked their consciences against these informed truths. They have chosen, instead, to battle their bishops and argue that they know best.

As Catholic Christians, we do not have the luxury of allowing our worldview to be influenced by flowery rhetoric or hasty promises. We cannot trust our choice to a conscience that may be inadequately formed. We must look at the issues through the lens of Catholic teaching.

Before Tuesday, you must ask yourself three questions:

The first question is critical. Do I truly understand the Church's position, that life issues such as abortion, embryonic stem cell research, and euthanasia are a greater intrinsic moral evil than the other issues facing America?

We have heard many voices try to spin this issue of a greater moral evil. Even some who declare a commitment to the cause of life have still demoted this concern to a lower place.

The Church is clear on the commitment to life. Nothing we face in this election has a greater intrinsic moral evil than abortion and its related issues. To think otherwise should cause us to reflect on how well we have been formed by our faith.

As a convert I remember well the Mass where my wife and I were received into the Church. At a point in the liturgy the candidates make a declaration, saying that they believe that everything the Church teaches comes from God.

This is so much different from the Protestant world where membership is not based on our confidence in the Church's fidelity to the revealed truths of God but in our belief in what is taught. If we believe differently, we don't join. The church matches our understanding, not the other way around so doctrine is always limited by our convictions.

How often we have heard the following offered as a statement of conscience, "But that is not what I believe is important." Truly the conscience may be formed, but one cannot say it was formed with respect to Catholic moral teaching.

When faced with a position by our Church different from our own, we should, by necessity, search our hearts and seek a deeper understanding of the subject that we might achieve a greater formation by the truths that we hear.

The second question logically follows the first. As a Catholic Christian, do I understand that my responsibility as a faithful member of Christ's One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church must inform my actions as a faithful citizen of my nation?

We all want a nation of prosperity and peace. This desire is naturally built in to our nature. At times, however, we can inappropriately choose a short-term promise of peace rather than a long-term commitment to righteousness.

When the nation of Israel was under the care and control of God, at one point they came to the prophet Samuel and declared that they wanted a King so they could be like the other nations. They were willing to give up theocracy for monarchy. Samuel's words to the leaders were clear and to the point. He told them they could have their king, but they would also receive the consequences of a kingly reign. They would now be subservient to another ruler. Additionally, they and their ruler were still under God's authority.

Ultimately, it comes down to understanding the basic levels of authority and who truly sits on the throne. We cannot ignore the Kindgom of God in our national politics. Ultimately, all belongs to Him, a point we declare each time we say the "Our Father."

When we choose to follow the teachings of this Kingdom in our political choices, we stand on the side of a higher authority and can participate more fully in His work on earth.

Conversely, when we stand in opposition to his revealed the truth, we will receive the consequences of our action. We will get what we wanted and more!

And the final question.Do we know what we will get when we don't stand for life?

There are a lot of varying analysis of this election, in terms of what would happen should Senator Obama, the most liberal pro-choice candidate ever vetted, is elected to the office of President. There are, obviously, concerns about economic answers, foreign policy, restrictions on freedom of the press, and, of course, the war in Iraq. However, concerning life we don't have to move to the realm of conjecture.

Senator Obama has told America that his first act as president will be to implement the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA). As Cardinal Regali, Chairman of the Committee of Prolife Activities states, "FOCA would deprive the American people in all 50 states of the freedom they now have to enact modest restraints and regulations on the abortion industry."

The Cardinal stated that FOCA would guarantee the right of individuals to seek an abortion at any point during the nine-month pregnancy. This includes the right to abort a fully formed child during the last weeks of pregnancy for undefined health reasons.

It would also prevent government at all levels from discriminating against this right in the regulation or provision of such things as benefits, facilities, services, or information.

Abortion would, therefore, become an entitlement in America, without parental knowledge or consent.

As we step into the polling booth, we are exercising our right to vote as a citizen of the United States of America. We are also exercising our responsibility as Catholic Christians to stand for truth and our convictions on the major issues we face.

We will stand at the polls with the great cloud of witnesses surrounding us - those from generations past who have been faithful to Christ and His Church no matter what. We will also stand with our brothers and sisters - Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox - who hold a common commitment to the Body of Christ on earth.

We will also stand with the unborn from generations yet to come, who want us to choose life for them.

****

Randy Sly, a former Archbishop in the ICCEC, came into the full communion of the Catholic Church several years ago with his wife Sandy. He is a communications and public relations consultant, writer and editor who serves as Associate Editor of Catholic Online

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'

Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online