Is A Vote For An Anti-Life Political Candidate Morally Defensible?

What can Christians say to Jesus Christ in order to justify support for anti-life political candidates?

"A kind of cultural relativism exists today, evident in the conceptualization and defence of an ethical pluralism, which sanctions the decadence and disintegration of reason and the principles of the natural moral law. Furthermore, it is not unusual to hear the opinion expressed in the public sphere that such ethical pluralism is the very condition for democracy. As a result, citizens claim complete autonomy with regard to their moral choices, and lawmakers maintain that they are respecting this freedom of choice by enacting laws which ignore the principles of natural ethics and yield to ephemeral cultural and moral trends, as if every possible outlook on life were of equal value" -- Doctrinal Note 2 § 2

GLADE PARK, CO (Catholic Online) -- Election Day draws nearer. Yet this "day" is hardly one among others, for rarely -- perhaps never before -- in the history of this nation have Americans faced such radically opposed ideologies among those candidates who hope to occupy future positions of political power. To be sure, Americans are soon to make gravely important political decisions concerning their future and the future of their children.

So serious are our political choices that the USCCB stated:  "It is important to be clear that the political choices faced by citizens not only have an impact on general peace and prosperity but also may affect the individual's salvation. Similarly, the kinds of laws and policies supported by public officials affect their spiritual well-being" (Faithful Citizenship 38).

For many Catholics and other Christians the proverbial line drawn in the sand is legalized abortion. Why? The horrifying barbarism of abortion is cutting the heart out of our nation; it has killed over 50 million of our youngest neighbors; and it is physically, emotionally and spiritually damaging untold millions of women and men.

That a nation populated by a Christian majority who claims the right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" intentionally kills its youngest citizens under cover of law, is not only unacceptable, it is unspeakably evil. The right to life, the foundational right upon which every other human right is built, is no longer upheld by civil law. Our society has become a self-terminating society.

What will it take to bring an end to the willful and legalized bloodshed of the innocent? Does the solution lie in Americans' voting power? We must not forget that presidents nominate future Supreme Court justices who are in turn confirmed by the Senate. The continuation of the "positive law of destruction" we term legalized abortion hinges on the next Supreme Court decision against it. Given what is at stake and the fact that in nearly every case we have the ability to give the nod to pro-life politicians, is a vote for an anti-life candidate morally defensible?

We might ask, as did Archbishop Chaput, if we can come up with a "compelling proportionate reason to justify" such a vote. "What is a 'proportionate' reason when it comes to the abortion issue? It's the kind of reason," he continued, "we will be able to explain, with a clean heart, to the victims of abortion when we meet them face to face in the next life -- which we most certainly will. If we're confident that these victims will accept our motives as something more than an alibi, then we can proceed."

We might also ask ourselves, since God will not be mocked and whatever a man sows he will reap (Gal. 6:7), if our Lord Jesus Christ will approve of our voting preference -- and we can be certain he will indeed expect an answer. Also, what will our spiritual Mother, the sweet Virgin Mary who bore our Savior in her womb, nursed him at her holy breasts, and witnessed his shameful death on the bloodied Roman cross, have to say about our personal political convictions?

These are not simply emotional appeals. Far from it. Every Christian ought know that God will bring "every deed" and "hidden thing" into judgment (Ecc. 12:14). Further, we will be required to answer for every "careless word" uttered (Matt. 12:36). Therefore it would be difficult to exaggerate the seriousness of those far-reaching choices we make through our participation in the political arena of contemporary society.

The Social Justice Argument

Catholics are concerned with social justice issues -- for good reason. The Church has long emphasized the importance of social justice, properly understood. She commends a "preferential option for the poor" which means giving those who are poor a love of preference. There are some well-meaning Catholics who insist the best approach to social justice should include such things as "wealth-redistribution", larger federal government, nationalized health care, increased federal entitlements, and higher taxes for the rich in order to better provide for the poor.

Given that pro-life candidates are often politically conservative, some fear their proposed methods are out-of-phase with what is subjectively thought to be the "best course of action." Consequently, the notion of a comprehensive view of social justice is too often pitted against a vote for pro-life candidates who are sometimes broadly deemed to be "radicals" who want to "balance the budget on the backs of the poor." Thus it can be the case that a bias against pro-life candidates comes into play. As a result, the unborn suffer the consequences as candidates who support their intentional killing through procured abortion continue to win elections.

One quote often improperly used in an effort to support the view that a candidate's stand on abortion may be overlooked in favor of a so-called broader social justice approach is found in the Doctrinal Note on Some Questions Regarding the Participation of Catholics in Political Life:

"The Christian faith is an integral unity, and thus it is incoherent to isolate some particular element to the detriment of the whole of Catholic doctrine. A political commitment to a single isolated aspect of the Church's social doctrine does not exhaust one's responsibility towards the common good" (4).

However, if we back up some and read the sentence in the Doctrinal Note which precedes the above quote we find this: "It must be noted also that a well-formed Christian conscience does not permit one to vote for a political program or an individual law which contradicts the fundamental contents of faith and morals" (ibid.).

Some will argue that a vote for a politician who supports abortion is not a vote for a political program; nor is it a vote for an individual law. However, the argument can easily be made that such a vote is indeed a vote for a political program and an approval of an individual law. We call such a program and law "legalized abortion."

Every vote cast in favor of an anti-life political candidate is a nod of approval given to the culture of death. A vote for these candidates is a vote for a particular immoral ideology; it is saying "yes" to a grave attack on the foundation of human life; it gives support to those who blatantly ignore the natural moral law; and it places into leadership positions those whose moral character on the matter of the sanctity and dignity of the human person is very far off the mark indeed.

Further, legalized abortion contradicts the fundamental contents of faith and morals. Abortion is an intrinsic evil and is therefore entirely incompatible with the Christian faith. Abortion must be opposed. True, our concern for one issue does not exhaust our responsibility toward other social justice issues; however, nor does our concern for other social justice issues automatically excuse us from our responsibility to oppose an intrinsic evil, such as the intentional killing of the unborn.

It cannot be denied that politics involve many social justice issues, which can include everything from the economy to the environment to national defense to entitlements and beyond. The list could fill pages. Also, there can indeed be a legitimate diversity of opinion on many of these issues. For instance, whether the best course of action for our nation involves some form of Keynesian economics or Supply-Side economics, larger government or smaller government, national or individual health care system, to name only a few, are all issues open to prudential judgement.

However, there "are some things we must never do," states the USCCB, "as individuals or as a society, because they are always incompatible with love of God and neighbor. Such actions are so deeply flawed that they are always opposed to the authentic good of persons. These are called 'intrinsically evil' actions. They must always be rejected and opposed and must never be supported or condoned. A prime example is the intentional taking of innocent human life, as in abortion and euthanasia" (Faithful Citizenship 22).

That is why the USCCB in speaking of the consistent ethic of life was able to state that, while Catholics are not single-issue voters and must consider all the issues involved, a "candidates 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" (ibid. 41).

Abortion: Political And Cultural Causation

Some believe abortion is an evil propagated solely by a culture gone awry, and therefore cannot be solved in the voting booth. "Abortion is a cultural problem, not a political problem," they say. While there is certainly an element of truth to this idea, they nevertheless incorrectly pit an either/or mentality against what in reality is a both/and situation. Consequently, they justify a vote for an anti-life politician this way: "Abortion is here to stay. I'm more concerned with a candidate's stand on Social Security or the death penalty."

Often overlooked is the fact that legalized abortion is itself a large causal factor in the number of abortions which take place in the U.S. That is, because abortion is legal, people are led to believe it is moral. Because the procedure itself is so readily accessible, abortion is often viewed as one rather insignificant medical procedure among others.

Further, we here arrive at the principle of proportionate evil which Archbishop Chaput mentioned. If we are going to vote for a politician who supports legalized abortion, we are going to have to justify that vote by this principle.

For instance, let us consider the death penalty: is it possible that the death penalty is responsible for more deaths in the U.S. than legalized abortion? Nope. Not even close. What about a possible loss of entitlements? To be sure, we are to give preferential option to the poor. We are always to be concerned with our neighbors in need. Nevertheless, it seems impossible to make the argument that the loss of some entitlements will equate to the deaths of 3000-plus people per day. Further, there is an essential difference between dying because of a lack of available food or housing or medical care and the intentional killing of innocent, unborn children.

Given the magnitude of the evil of abortion, while it can be possible to justify a vote for an anti-life political candidate, the circumstances which would unarguably permit such a vote are difficult to find. Therefore I side with Archbishop Chaput: if someone asks me if I will support an anti-life candidate, my answer is: "I can't and I won't."

That our voting responsibility is often burdensome and complex is undeniably true. That we must carefully weigh the issues with a conscience properly formed in accordance with the Magisterium of the Church is also true. Votes based on emotional biases, false ideologies founded on vincible ignorance, the fear of crossing party lines, or the desire to avoid the unwanted ridicule of friends and family who fail to share our conviction for the sanctity and dignity of human life are not going to withstand the test of the Particular Judgement -- one which we will each soon face.

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F. K. Bartels is a Catholic writer who knows his Catholic Faith is one of the greatest gifts a man could ever receive. He is a contributing writer for Catholic Online. Visit him also at catholicpathways.com

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