In “A Fight Among Catholics Over Which Party Best Reflects Church Teachings,” David D. Kirkpatrick battles the age old issue of how abortion should affect the Catholic vote. Catholics differ, from most other Christians, especially Evangelicals in the 1980’s, in that their support for political candidates has consistently been rather split between liberal and conservative. The article displays how liberal forces within the denomination are fighting against the wide held belief that abortion trumps all other issues, and that the candidate who is prolife is THE Catholic candidate. The major issue is how crucial do Catholics consider the abortion issue today. Liberal sects of the faith, while acknowledging abortion’s significance, also point to the significance of other issues including jobs, immigration, healthcare and the war in Iraq, and believe that your vote should encompass more than solely the abortion issue. These liberals’ claims are justified, as Catholic social teaching’s reference to the protection of life is not limited to abortion.
The principles of the Catholic Church, and the majority of churches in America, are not “cut and dry” to the extent that their views fit perfectly onto a party line. Everyone is different, and along with different perspectives comes different assignments of significance to certain subjects. A perfect example illustrating the differences of thought of not only individuals, but of Catholics, is shown by the prochoice stances of both Rudolph Giuliani and John Kerry. While the vast majority of Catholics reject any support of abortion, these two prominent politicians go against the Church’s stance on abortion, believing the burden placed upon the women outweighs the ramifications of the procedure. The abortion issue undoubtedly divides the country, as does the issue’s significance in determining the Catholic vote. The Catholic Church has steadfastly opposed abortion since the onset of the issue, but as a whole, Catholics have never steadfastly supported a prochoice candidate. These politicians illustrate that the Catholic Church not only fails to force its will upon the electorate, but also the candidates themselves.
Catholic Bishops, such as Joseph Martino, do have great influence over their parishioners; but, their influence is limited to the extent at which those parishioners will listen. Abortion is a polarizing issue. The majority of attempts to sway prolife people to the prochoice boat can be characterized as little more than a waste of time; also, attempts to sway those who believe the Catholic vote should go to more than the abortion issue will yield equal results. Instead of church leaders battling to swing their parishioners to vote one way, they should serve to inform them, and allow them to form their own conclusions regarding the candidates, in large part because of the futility of such attempts. What separates humans, from animals, is our consciences and free will. Instead of stamping out what God provided his children, Catholic leaders should let their followers balance the two. With all the struggles Catholic leaders are enduring in an effect to gain support on their side of the issue on abortion’s significance, does it have any effect on your stance?
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/05/us/politics/05catholic.html
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3 comments:
Jeff, I think you make a great point that applies not just to Catholic leaders but all religious leaders. I don't think it's a pastor or rabbi's job to tell his or her congregants who to vote for, or how to vote on certain issues. Since I'm not Catholic, I don't have a great understanding of the inner-workings of the Church, but as an evangelical, I have felt a great amount of pressure to vote conservatively, especially because of social issues, from peers. Still, it was a breath of fresh air when, at the church I have been attending out here since school started, the pastor told the congregation he would not be commenting on his political views or who will receive his vote. He said something along the lines of, "I may have opinions about the issues, but my opinions could be wrong. It's not my job to give you my fallible political beliefs, it is my job to teach you the absolute truth of the Gospel." He also informed the congregation that he'd asked church staff not to post signs or reveal their political preference during the last few weeks before the election. I felt encouraged by his message because, as I've said before and will say again, I don't think that politics should be a litmus test for faith. That doesn't mean a person's spirituality should not inform their vote--in fact, I think it should, if that spirituality is all-encompassing. But it does mean that we shouldn't be judged--by our religious leaders or fellow believers--for the ballots we cast, even if they go against the grain.
No one organization has full control over his followers. Catholic Religious leaders, as Jeff points out, have not been able to control or have a large influence over who their members vote for. We should not limit this argument to one specific religion because every person in this country has the freedom to vote for any particular candidate, regardless of person’s religion. Therefore, Evangelicals or Protestants have a choice to make in the voting booth, and religious leaders can influence it, but they cannot with 100 percent accuracy determine it. The voter’s choice is based on a series of factors and issues who matter the most to them. Therefore, abortion can be a major issue for some Catholics or Evangelicals but not for all. This accounts for that difference in opinion or choice within a church, and religious leaders to influence what this deciding issue is. As a catholic, I think that abortion is not the most important problem Americans are dealing with, even though it is the most important issue regarding religious beliefs. Because voting is a secular action where religion should not pose a major influence over the final outcome, I believe that other issues, such as the economic problems we are facing, should play a stronger influence over my vote.
I am glad you brought up this issue, Jeff. Any Christian, not just Catholics, has some kind of struggle trying to find the line of which party our alliance should be to. I consider myself an evangelical Christian, and it took me a very long time to decide which candidate best supported by value system. It ended up being thought choosing the lesser of two evils. There are big things with each candidate that I strongly disagree with. So what did my decision come down to? Action. I'm pro-life, but so is George Bush. He's been in office eight years and nothing has actually changed. Do I really believe John McCain would overturn Roe v Wade in the next 4 years? I dont think that's even possible honestly. So even though my party lines are not drawn, my value are, and those are what will guide my decision. It won't be just one issue, or what I think the "biggest" issue is.
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