A Foray into Politics

When I checked my email this evening, I found this

with a note from my dear aunt.

Here is my reply:

Thank you for the link!  It made me think a little harder about an obviously difficult issue and an even more complex choice.  While I recognize–as a morally obligated Catholic, pro-life voter–how important the Pope’s endorsement of McCain is, I think it’s too simple an answer on which to base the decision of who will be the next president of America. 

 

First, Obama & McCain’s personal opinion of abortion is the same–they are both christian, pro-life, and believe that abortion is morally wrong.  The difference between them is what they feel they should do with their beliefs. 

 

McCain believes that he is to change existing law to fit HIS morality.  While I happen to fully agree with his morals (on abortion at least), I don’t feel that the President of the United States should have the spiritual authority to press his personal morals on the rest of us.  What if he happened to feel strongly that women should only be permitted to give birth in a hospital?  I definitely don’t like the idea of the federal government making moral decisions, health decisions, or other such decisions for me.

 

Unlike McCain, Obama feels that his moral obligation starts & ends within his own church/household/family/friends.  He feels that–in a democratic society such as ours–each citizen should be allowed to implement his or her own moral believes freely.  I.e. the federal government shouldn’t be giving moral direction (that is the Pope’s job, afterall, right?).  Instead of changing the law to make abortion illegal, he supports implementing programs to educate women & (hopefully) make abortion less likely. 

 

If abortion is made illegal, it won’t make the abortion issue go away.  Abortions will still happen, just less safely.  And my concern is that banning abortion will open the floodgates for other federal laws that trample our basic freedom to choose what we think is morally correct.  Isn’t it better to encourage & educate each person to make their own moral decisions?  I’m all in favor of eliminating abortion to the fullest extent possible, but at a local level–through religious leaders, churches, support organizations, etc.

 

As a Catholic voter, I believe it is my duty to choose the candidate whom I feel will uphold the rights, liberties, and obligations I hold dearest.  Yes, one of those is the protection of all things innocent.  But, another (greater) duty is to protect each citizens’ right to hold their own conversations with God & the liberty of choosing their own moral path.  While I hope & pray that each mother chooses what I think is right, I don’t think that setting a president of letting federal government call those kinds of shots is morally right either.  Abortion, pro-life, pro-choice–it’s not a clear-cut, black and white, yes or no issue.  Unfortunately, the choice is simply which is the lesser of two evils.  For me, a person’s right to have their own conversation with God ranks highest. 

 

Correct me if I’m wrong, but my understanding is that the Church says is that it is immoral to vote for a pro-choice candidate BECAUSE s/he is pro-choice. However, we may vote for a pro-choice candidate despite being pro-choice IF there is a proportionate reason.  And, during this election especially, there are so many valid reasons not to support the pro-life candidate.  In all areas, Obama is more pro-humanity than McCain.  I hate to steal someone else’s words, but someone who posted at CatholicVote.com put it so well:

“Now, with regard to the election, I will vote for the candidate that most closely resembles the qualities I imagine Jesus to have – the darker skinned, thin man who worked with the needy, not the one who ridiculed him for doing so (”community organizer! sneer”) The one who comes from a humble beginning, not the warrior son of a warrior son of a warrior. The one who married a devout Christian woman of modest means, not the divorcer who married a wealthy heiress to a liquor fortune.
The gentle one who quotes scripture when he speaks, not the one who angrily vows to “fight! fight! fight!” The one who tries to understand and console those on both sides of the abortion issue, and does not blindly condemn those caught on one side of this always unfortunate situation. ‘Let those who are without sin…….’”

Please feel free to share your thoughts with me.  I’m curious.  It’s not an easy decision in any sense of the word. 

 

Your niece

 

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