catholicsphere

Christian Science Monitor: Republican base loses faith

As midterm elections near, polls show that some religious voters are stepping off the GOP bandwagon.

And, perhaps with good reason. Republicans have had a majority in Congress, and controlled the White House, for the past 6 years. They were elected on platforms of conservative values, yet there has been continual disappointment on conservative issues.

In 2004, the Bishops released a document telling voters that it was not permissible to vote for a pro-choice candidate, unless there were proportionate reasons. Given the fact that little has been done in government on life issues, and other areas of moral concern, there may be a “proportionate reason” for not voting for the “pro-life” candidate. That the candidate is only “pro-life” insofar as it obtains the votes of pro-life voters would seem to me to be a “proportionate reason” for not voting for the pro-life candidate, where a pro-choice candidates position on other issues are more in-line with the best interest of society.

As I continually say, it is important to be informed on the issues and positions of the candidates, understanding their sincerity and dedication to the issues. If there is good reason to question their integrity on an issue, their position on it may need to be discounted.

[tags]faith, politics, abortion, pro-life, pro-choice, vote, election, republican, democrat[/tags]