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****In an interview with Kansas City’s Chris Stigall today, the bishop makes it clear that Catholics who vote for a radically pro-abortion candidate risk formal cooperation in an excommunicating act: H/T Hat Air
****"I would say, “Give consideration to your eternal salvation.” Because to vote for a person who has expressed a fanatical determination to not only support abortion as it exists now but to remove all limitations on it through the Freedom of Choice Act, and to extend it without any recourse, throwing out all of the efforts of citizens over the last 35 years to place reasonable limits on abortion, that voting for a person who has expressed his determination to do this to Planned Parenthood, to NARAL — that you make yourself a participant in the act of abortion. That’s gravely wrong, and you mustn’t do it because your eternal salvation is tied up in that important choice." Bishop Robert Finn
7 comments:
Our Bishops--the successors to the Apostles--are telling us that voting for those who support abortion is WRONG, a sin. They will stand before God one day and when they do how can they explain they supported abortion?
Is voting for nobama worth one's eternal soul?
I'm not Roman Catholic but I will say this, based on my knowledge of Catholic theology, to vote for a pro-choice candidate because of his pro-choice position, would be formal cooperation in the evil of abortion and a mortal sin. But, to vote for a pro-choice candidate in spite of his position on abortion is either not a sin at all or a venial sin at worst. Granted, it might be a bad political decision and it might(depending on the circumstances) show a lack of good judgment. But in itself, it is not formal cooperation with abortion but rather remote, material cooperation with abortion. I believe that I have the backing of most conservative moral theologians on this.
And, for the record, I'm not telling people it is okay to vote for Obama, I'm just making a distinction that needs to be made.
Joe - you are correct except in this case the Bishops have made it quite clear that because Obamas support of abortion is so far- reaching and unapologetic that there could be no other issue that could possibly outweigh our voting for him. (sorry for the clunky sentence - I have a headache) Therefore, we are not to vote for him.
Adrienne,
And if we are to determine who should get our vote in according with current Roman Catholic teaching then I agree with you. And I respect that point of view and almost agree with it (I agree with much of Catholic social teaching with a few caveats, something for another discussion sometime).
Joe
Joe - The Church needs to get out of the social justice business and get back to doing what they are supposed to be doing - getting us to heaven (simply put)
The social good works will and should flow from the laity when they are properly catechized which in today's world they are not.
Adrienne,
I do agree with you on this. In my opinion (for what it's worth), I think that the Church tries to say too much about economic, social, and foreign policy. I think that any traditional Christian Church (whether Catholic or Orthodox) should make it clear to the laity what moral issues are essential and at stake. But, I really don't see why a Church has to have a catechism of social doctrine that is 700 or 800 pages long. The focus of the Church should not be politics, but should be preaching the Gospel that Christ wants to save us through our repentance from sin and our desire to live a holy life.
Amen, Joe. Even my pastor agrees on this issue...
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