Voting: A Vocation and a Duty

How many times have you heard a politician recite the following?:

"I'm personally opposed to abortion but...I support the law of the land as affirmed by Roe V. Wade."

To this I respond: Sorry. That dog won't hunt. Not any more.

Our elected officials no longer get it both ways. The pro-life position requires proponents to bear witness through action and results. It means using talent and power to protect human beings in all stages of life. Womb to the tomb. A true pro-life stance is not championed by a tepid, conditional declaration and a tacit acceptance of the status quo. Take, for instance, Rudolph Giuliani's flimsy, non-committal position:

"...in a country like ours, where people of good faith, people who are equally decent, equally moral, and equally religious, where they come to different conclusions about this, ... I believe you have to respect their viewpoint. ... I would grant women the right to make that choice (to have an abortion.)"-- Fox News interview

Skillful verbiage, to be sure. The success of moral relativism always depends on a masterful delivery. But how is it that so many fellow Catholics fall for this centrist wish-wash? And are our clergy holding Giuliani and other Catholic leaders (such as Ted Kennedy and Nancy Pelosi) responsible for these shameful, do-nothing positions?

As for our part...We, the laity, have a responsibility to battle sin. One of the most effective ways to do this is by voting in alignment with the doctrine of our Church. If the candidate is not absolutely pro-life, then we must withhold our vote. Even if said candidate is "the lesser of two evils". Even if they hold admirable positions on other, key issues. What's more, we must vote for the pro-life candidate whenever the opportunity presents itself. We can learn much from Evangelical Christians in this regard. Their voting power is united, consistent, and powerful. Father John Corapi, a respected and nationally recognized speaker weighs in with this:

"Catholics today in the United States represent the single largest religious voting block in the country, yet we have had relatively little effect in recent years. The reason is that an enormous number of Catholics are not faithful to their lay state in life."

In this time of political discernment and potential change, we are called to witness our faith and to give voices to those who have none. If we, a faith community, are not willing to protect the very young, the very old, and the infirmed, why bother concerning ourselves with border control, national security, education, the economy or even the environment? Why are so many Catholics, of all people, standing mute, while human beings, the presumed beneficiaries of government and politics, are willfully destroyed? Father Corapi makes a salient point about the untapped power, the sheer opportunity within our grasp:

"Abortion...could never exist in this once great country if the Catholic lay faithful were witnessing their faith powerfully and without compromise."

Let these words be our guide in the upcoming primary elections and all others to follow.