Catholics can only vote the way the Bishops tell them to vote?

Question

The Church lost the moral high ground in this country a long time ago. I'm voting my own conscience and I'll bet a lot of other Catholics will too. I resent these old bastards having the audacity to tell me how I must vote - especially when the church hierarchy has let us down so badly.

Answer 1

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Yes. Catholic Bishops are citizens too. As such, they have every right to speak out on the issues, influence voters, and cast their own vote in accordance with Church teaches.
All the same, it's your right to do none of those things.


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You claim the Catholic Church has lost it's moral highground, but you failed to provide any examples. Granted, the Church hasn't done much to help it's own cause as of late. The Church does indeed maintain the moral high-ground when it comes to such issues as abortion, euthanasia, same-sex marriage, embyonic stem cell research.


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I see. Resentment of your fellow human beings due to a difference of opinion and responding with ad hominem attacks with "old bastards" is what? Is this the behavior of someone who holds the moral high-ground? I think not.

What good is following your conscience when it has not been properly developed?

Answer 2

hi, 2 observations right here: a million) Excuse me, up till now by way of fact the early 80's it particularly is been the protestant evangelical flow that has had the main important mouth on telling human beings the thank you to vote. look at the cable stations returned, pay attention to Pat Robertson through to Rev. Hagee. 2) That pronounced the Catholic Bishops does no longer be silly sufficient to teach the lay human beings to vote for Mr X and that social gathering in any different case. First they might lose their tax status and then their credibility so no person might have confidence or elect any RC to workplace in simple terms like in the 18, 19 centuries. What they say is to vote in accordance on your ethical ideals, a number of that have been taught to you thru Christianity. Abortion or gay marriage aside, if a Southern senator like Duke have been given right into a place of working for potential and had to disenfranchise the blacks and produce returned slavery might it no longer be incorrect for those establishments who're against it to indicate we vote against those regulations. Cheers, Michael Kelly

Answer 3

Dude, calm down. The bishops expect you to vote your own conscience. See what they say:


"In this statement, we bishops do not intend to tell Catholics for whom or against whom to vote," a statement from the bishops explained. "Our purpose is to help Catholics form their consciences in accordance with God's truth. We recognize that the responsibility to make choices in political life rests with each individual in light of a properly formed conscience, and that participation goes well beyond casting a vote in a particular election."

There now, feel better?

Answer 4

Catholics should vote the way their conscience tells them. But it's possible to have a faulty conscience. The bishops' job is to teach the faith and to form the consciences of Catholics.

Answer 5

I agree. The church is responsible for my spiritual life, not my personal or political life. When they used the word "must" in the directive, I took it as an order as in "you MUST wear a white shirt and black tie to work". That is why I don't attend church and pray on my own. I don't need people by virtue of a title telling me how to live, vote, date, etc.

Answer 6

Since you're obviously not Catholic, it doesn't really matter. But as long as government insists on defining morality against the will of the people (on issues like abortion), then Churches should encourage voters to override the government.

Answer 7

Wrong. We vote our conscience. No one can tell you how to vote.

Answer 8

Good, you're starting to think for yourself.
That's an excellent first step.

Answer 9

and I can only vote the way the NRA tells me