Catholic church telling followers who to vote for presidential candidate?

Question

I want to hear from both sides, and why. How do you feel about the Catholic church telling its followers what type of presidential candidate to vote for? Or in some cases, which one candidate to vote for? Isn't that a violation of mixing church and state affairs? Wouldn't then (theoretically) the Catholic church be able to "sponsor" a strongly Catholic candidate, and tell its followers to vote for him? I want to make something clear, I am a Protestant, or at least that's what I have been labeled by the Catholic church, and I have no hate against Catholics, everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. My "religion" isn't perfect, but we cannot judge a religion by its members, we judge it by its beliefs. If we didn't, Catholicism would be just as taboo as Nazism. Hitler professed to be Catholic, remember? But all in all, do you think it's right for the church to do so or not?

Ok, for those saying that Christians have been doing this since who knows when, please remeber that 33% of the world is Christians, try to be more specific, as Christianity covers hundreds of "subreligions". As some Catholics also call themselves Christians, i don't know which term they prefer to use, as I've heard both used often reffering to themselves.

Thank you mr danger, i had forgotten that part! there were news reports here in Chicago saying that several Catholic churches had gone far enough to tell their members who (specifically) to vote for! telling them that the desicion they take could/would have grave consequences on their eternal salvation. Church members talked about it on the camera but none commented on who the Priest told them to vote for. Please, once again, I have nothing against other religions, as long as they do not hurt directly other religions.

Answer 1

Power. The church has power over every person that follows their cult.

Why wouldn't they use that power to get someone they want in office?

Answer 2

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Let's take this one piece at a time. Shall we?

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The Catholic Church is advising parishioners who to vote for, based on how the candidates stack up against the moral teachings of the Church. The fact of the matter is, some candidates cut it, most do not. And it is morally wrong for a Catholic to vote in favor of a candidate who's moral values are opposed to the Church on certain non-negotiable key issues. Such timely issues include abortion, euthanasia, same-sex marriage, embryonic stem cell research.


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Absolutely not. It's the government's responsibility to stay out of Church affairs. The Church, and those who make up the Church have every right to promote those candidates who support Catholic moral values.

It is a Catholic voter's right every bit as it is your right not to allow theology to influence your vote.


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Yes, yes it does. There is nothing wrong with that.


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Mixing apples with oranges here, aren't you. Catholicism is of God. Nazism is - most decidedly not of God.


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Speaking of remember, did you not just say, "we cannot judge a religion by its members, we judge it by its beliefs." Well, isn't that exactly what you are doing by pointing out (with a bit of spin) that Hilter was once a Catholic?

The fact is, Hilter was raised Catholic but, as an adult, he denounced his faith in the Church in favor of the state. If you knew more about the Nazi ideology, this would be obvious.


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The Church is infallibly right when it comes to issues concerning Faith and Morals.

Answer 3

I agree with the policy of the Catholic Church in not telling people who to vote for; the church leadership tries to inform its members of the moral issues and encourages people to vote their consciences. There are some individuals in the church who will speak out for or against certain candidates, but that is NOT encouraged by church leaders.
Just a comment about the Hitler example, he may have claimed to be Catholic but he certainly didn't practice Catholic Christian teachings.

Answer 4

I think the church SHOULD be informing their members of the candidates positions on moral issues. Face it, the only reason this has become a problem in the last few years is because the majority of churches were pushing for conservative candidates and the liberals didn't like it. They got liberal judges to rule that churches could not endorse one candidate over another. THAT is infringing on religious freedom. If you will also notice, black churches that typically vote liberal, seem to have no problem getting Hillary or Obama to fill the pulpit without any complaints from Citizens for the Separation of Church and State.

Answer 5

I think the line that they are over stepping is not that they are asking but rather the fact they are strongly suggesting that there will be some type of price to be exacted from those who don't vote that way.
When you really get down to it voting for a candidate on the basis of a single relatively unimportant issue like abortion is akin to marrying a woman because of the size of her chest; sooner or later the infatuation has to end and you have to take a good look at the rest of her and see whether or not you can actually live with that reality.
When you get right down to it any candidate that holds human life that sacred is not qualified to have access to the means that can vaporize tens of millions of innocent human beings in an instant

Answer 6

Officially, the church cannot tell it's members who to vote for without jeopradizing its tax-exempt status (in the United States.)

It still happens, however.

On the other hand, Churches are supposed to teach ethical and theological truths which should influence its members vote for.

The problem is that churches have beliefs which others find abhorrent or repressive. But then so do more secular groups as well, and there is no way to stop them.

Answer 7

All the Roman Catholic Church is doing is the same as many Bible believing Protestant are doing:

Asking people not to vote for candidates unless they are pro life.

I am a Protesant Pastor.

I've been a Protestant Pastor since 1974.

Pastor Art

Answer 8

Hitler was not a Catholic and indeed had hundreds of thousands of Catholics killed. He was a professed Theosophist.

The Catholics I know don't follow their church blindly. If a priest told them to vote for a candidate they disagree with they would vote their conscience.

Answer 9

There's a difference between mixing "church and state" and voting according to your conscience. The church may guide followers who may not normally be politically active. This is no different from how some labor unions promote a particular candidate.

Answer 10

News reports in Chicago? None that I have seen!

The Church informs her flock about important issues to consider in voting, and may inform them of where the candidates stand on the issues.

But no, they don't hand out a recommendation list like the one I get from the NRA.

Answer 11

by making use of the regulations of the united states, a no longer-for-earnings religious corporation can't espouse political viewpoints, different than people who're inevitably a factor of ethical teachings. it relatively is a procedures greater questionable to tell congregants to vote for Obama or face the outcomes than it relatively is to indicate that congregants you may desire to vote professional-existence on the polls. this may be an excellent yet no longer simple to be sure line, and it relatively is inevitably so. If the moral framework supplies you a call rule for many voters of their vote casting selection, and if their religious faith supplies you a background for this ethical framework, it will be standard that faith performs a evaluate forming the moral framework of a voter. on the comparable time, there might desire to be no overt administration, or maybe chic administration. A church can't vote, yet each and every member can. by making use of the comparable token, it relatively is impossible to require voters to depart their religious convictions on the door whilst they arrive to vote. certainly, if a citizen can't make his or her religious perspectives known whilst they are pertinent in a vote, then that citizen's ideals have been compromised. it relatively isn't purely for the Catholics, it relatively is for all faiths who try to be correct in the daily affairs that confront, confound and undertaking their adherents. as a thank you to respond to; there can't be a tenet of who to vote for, yet there might desire to unquestionably be an illustration of the thank you to make precis moraes concrete in the vote casting technique.