Letter to the Editor: The Moral Responsibility of Voting

By: Fr John Codega
Posted In: Opinion

Can I be a good Christian and still vote my conscience in November’s election? Of course you can. However, perhaps the first question we must ask “what does it mean to be a good Christian?”

Good Christians have a well informed conscience. So they must be first willing to learn about the issues, not just from personal opinion or choice, but also with respect to the teaching of the church to which they say they belong.

Christians are called to exercise their right to vote in order that their voices are heard to promote the greater societal good. This does not mean individual’s personal advancement or achievement but how will the good of the society be affected even if it has a lesser impact on my personal life.

We have a moral obligation to promote legislation and societal changes that seek to serve in a special way the poor and those who have little voice but the greatest need. So often we vote for the person who will best make my life easier or vote for the party that my mother and grandfather supported.

On local elections we vote too often for our brother’s wife’s cousin’s neighbor rather than the best person for the job. A good Christian votes on the issues not on political or personal affiliation.

Certainly not all issues carry the same weight when it comes to moral responsibility. In addition, local candidates for office are not legislating at the same level as national or state officials. This does not necessarily mean that their opinion on larger scale issues is not important.

Many state and national candidates begin their political careers in local offices. One’s position on larger national issues may also be a window in to how one might decide issues of lesser national importance.

For example, although a candidate for local school committee may not be voting on the legalization of embryonic stem cell research, he or she may be deciding what is and isn’t taught in the local science department and health care offices in my local middle school.

Christian Scripture, as well as the teaching office of the Catholic Church holds some issues as decisive. There are some choices we make that are always wrong regardless of circumstances, called intrinsic evils. Yes, individual condition may lessen one’s personal responsibility but they never make a wrong into a right.

Among these essential “hot topics” is the need to protect life from conception to natural death and promote moral responsibility in science as well as in family life. As such, at the top of a good Christian’s check list should be how candidate’s views reflect these important issues. It is not enough when candidates say they are practicing Christians. We must scrutinize one’s records to see how they have acted since true fruits of one’s faith are not in words but in deeds.

Some would argue that there is no greater issue facing our action today than our stance on moral and family values. Our economy, our infrastructure, our environmental policies are insignificant if our quality of life and how we treat those most in need is not our number one priority.

We could be the wealthiest, strongest and cleanest nation in the world but what good that would be if we end up fearing for our moral lives and the life’s of our young and old?

Perhaps the first question a Christian voter should ask is, “do I strive to be a good Christian?” After that, for whom we vote is the easy choice.

Fr Codega

john.codega@salve.edu

Univeristy Chaplain