Catholic family members want to vote for pro-abortion candidate

[LynnM74]

I was raised in a catholic family, went to catholic school, but my family has always voted democratic. In my opinion, the democratic party has changed to such a degree that it’s values are inconsistent with catholic values. I brought this up with my close family members recently and I was told that they are voting for the democratic candidate because:

1. There are more important issues like the economy and health care
2. You should vote your conscience
3. People will always “worship their idols” and we should leave the judging and punishing up to God.

When I sent them a copy of the USCCB’s “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship”, one of them aksed me to never bring up political, moral, or religious topics with her again (!), and another has consistently been ingnoring my attempts to engage her in a rational discussion.

Clearly, I’ve made them think a bit too much about their choices and they don’t like it. Have I ruined my chance for reaching them–should I just back off and keep praying for them, or is there some other approach that I could try?

I’m really sad that my family does not share my faith and values. And I’m even more sad that they aren’t even willing to have an intelligent, reasoned discussion with me.

 

[Veronica97]

I’m in the same boat, Lynn. I too, used to think like your family members and always voted Democrat. But I’ve seen the light–I “get it” now. But my family members don’t. Here’s the problem, I think. They really just plain don’t “get it”. You can give someone information but until God gives them the grace to understand, it will mean nothing. In their minds, it just doesn’t make sense. What we have to hope for, is that since they really don’t understand, God will be merciful. Meanwhile, do pray for them, and if they bring the subject up, you are perfectly within your bounds to state your views. We can lead a horse to water, but we can’t make him drink. Something else to keep in mind is that occasionally a Democratic candidate will be pro-life. There is a “Blue Dog” Democrat running for U.S. Senator in my state, and I plan to vote for him. But he’s the only Democrat I know of in my state who fits the criteria set by the Church.

 

[mommyof4]

I was raised in a catholic family, went to catholic school, but my family has always voted democratic. In my opinion, the democratic party has changed to such a degree that it’s values are inconsistent with catholic values. I brought this up with my close family members recently and I was told that they are voting for the democratic candidate because:

1. There are more important issues like the economy and health care
2. You should vote your conscience
3. People will always “worship their idols” and we should leave the judging and punishing up to God.

When I sent them a copy of the USCCB’s “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship”, one of them aksed me to never bring up political, moral, or religious topics with her again (!), and another has consistently been ingnoring my attempts to engage her in a rational discussion.

Clearly, I’ve made them think a bit too much about their choices and they don’t like it. Have I ruined my chance for reaching them–should I just back off and keep praying for them, or is there some other approach that I could try?

I’m really sad that my family does not share my faith and values. And I’m even more sad that they aren’t even willing to have an intelligent, reasoned discussion with me.

My family situation too, and I feel your concern and pain.

I’m in the same boat, Lynn. I too, used to think like your family members and always voted Democrat. But I’ve seen the light–I “get it” now. But my family members don’t. Here’s the problem, I think. They really just plain don’t “get it”. You can give someone information but until God gives them the grace to understand, it will mean nothing. In their minds, it just doesn’t make sense. What we have to hope for, is that since they really don’t understand, God will be merciful. Meanwhile, do pray for them, and if they bring the subject up, you are perfectly within your bounds to state your views. We can lead a horse to water, but we can’t make him drink. Something else to keep in mind is that occasionally a Democratic candidate will be pro-life. There is a “Blue Dog” Democrat running for U.S. Senator in my state, and I plan to vote for him. But he’s the only Democrat I know of in my state who fits the criteria set by the Church.

We don’t have any prolife dems around here, so I’m either going Republican or writing in many candidates this time (haven’t decided which). And I agree, pray, pray, pray for them.

 

[ProdglArchitect]

So… let me get this straight… your family is saying that the economy, an earthly invention, limited in scope and necessity to our tenure here on Earth; is more important then the murder of children and legitimization of mortal sins, which both have an eternal and everlasting effect on the soul…

I think your family needs to get their priorities straight. What has to do with this life is wholly unimportant, we pay attention to it out of the necessity to maintain our lifestyle, but if it’s a choice between our lifestyle and salvation, the logical conclusion is always salvation…

 

[robwar]

I was raised in a catholic family, went to catholic school, but my family has always voted democratic. In my opinion, the democratic party has changed to such a degree that it’s values are inconsistent with catholic values. I brought this up with my close family members recently and I was told that they are voting for the democratic candidate because:

1. There are more important issues like the economy and health care
2. You should vote your conscience
3. People will always “worship their idols” and we should leave the judging and punishing up to God.

When I sent them a copy of the USCCB’s “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship”, one of them aksed me to never bring up political, moral, or religious topics with her again (!), and another has consistently been ingnoring my attempts to engage her in a rational discussion.

Clearly, I’ve made them think a bit too much about their choices and they don’t like it. Have I ruined my chance for reaching them–should I just back off and keep praying for them, or is there some other approach that I could try?

I’m really sad that my family does not share my faith and values. And I’m even more sad that they aren’t even willing to have an intelligent, reasoned discussion with me.

this is very common and eventually they will have to answer to God for their vote. You gave them the correct info. The best you can do is pray that “their minds will be open”
As long as you vote correctly and by what you know is true then just feel at peace and let God deal with them.

 

[_Abyssinia]

Ask them if they their reasons for voting for a pro abortion candidate are proportionate enough that despite the candidate’s support for intrinsic evils, that they will be able to face the victims of abortion with a clean heart when you meet them in the next life? As Archbishop Chaput has said

They are putting the state of their souls at risk. Priests and bishops say economy, health care, social security; tax; immigration are not proportionate reasons, in combination or single. They do not override the importance of a 1 milion plus lives being killed annually

 

[LynnM74]

So… let me get this straight… your family is saying that the economy, an earthly invention, limited in scope and necessity to our tenure here on Earth; is more important then the murder of children and legitimization of mortal sins, which both have an eternal and everlasting effect on the soul…

I think your family needs to get their priorities straight. What has to do with this life is wholly unimportant, we pay attention to it out of the necessity to maintain our lifestyle, but if it’s a choice between our lifestyle and salvation, the logical conclusion is always salvation…

Yes, that’s how they’re thinking. They’re stuck in the moral relativism mindset. While they agree that abortion is a bad thing, if someone wants to do it then that person will just have to answer to God for what they’ve done. It’s not their place to make a judgement call.

I asked them, “If you were living in the civil war era, would you turn a blind eye to slavery because it was good for the economy?” They still haven’t addressed that question, as well as many other questions I’ve put to them.

 

[ProdglArchitect]

I asked them, “If you were living in the civil war era, would you turn a blind eye to slavery because it was good for the economy?” They still haven’t addressed that question, as well as many other questions I’ve put to them.

I love that, it’s awesome lol. Well done! Let me know if they ever answer you, I’d love to hear the justification they come up with… or better yet, I’d love to hear that their hearts have opened to the Truth and they’ll be voting for the non-genocidal candidate ^^

 

[tabycat]

Yes, that’s how they’re thinking. They’re stuck in the moral relativism mindset. While they agree that abortion is a bad thing, if someone wants to do it then that person will just have to answer to God for what they’ve done. It’s not their place to make a judgement call.

I asked them, “If you were living in the civil war era, would you turn a blind eye to slavery because it was good for the economy?” They still haven’t addressed that question, as well as many other questions I’ve put to them.

A not-so-funny funny thing is that the pro-abortion partly today was the pro-slavery party during the civil war era.

 

[_Abyssinia]

Ask them if there reasons are proportionate enough reason despite their support for intrinsic evils, that they will be able to face the victims of abortion with a clean heart when you meet them in the next life? As Archbishop Chaput has said

Priests and Bishops say economy and health care along with social security, tax, immigration lack proportionality in comination or singularly over abortion which kills over 1 milion annually

Here is Bishop Gracida’s voting guide

Fr Stephen F Torraco has said voting for a candidate you know is pro abortion when you know there is an alternative candidate who is less pro abortion, is a mortal sin. Tell your famly the risk of the state of their souls by voting for a pro abortion candidate when there is a pro life alternative

 

[jwakja]

Sorry, if this insults you, but if I voted for Obama in this election I would question my Catholic faith. If you ever were present and watched a fetus thrown into a can and had life snuffed away it would make you forget the lies he sputes regarding his “issues” and realize the main reason we should vote him out is to protect God’s benevolent gift of life here on earth to worship Him. If your tax dollars support and pay abortionists through Obama you are in bed with him to slaughter innocent life. This is NOT what God expects us to do here on earth!

 

[TexCatholic4JMJ]

… Something else to keep in mind is that occasionally a Democratic candidate will be pro-life. There is a “Blue Dog” Democrat running for U.S. Senator in my state, and I plan to vote for him. But he’s the only Democrat I know of in my state who fits the criteria set by the Church.

The only thing about this situation is that, if there is a pro-life Republican running for the
same position, I would vote for the Republican. It’s very close in the Senate and if we get
conservative pro-life Republicans, it might give us the majority. It will be very helpful when
it comes to voting on a Supreme Court Justice. The other thing about being “pro-life”
Democrat, you will have little sway with getting the party to support you on these type
of votes.
Here we have many positions where the Democrats are unopposed, sometimes I undervote
(don’t vote for anyone) because they do not share my values. If they do on a local or state
level and they share some of my values, I might vote for them.

 

[LynnM74]

Fr Stephen F Torraco has said voting for a candidate you know is pro abortion when you know there is an alternative candidate who is less pro abortion, is a mortal sin. Tell your famly the risk of the state of their souls by voting for a pro abortion candidate when there is a pro life alternative

Sadly, I don’t think warning them about the state of their souls will sway them–it’ll probably just annoy them. I don’t think they’ve taken advantage of the sacrament of reconciliation in a long, long time. I think one of them still goes to church most Sundays, but the others have stopped going a good while ago. I was rather in the same boat until a few years ago, when I had quite the re-version experience and started to learn more about my faith and to actually practice it.