Do you honestly believe that voting for someone pro life and anti same-sex marriage will make a difference?

[Erich]

Pro-choice is vague and not as unpleasant. I mean, everybody wants a choice, right?

Whenever someone says they support the right to choose, I ask them to finish the sentence.

Right to choose what? to murder an unborn child?h

 

[onenow1]

In all things, God works for the good for those who love Him. I believe that the souls of aborted babies are in good hands.

I no longer watch the news or enjoy sports, and I have not had a TV in decades. What am I missing out on, I ask? I now try to use my new free time in Contemplative Prayer, and I feel I’m making out like a bandit. I feel peace and love.

:thumbsup:Robert. The problem I see is this, God told Moses to put his staff on the sea that separated it. It took action on the part of the Israelite believer and nonbeliever to cross the sea or stay enslaved, they had a vote so to speak.

God Bless

 

[clem456]

It’s fine with me that people** try** to use politics to solve these issues, but I just have so much doubt that the effort will ever succeed.

Have you ever seen “The Passion of the Christ”? The opening scene in which Satan is speaking to Christ about the success of his mission, trying to place doubt in his mind? It’s not scripture but the conversation is a good illustration.

We can’t base our faith and actions on the prospects for success.

To give my answer to the thread question, it’s irrelevant whether I think my vote counts or contributes to success. My vote has to be made in accord with my conscience, guided by the Church.

 

[exnihilo]

I agree with the OP. I agree especially because these issues are not up to elected officials. The courts have seized power in this area and declared both a constitutional right. I assume the SCOTUS will declare the right of same-sex marriage soon as evidence by their DOMA ruling and refusal to halt the lower courts.

That is a logical conclusion and reality. One vote is meaningless. If the majority wants something evil you can’t outvote them. You need to change what they want.

With-holding your vote in a democratic constitutional republic like this is like refusing to do your civic duty and God is relying on you to do so.

I disagree with that. Voting just to vote will not change anything. Voting is not guaranteed to accomplish anything. After all the communist states all have voting. Statistically a single vote is meaningless in anything other than very small local races. If you look into any election recount the numbers are always different for each recount. That tells me your vote is really irrelevant.

 

[Midwest88]

What’s the use, it will not change anything. Abortion and same-sex marriages are carved in stone and will not change in the near future no matter which politicians are elected for office. Better to engage in peaceful prayer then to get your feathers ruffled.

I can’t help but feel you’re calling for those who do not support same-sex “marriage” and “pro-choice” to stay away from the voting booth.

 

[Robert_Sock]

I can’t help but feel you’re calling for those who do not support same-sex “marriage” and “pro-choice” to stay away from the voting booth.

You must be reading into it too much. Anyone who feels that God is calling on them to vote, should vote. But I doubt that abortion and same-sex marriages will be ended during our lifetime, and even then I suspect that it will be the Holy Spirit that induces these changes.

 

[davidv]

You must be reading into it too much. Anyone who feels that God is calling on them to vote, should vote. But I doubt that abortion and same-sex marriages will be ended during our lifetime, and even then I suspect that it will be the Holy Spirit that induces these changes.

Not voting seems like a sure way of having a not very good answer when Jesus asks what we did to the least.

 

[exnihilo]

Not voting seems like a sure way of having a not very good answer when Jesus asks what we did to the least.

I disagree. Let us just consider the issue of abortion. I think protesting in front of abortion providers, counseling women who are considering an abortion or just expressing and defending a pro-life opinion to friends is far more useful.

You usually vote once a year. For many political offices you are only voting for that office every two, four or six years. If all you did was vote during just a two year interval then I don’t think you’ve done very much. I think voting is viewed as ‘doing something’ when it is not or at least not doing much. I used to vote for self proclaimed anti-abortion politicians. Nothing changed as a result. I can’t say I’ve done very much to directly combat abortion, other than express my opinion. But I think in so doing I’ve accomplished more than my anonymous vote ever did.

 

[Robert_Sock]

Not voting seems like a sure way of having a not very good answer when Jesus asks what we did to the least.

I believe Christ recognizes that we are all on different paths. (I wonder if the Carthusians vote? I doubt it very much. So I doubt that you can accurately ascribe religious virtue to something as trivial as not voting.)

 

[edwest2]

To answer the question: Yes.

Ed

 

[clem456]

I believe Christ recognizes that we are all on different paths. (I wonder if the Carthusians vote? I doubt it very much. So I doubt that you can accurately ascribe religious virtue to something as trivial as not voting.)

Everyone has a different vocation.
I am not expected to interact with the world in the same way as a Carthusian.

Christians are called to be salt and light in the world. Not voting is an abdication of this responsibility. You will have a real hard time finding support for abdication of responsibility in Catholic teaching.

So, your observation that Christ recognizes we are all on different paths focuses our faith in the wrong place. Do we recognized the path Christ asks us to walk?

 

[Patti_M]

I believe Christ recognizes that we are all on different paths. (I wonder if the Carthusians vote? I doubt it very much. So I doubt that you can accurately ascribe religious virtue to something as trivial as not voting.)

Can you ascribe religious virtue to children being born that would have been aborted or women who were spared the agony of destroying their own children? Because that is the reason I vote for prolife politicians. An abortuary closing in my home town and all over Texas has been a result from voting for these prolife politicians in my state. Is this all we should be doing? NO! But it is an excellent start. Praying to God every night is the best thing to do but not the only thing we should be doing.

 

[edwest2]

Faith without works is dead.

Ed

 

[Brendan]

The more time one spends in politics, the less time that is available for prayer.

Read more about St Theresa of Calcutta. One thing that she taught her sisters was to make every action a prayer.

In all honesty, do you see things changing anytime soon?

I want to see it change. If it happens sooner, the better, if it takes longer, well Aquinas teaches that Patience is a Virtue

 

[davidv]

I disagree. Let us just consider the issue of abortion. I think protesting in front of abortion providers, counseling women who are considering an abortion or just expressing and defending a pro-life opinion to friends is far more useful.

You usually vote once a year. For many political offices you are only voting for that office every two, four or six years. If all you did was vote during just a two year interval then I don’t think you’ve done very much. I think voting is viewed as ‘doing something’ when it is not or at least not doing much. I used to vote for self proclaimed anti-abortion politicians. Nothing changed as a result. I can’t say I’ve done very much to directly combat abortion, other than express my opinion. But I think in so doing I’ve accomplished more than my anonymous vote ever did.

Disagree all you want. Voting is a right and duty. To fail this civic duty is an error even if it appears trivial to you.

 

[Robert_Sock]

Read more about St Theresa of Calcutta. One thing that she taught her sisters was to make every action a prayer.

OK. For myself, I’ve been focusing on Contemplative Prayer. My mind would become cluttered with all the political jargon that would hamper my prayer life.

I want to see it change. If it happens sooner, the better, if it takes longer, well Aquinas teaches that Patience is a Virtue

I too want to see things change and I believe that it eventually will.