Is it Sinful to Refrain from Voting?

[steve975]

There is an idea or attitude that Catholics have a duty to vote. In light of yesterday’s election, I have become so infuriated, hopeless and fed up that I have been thinking on the idea of not voting. Is this sinful? I have little to no hope that my vote will ever make any difference whatsoever, or that the political system in this country can ever be corrected. I also have very little hope in the majority of voters to elect acceptable leaders, especially with Obama’s re-election. Not only that, but I have little hope in the quality of the possible choices of who I can vote for. I am infuriated, dejected, and see little reason to not just give up on our political system and future course as determined by the voting public and who they elect. So with regard to the prospect of deciding not to even bother voting in the future, is this sinful?

 

[Pat_Albertson]

No. Voting for the lesser of two evils is still voting for evil.

 

[Christ_Conquers]

It’s completely ok to vote for the lesser of two evils though.

Voter’s Guide for Serious Catholics Copyright © 2004, Catholic Answers:

In some political races, each candidate takes a wrong position on one or more of the five non-negotiables. In such a case you may vote for the candidate who takes the fewest such positions or who seems least likely to be able to advance immoral legislation, or you may choose to vote for no one.

 

[JerryZ]

No. Voting for the lesser of two evils is still voting for evil.

Wrong!

 

[PJH_74]

No. Voting for the lesser of two evils is still voting for evil.

Apathy is perhaps the worst evil here.

 

[Iron_Donkey]

It is completely ok, in general terms and assuming you’ve put reasonable thought into your decision, to vote for the lesser of two evils, and it is also completely ok to vote third party or not vote.

While there are reasons that people come up with, some better than others, to pick one particular strategy in a specific case, and while we should use our reason to figure out which is best and then do so, in these cases it is only our reasoning that is binding on our actions. There is no “Catholic obligation to vote for the lesser of two evils” or “Catholic obligation to vote third party.” Figure out what you think is best and do so.

Which is not, of course, to say that we shouldn’t try to convince each other that our own views on how to vote aren’t best or don’t best express the Catholic principles we’re supposed to use. That’s part of “figure out what you think is best.” And presumably some of us have come to the right conclusion and some to wrong conclusions, and we really should do our best to figure out which is which.

But this is not like the question “is abortion wrong,” there is no blanket “the Church says do X and if you don’t then the Church says with certainty that you are wrong” equivalent with voting. It really and truly is prudential judgement.

That said, I almost always go lesser of two evils, and I think it’s usually the best way to go. I just cannot honestly tell you that the Church mandates this or any other voting strategy.

 

[JerryZ]

There is an idea or attitude that Catholics have a duty to vote. In light of yesterday’s election, I have become so infuriated, hopeless and fed up that I have been thinking on the idea of not voting. Is this sinful? I have little to no hope that my vote will ever make any difference whatsoever, or that the political system in this country can ever be corrected. I also have very little hope in the majority of voters to elect acceptable leaders, especially with Obama’s re-election. Not only that, but I have little hope in the quality of the possible choices of who I can vote for. I am infuriated, dejected, and see little reason to not just give up on our political system and future course as determined by the voting public and who they elect. So with regard to the prospect of deciding not to even bother voting in the future, is this sinful?

A few days back we had a reading at mass, exorting us to become “the yeast of the earth”

If we abstein from voting how are we fulfilling this role?
On the contrary we have to engage and change proactively our culture and society, by our example and our commitment and work, so worthy candidates can take positions of leadership.

That a professed Catholic can espouse and vote for abortion, homosexual marriage is scandalous, so we need to work to replace them with good faithfull people.

I know politicians are seldom trusty people but we have to convince trusty people to take the challenge to become politicians without loosing their core values.

 

[robwar]

There is an idea or attitude that Catholics have a duty to vote. In light of yesterday’s election, I have become so infuriated, hopeless and fed up that I have been thinking on the idea of not voting. Is this sinful? I have little to no hope that my vote will ever make any difference whatsoever, or that the political system in this country can ever be corrected. I also have very little hope in the majority of voters to elect acceptable leaders, especially with Obama’s re-election. Not only that, but I have little hope in the quality of the possible choices of who I can vote for. I am infuriated, dejected, and see little reason to not just give up on our political system and future course as determined by the voting public and who they elect. So with regard to the prospect of deciding not to even bother voting in the future, is this sinful?

Yes, you are not fulfilling your civic responsibility. Too many have died to give you that right. Just because you are rightly upset with the results, voting was still the right thing to do. We are called to be faithful not successful. If you stop voting, you give in even more to the other evil side. Just remember, only half the country voted for him, the other half did not which include you and me.

 

[HansTrappist]

There is an idea or attitude that Catholics have a duty to vote. In light of yesterday’s election, I have become so infuriated, hopeless and fed up that I have been thinking on the idea of not voting. Is this sinful? I have little to no hope that my vote will ever make any difference whatsoever, or that the political system in this country can ever be corrected. I also have very little hope in the majority of voters to elect acceptable leaders, especially with Obama’s re-election. Not only that, but I have little hope in the quality of the possible choices of who I can vote for. I am infuriated, dejected, and see little reason to not just give up on our political system and future course as determined by the voting public and who they elect. So with regard to the prospect of deciding not to even bother voting in the future, is this sinful?

The USCCB’s Faithful Citizenship Guide was clear on what to do when confronted with two candidates who support an intrinsic evil:

1. Do not Vote

OR

1. If you decide to vote, vote for the candidate that will lessen the intrinsic evil in question.

So to answer your question, in the case of two candidates that supported the intrinsic evil of abortion (Romney’s exceptions put him into this category) you did not have to vote, BUT if you did chose to vote you had to vote for the candidate that would have lessened the intrinsic evil.

I don’t see how any practicing Catholic could justify a vote for Obama given his clear support for abortion on demand.

Now, the more interesting question would be: would Catholics have HAD to vote had the Republican been 100% pro-life?

Democrats do not seem intent on abandoning their support for at least two sins that cry to Heaven: Abortion on demand and Homosexual “marriage” and have the support of a majority of Americans. The Republicans’ move to the middle has failed miserably. The final election results reveal that, as predicted, Independents either did not vote or ended up voting third party, indirectly tipping this razor-close election in Obama’s favor. The strange thing is that the Republican party continues to pick moderate presidential candidates thinking that that is somehow a winning strategy, while ignoring the one voting block that is essential to winning these kind of close elections. The Republican Party just doesn’t learn from its mistakes. Already they are saying that Boehner is ready to make compromises and work with the Democrats. As far as I am concerned, the Republican Party is finished.

 

[William777]

For the right answer to this question, please see the flyer at the link in my signature.

The flyer clearly and unequivocally explains how Catholic voters should have voted on Tuesday.

In the first half you will find explanations pertaining to “not voting”, and in the latter half you will find explanations pertaining to voting for the “lesser of two evils.” Above all - the document explains what “non-negotiable principles” are, which should not be violated, but which all Catholic voters should proactively defend.

And, while it cannot legally advocate or disadvocate for a politican due to legal restrictions on non-profit organizations, it nevertheless makes it unequivocally clear that all Catholic voters should vote, and that they should not have re-elected the current administration.

I seriously doubt the many Catholics who failed to come forward and vote against evil policies, but who opted to make an evil election when they cast their ballot, realize how much damage they have caused the church, and how deeply they have offended Christ in so doing.

The only thing I can think is God must be punishing us for some reason. And, yet, when we Americans heap sin upon sin, we only inflame God’s wrath all the more. Where we should have acted in solidarity, half our brethren failed to vote their true conscience, i.e. in keeping with their Catholic faith. The consequences are going to cause immense pain and suffering for many, many generations to come, and some of the problems this current administration is causing will never go away.

I would not rely on these forums for trusted information; I would not rely on fellow Catholics for trusted information; and I would even be skeptical of many Priests at this point.

The literature under the link is unequivocal, yet so many value their opinions more than the blood of Christ, which he shed for our church.

These are extremely sad times.

Four more years of watching heretical politicians play hell with our cherished faith. Then, even if all went well afterward, perhaps years and years and years of reparation with God.

 

[LeafByNiggle]

And, while it cannot legally advocate or disadvocate for a politican due to legal restrictions on non-profit organizations…

I find it hard to believe that the same Church whose Fathers sacrificed their very lives rather than refrain from speaking the truth would now do just that in order to hold on to a financial subsidy. So whenever I hear this argument - “The Church would certainly say such-and-such if it could” - I have to wonder if this is the same Church whose first three centuries of popes all died as martyrs to the faith.

 

[Joe_5859]

The Catechism is available to answer all our Catholic questions.

CCC 2240 Submission to authority and co-responsibility for the common good make it morally obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one’s country:

Emphasis added. I understand being frustrated by our current political system, but I wouldn’t want to shirk something the Church calls morally obligatory.

 

[Joe_5859]

I find it hard to believe that the same Church whose Fathers sacrificed their very lives rather than refrain from speaking the truth would now do just that in order to hold on to a financial subsidy. So whenever I hear this argument - “The Church would certainly say such-and-such if it could” - I have to wonder if this is the same Church whose first three centuries of popes all died as martyrs to the faith.

I agree. I don’t think the IRS is the one holding back the bishops from telling Catholics they are morally obligated to vote for a particular candidate. If that’s what they thought was the right thing to do, that’s what they would do.

Not that they don’t think Catholics should vote for one particular candidate over another. But going down the road or offering endorsements could very easily cause more harm than good.

 

[steve975]

The Catechism is available to answer all our Catholic questions.

CCC 2240 Submission to authority and co-responsibility for the common good make it morally obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one’s country:

Emphasis added. I understand being frustrated by our current political system, but I wouldn’t want to shirk something the Church calls morally obligatory.

That’s very interesting. So I wonder about handling the theoretical predicament that could occur if the only candidates who were running all supported the same grave evils.

 

[Joe_5859]

That’s very interesting. So I wonder about handling the theoretical predicament that could occur if the only candidates who were running all supported the same grave evils.

We definitely seem to be moving in that direction. I think we’d have to look really hard at whether or not one of them is any better than the other. And we can always try for a third party.

 

[exnihilo]

The Catechism is available to answer all our Catholic questions.

CCC 2240 Submission to authority and co-responsibility for the common good make it morally obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one’s country:

Emphasis added. I understand being frustrated by our current political system, but I wouldn’t want to shirk something the Church calls morally obligatory.

I find this statement in the Catechism troubling. I can not see how it could possibly mean you have to vote. What if your choice in an election is Hitler or Stalin? Do you really have to chose one over the other? Who should I vote for if that was my choice?

Or what about if you live in a communist country? Despite the rhetoric communists all have voting. This great right people always mention Americans dying for is also a right in the political system supposedly most opposed to ours. I actually had a coworker who lived in communist Poland. He refused to vote in their elections. So was he sinning by not voting? How could he possibly be sinning by refusing to endorse a government that is evil? How could he be sinning by refusing to vote while countries like the US accumulated weapons of war to oppose that evil government? It seems to me delegitimizing an evil government by peaceful non-voting has to be moral.

 

[Joe_5859]

I find this statement in the Catechism troubling. I can not see how it could possibly mean you have to vote. What if your choice in an election is Hitler or Stalin? Do you really have to chose one over the other? Who should I vote for if that was my choice?

Or what about if you live in a communist country? Despite the rhetoric communists all have voting. This great right people always mention Americans dying for is also a right in the political system supposedly most opposed to ours. I actually had a coworker who lived in communist Poland. He refused to vote in their elections. So was he sinning by not voting? How could he possibly be sinning by refusing to endorse a government that is evil? How could he be sinning by refusing to vote while countries like the US accumulated weapons of war to oppose that evil government? It seems to me delegitimizing an evil government by peaceful non-voting has to be moral.

If our election is a choice between Hitler and Stalin, I think we’d have much bigger moral concerns than whether or not we’re exercising the right to vote.

It’s hard for me to really speak to those other experiences, but I think one might say that, in situations like that, someone is exercising their right to vote by not voting. The main point is we need to take seriously our obligation to be responsible citizens.

 

[exnihilo]

It’s hard for me to really speak to those other experiences, but I think one might say that, in situations like that, someone is exercising their right to vote by not voting. The main point is we need to take seriously our obligation to be responsible citizens.

If so then I think this is a teaching in the catechism that ought to be expanded upon. It seems to me some use this teaching to suggest that citizens are obligated to vote when in fact with sufficient reason they are not.