Mortal sin to not vote?

[NickVA]

Is it true that it can be a mortal sin to not vote in an election?

Our Pastor wrote in the parish bulletin, that in his Opinion it could be a mortal sin to not vote in November’s election.

Is this True?

 

[Bookcat]

Is it true that it can be a mortal sin to not vote in an election?

Our Pastor wrote in the parish bulletin, that in his Opinion it could be a mortal sin to not vote in November’s election.

Is this True?

Catechism

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…

In any case we have obligation “to vote” in general.

Not sure it is “always a grave obligation” Older moral manuals would say there can be though a grave obligation.

It would seem to me that yes there can be a grave obligation to “vote in an election”.

…such as for example when by not voting a bad canidate will get into office and say increase abortions or something…or to give a very harsh example…Hitler was running for office…(not say for each office etc…for at times one just can’t for example figure out who is prolife for example)

 

[2cats]

Search the “Ask an Apologist” forum. There’s a Q&A on this. The apologist said that abstaining can be an option if you truly feel that the pro-life candidate is incompetent. I wish I could link you to it, but I’m not that technologically skilled.

I’m a pro-life Democrat and therefore will have no palatable options on the ballot in November. Frankly, it sort of angers me that your priest said it’s a mortal sin not to vote. I’m perfectly willing not to vote for the Democratic candidates - with whom I agree on almost EVERY other issue except abortion - just because abortion is a deal-breaker. But I cannot force myself to go in there and actively cast a ballot for someone who, in almost every other way, represents what I feel is a completely wrong philosophy of government. I most likely will be abstaining this November. Alternatively, I may write in someone who’s a pro-life Dem. I most certainly will not be casting a vote for a Republican. At least not unless there’s an exceedingly moderate one on the ballot.

 

[2cats]

P.S.: If you search “voting” in “ask an apologist,” the post comes up. It’s entitled, “What if the candidate supporting the non-negotiables is bad?”.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

One must vote, but not necessarily for one of the major candidates. Vote for an acceptable third party candidate, or write in “None of the above.” That is a vote.

 

[baltobetsy]

Your pastor seems to have said it “could be” a mortal sin, not that it is always definitively so. Some elections are so clear-cut good versus evil that to abstain would be a serious matter. Others involve a collection of candidates, one worse than the next, who are all unsuitable for elective office. I don’t see how it could be sinful to abstain in this case.

In my state, we have basically one party rule. People registered with the minority party vote for candidates in the primary elections who will have zero chance of being elected. In the general election, we can vote for the minority candidates, and we do, but until things change, it still makes no difference. So is it sinful to omit such a meaningless gesture?

I know, I know, if we all don’t vote, nothing will ever change, and that’s why we do vote. But if something came up that made voting a hardship, I wouldn’t be trying too hard to overcome it unless and until my vote is meaningful.

Betsy

 

[wjp984]

Only if you are a Republican. If you are a Democrat, by all means feel free to stay at home with a clean conscience since voting for many, but not all, Democrats very well might be a mortal sin. In fact, I am praying for a lower voter turnout in my state for this very reason.

 

[His_Daughter]

what if you live in a country where there are no pro life candidates?

 

[wjp984]

Then vote for the Republican because most pro choice Republicans only say they are pro choice so that they can be elected and in reality, would support a law restricting abortion.

 

[Pug]

Is it true that it can be a mortal sin to not vote in an election?

Our Pastor wrote in the parish bulletin, that in his Opinion it could be a mortal sin to not vote in November’s election.

Is this True?

It is possible that the matter could be grave in a particular race. The common good is worth significant effort on our part. Voting is done for the common good. You cannot stand by idly while some grievously wrong policy is voted into place. If you are ill, of course you are excused.

It depends on the races in your area. Often the candidates are indifferent. Other times they refuse to state their positions, so you have no way to know what they represent, other than, “a vote for me is a vote for education”, etc.

 

[Vixit]

Then vote for the Republican because most pro choice Republicans only say they are pro choice so that they can be elected and in reality, would support a law restricting abortion.

That’s a horrible idea. Republicans are not pro-life, either, or they would have done something about abortion when they had the chance, when they had complete control of both houses. Did you know there are over 80 registered political parties in this country? Am I the first to suggest that Catholics form their own party, and only let ACTUAL CATHOLICS run for office? We could beat out the Dems and Reps, both of whom I despise.

 

[catsrus]

originally posted by wjp984
Then vote for the Republican because most pro choice Republicans only say they are pro choice so that they can be elected and in reality, would support a law restricting abortion.

Bull. If they REALLY supported a law, any law, restricting abortion, then why is there still abortion after 8 years of #43?
It’s all a political game and when it gets down to it, the repubs will do exactly the same as the dems which is do ANYTHING and vote ANYWAY to keep their jobs.
They all make me ill.

 

[NE_Catholic]

it may or may not be a sin not to vote, but I can’t understand why anyone would choose not to.

 

[Rascalking]

it may or may not be a sin not to vote, but I can’t understand why anyone would choose not to.

I’m with you-how in the world could anyone not want to vote?

However, let’s be careful. Mortal sin is, well-just that. Mortal. We downplay the seriousness of it when we say that everything is a mortal sin.

 

[Vixit]

I’m with you-how in the world could anyone not want to vote?

However, let’s be careful. Mortal sin is, well-just that. Mortal. We downplay the seriousness of it when we say that everything is a mortal sin.

Also agreed. However, people need to be aware that there are more choices than the two piles of garbage they are usually told they must choose between.

 

[tafan]

Then vote for the Republican because most pro choice Republicans only say they are pro choice so that they can be elected and in reality, would support a law restricting abortion.

We have a senator in our state that would provide a counter example to this theory. I do not think our obligation to vote means we have to always choose the lesser of two evils. I would rather not vote for a candidate and send the GOP a message that we need better candidates.

At the end of the day, I am a single issue voter, proudly admit it, and will not vote for a candidate who is not pro-life.

 

[Rascalking]

We have a senator in our state that would provide a counter example to this theory. I do not think our obligation to vote means we have to always choose the lesser of two evils. I would rather not vote for a candidate and send the GOP a message that we need better candidates.

At the end of the day, I am a single issue voter, proudly admit it, and will not vote for a candidate who is not pro-life.

That is clearly your right, but I don’t think it’s the right thing to do. By not voting , you allow a democrat or a VERY pro choice canidate to win. Will that help the pro-life cause?

 

[Vixit]

That is clearly your right, but I don’t think it’s the right thing to do. By not voting , you allow a democrat or a VERY pro choice canidate to win. Will that help the pro-life cause?

It kind of seems to me like I helped Bush win by not voting. Cuz I’m not gonna lie, I wanted anyone but him…

 

[Rascalking]

It kind of seems to me like I helped Bush win by not voting. Cuz I’m not gonna lie, I wanted anyone but him…

You did let him win. You should have voted for the Gore in 00 or Kerry in 04 if you wanted to make a point.

I voted for Bush in 04 and still really like him.

 

[JHow]

It seems most of the posters here are Americans, so you see voting as a positive good. In other circumstances it might not be. In Poland in communist times, when the elections were fixed, and high “turnout” was touted by the state as evidence of how much the people were in favor of the communist candidate (and communism in general), not voting was an act of resistance. In short, if the vote is a sham, you don’t have to participate.