Political Sin

[nsper7]

I am thinking of running for a local political office (a City Commission seat) and, if I do run, I’ll have two opponents. One of them is running a ‘symbolic campaign’ (he has an issue he wants to see addressed) and he actually attends my parish. So, I talked to him and we actually hit it off and I asked him if he would be willing to drop out of the campaign if I co-opted/adopted his issue (it is a valid issue and one our Priest [Pastor] is very interested in). Did I sin somehow by manipulation or something or is that just good politicking?

 

[Discerning2]

I am thinking of running for a local political office (a City Commission seat) and, if I do run, I’ll have two opponents. One of them is running a ‘symbolic campaign’ (he has an issue he wants to see addressed) and he actually attends my parish. So, I talked to him and we actually hit it off and I asked him if he would be willing to drop out of the campaign if I co-opted/adopted his issue (it is a valid issue and one our Priest [Pastor] is very interested in). Did I sin somehow by manipulation or something or is that just good politicking?

I think you call it political slime. Not sure that there is any sin here, but you seem troubled by it so 10 minutes with your priest may help. Please know that the principal concern here was you manipulating the other candidate. The merits of the underlying issue are immaterial. Other than that, your actions make you very suited for politics.

 

[Booter]

If your sincere in adopting this other guys position…then your just a good politician…nothing more has to be said…If two “good guys” split the vote to
one “worse guy” then nobody wins

 

[Big_Ro]

In the interest of full disclosure, I am former offcie holder and candidate for office. No i do not care to elaborate. I think Discernings response is a little harsh to say the least. Why can’t people discuss politics without resorting to name calling and ugliness. I also think that it’s a little out of place in a Chritian forum. Manipulation has a begative connotation. In think thought the test is whether or not you truly believe that the issue, whatever it is, is important and your commiment to pursue it once in office. If you adopted the issue simply to get him out of the race, then yes its not too cool, but it’s good hardball politics. As far as it being a sin, again, it depends on the depth of your sinceity in taking up the issue.

Too often, in todays society, when people say politics, they mean dirty politics. It doesn’t have to be so. Politics can and should be an method for accomplishing the public good. Public service is a good thing.

 

[nsper7]

In the interest of full disclosure, I am former offcie holder and candidate for office. No i do not care to elaborate. I think Discernings response is a little harsh to say the least. Why can’t people discuss politics without resorting to name calling and ugliness. I also think that it’s a little out of place in a Chritian forum. Manipulation has a begative connotation. In think thought the test is whether or not you truly believe that the issue, whatever it is, is important and your commiment to pursue it once in office. If you adopted the issue simply to get him out of the race, then yes its not too cool, but it’s good hardball politics. As far as it being a sin, again, it depends on the depth of your sinceity in taking up the issue.

Too often, in todays society, when people say politics, they mean dirty politics. It doesn’t have to be so. Politics can and should be an method for accomplishing the public good. Public service is a good thing.

Yes, I fully intend to take up the issue. The issue at hand is homelessness in the city and trying to overturn a permit issue that allows the local soup kitchen (which is also a shelter) to only serve a certain number of meals. This other candidate’s pretty much sole reason for running (according to a statement he made to the local paper and my own short conversation with him) was to overturn the limit. I am willing to take up the issue (among other ideas I have in other areas…I am running to try and win, it seems he is running for a symbolic issue).

I think you call it political slime. Not sure that there is any sin here, but you seem troubled by it so 10 minutes with your priest may help. Please know that the principal concern here was you manipulating the other candidate. The merits of the underlying issue are immaterial. Other than that, your actions make you very suited for politics.

I deal with Scrupulosity issues so I am troubled in my conscience about issues that are either:

A) Not sinful
B) Not mortally sinful (i.e. I worry I have to confess a sin even though it is not mortal and, then, if I don’t confess to venial/non-mortal sin, I worry I botched up my Confession)