ELECTION 2014

Key principles when approaching election campaigns

The 2014 election in Indiana does not have the high profile offices of President, Governor and Senator on the ballot; these come in 2016. But that does not mean the 2014 election is less important.

This year’s ballot includes all U.S. House of Representatives members, all State Representatives and half of Indiana’s State Senators. In addition, state offices – such as Secretary of State, Auditor and Treasurer – and many countywide offices are on this year’s ballot.

Each election has value, its own importance and consequences. Hence, all elections should be taken seriously and deserve due diligence when considering the candidates and issues involved.

As Catholics, we are obligated to take part. In the Catholic tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue; participation in the political process is a moral obligation.

Elections provide opportunities to debate and decide about leaders, policies and values that will determine the direction of our state and nation. As is evident, public policies and decisions by public officials have moral dimensions and consequences that affect everyone.

So how does one prepare to fulfill his/her civic duty and decide for whom to vote? The Church can offer some guidance – not by recommending specific candidates, but by giving guidance and perspective in how to approach the issues and how to determine a prudent choice.

One cannot compartmentalize politics and morality

A common error in our time is the dichotomy between faith and public life. All of human life and activity is not out of the scope of God’s care and concern.  Some today want to keep religion out of the public square, but that denies the integration of faith and life. The Church teaches that faith is to be lived each day and in all one does; Sunday Eucharist nourishes and enables us to live the Gospel‘s call each day in all we do. We are called to be a leaven in the world. Personal as well as political activity is rightly guided by moral norms.

Voting is moral act

One’s vote should not be based on frivolous or selfish motives. Catholics are called to be guided by moral convictions and not attachments to party or interest groups. One should not let party affiliation determine who they vote for, or lead them to neglect fundamental moral truths. The Church’s call for political engagement is different from other institutions and social groups. Interest groups and political parties focus on power and governance; the Church asks us to focus on the dignity of every human being, the development of the common good and the protection of the weak and vulnerable.

Be principled and not partisan in political and social issues

Politics is often ideological, emotional, and divisive. The Catholic Tradition does not offer an ideology, but a moral framework in which to evaluate policies and candidates.  The Church asks Catholics to engage using faith and reason, and to form their consciences through study and prayer. First, one must seek to know what is right by studying Scripture and Church teaching. Second, one must use reason to study the issues in the light of faith. Third, one must prayerfully ask for God’s guidance and will to be done.

Opposing evil and doing good are essential obligations

Catholic social teaching is holistic. One must always oppose intrinsic evils that directly threaten the sanctity and dignity of human life such as euthanasia, genocide, torture and racism. In like manner, there is an obligation to contribute to the common good in solidarity with those in need. The right to life is linked to the basic things that every human being needs to live and thrive. In addition to the basic human needs, defending religious freedom, supporting marriage and family, welcoming the immigrant and protecting the environment individually and collectively provide for the common good. While evil must always be opposed, that does not mean opposition alone absolves one from doing good. Both are required.

Because no candidate is perfect, it is difficult to find one who complies with all values and principles of Catholic social teaching. In the end, you must form your conscience through study and prayer; then vote based on your best judgment of which candidate will do the best job of protecting from evil and promoting the common good. 

So can we be sure we made a good choice? God gives us the virtue of prudence, which enables us to discern the true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it. During the election season, seeking God’s help in developing the virtue of prudence is also a good way to prepare for voting.

Election issues, candidates and your vote

The Catholic Church teaches that government exists to promote and secure the common good, and that Catholics have a responsibility to participate in and fulfill their roles in the civic and public affairs of the community. “Participation is a duty to be fulfilled consciously by all, with responsibility and with a view to the common good.” (Compendium of Catholic Social Teaching) 

As one expression of this responsibility, most of us will be responsible and exercise our right and duty to vote this November. Yet this is not as simple as it would appear.

There is a constant rotation of ads on TV, in newspapers and on the radio. Social media also is clogged with campaign slogans and support for particular candidates. Many become numb to all the noise and tune out; others enter the fray and take sides in the debates and campaign activities.

Because we know we will have to make a choice when we vote in November, most of us, in the midst of taking care of family and work responsibilities, attempt to sort through the maze of contradictory comments and pledges, and the overstated assertions about the candidates, parties and policies. It is difficult; one can get lost in the detail and rhetoric. How does one sort through and determine what issues are substantive and which candidate is more likely to better promote the dignity of persons and the common good?

The Church in its role as teacher will not identify particular candidates, but it does contribute to the conversations about what is best for society by defending human dignity in all of its stages. And in doing so, it addresses related issues such as immigration, health care, marriage, religious freedom, economic justice, education and family. Because campaign ads and candidates typically only speak in sound bites, it is important to focus on the salient issues that will have long lasting impact on our society when deciding on whom to support.  One can do this by looking at candidates through the lens of Catholic social teaching and to consider the moral dimensions of public issues.

Significant issues to consider and the candidate’s position:

• Conscience protection for individuals as well as religious institutions to serve the public in accord with religious principles and values
• Social and economic policies that support jobs with good working conditions and just wages
• Comprehensive immigration reform and support of refugee resettlement for unaccompanied children
• The definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman
• Opposition to legalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide
• Respect for life, including rejection of violence and the death penalty
• Affordable health care for low- and moderate-income individuals and families
• Support of policies to protect vulnerable persons; prisoner rehabilitation and re-entry programs
• Support of “child benefit” as a principle for participation in education programs, and parental choice in education of their children
• Opposition to abortion; also includes support for mothers and children during pregnancy and infancy
• Stewardship and care of the earth for this and future generations

No candidate will perfectly comport to Church teaching. And all issues do not carry the same weight; opposition to intrinsic evils has a special claim on our conscience. Often one has to choose which candidate is more likely to do the most good or the least harm. Voting decisions should include the candidate’s commitments, character, and integrity, because circumstances and issues will arise that now are not known, on which the official will have to make decisions. At those moments we, the electorate, are relying on our representatives and public servants to use their prudent judgment in determining the best course of action to promote and secure the common good – the primary purpose and role of the position that he/she is seeking.

What is the Common good?

In Church documents and often when Church officials discuss social and political issues, the term “common good” will be cited. While it is one of the fundamental principles of Catholic Social Teaching, it is often misunderstood. It is distinct from the term “greater good,” which one may hear from political leaders or media pundits. Common good has a specific meaning within Church teaching.

The Church’s social doctrine is based on the foundation that each person is made in the image and likeness of God. As stated in the Catechism, “being in the image of God, the human individual possesses the dignity of a person, who is not just something, but someone.” Hence, society and public policies should promote and respect the dignity of the human person. This is the basis for all human rights. As St. John Paul II noted, “These rights apply to every stage of life and to every political social economic and cultural situation. Together they form a single whole, directed unambiguously towards the promotion of every aspect of the good of both the person and society”.

Catholic social teaching also recognizes that the human person is a social being. We depend on one another for our livelihood as well as our wellbeing – physically, emotionally and spiritually. We grow and realize our vocation, and fulfill God’s purpose for our life in relation not only with Him but with one another. Hence, In Catholic teaching, rights are not without corresponding duties: they are inseparably linked (Compendium of Catholic Social Teaching). As St. John XXIII noted, “in human society to one man’s right there corresponds a duty in all other persons; the duty, namely, of acknowledging and respecting the right in question.”

Because of the social nature of humankind, the good of each individual is necessarily related to the good of everyone else. The Church defines common good as, “the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individual’s, to reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily.” It concerns all of life, not just particular aspects, such as economic or political questions.

As the Catechism points out, the Common Good has three essential elements.

First, it presupposes respect for the person and his/her fundamental rights, which include right of conscience and freedom in matters of religion.

Second, the common good requires the social wellbeing and development of the group. This includes the responsibility of civil authority to arbitrate the interests between groups, and to ensure that all have access to what is needed and befitting of human life – the rights to food, health, work, education; the rights to privacy, to establish a family, etc.

Third, the common good requires peace brought about by stability and security of a just order. While all, as individuals, have a responsibility to participate and to do their part in promoting and providing for the common good, collectively, through the political community, we accomplish this as a reality. It is the fundamental role of all levels of government to defend and promote the common good of civil society, its citizens, and all organizations and associations that make up the fabric of the community.

Today, the global natures of economic, social, and political systems highlight the interdependence of human beings. We are more and more dependent on and responsible for one another. But as some may assert the “greater good” as the target of some policy or activity, the Church asserts in the Catechism that, “the common good is always oriented towards the progress of persons. The order of things must be subordinate to the order of persons, and not the other way around.”  The common good is common to all because all are made in the image and likeness of God.