David Ricken (above) is the Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay, WI.
Recently the bishop sent out a letter to all the Catholics in his diocese. Dated October 24, 2012, his letter in part reads:
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
AN IMPORTANT MOMENT
It is almost time to vote and to make our choices for president and other political offices both local and national. You have often heard it said that this is a turning point in our country’s history and I could not agree more.
The Church is not a political organism, but … the Church has the responsibility to speak out regarding moral issues, especially on those issues that impact the “common good” and the “dignity of the human person.”
I would like to review some of the principles to keep in mind as you approach the voting booth to complete your ballot. The first is the set of non-negotiables. These are areas that are “intrinsically evil” and cannot be supported by anyone who is a believer in God or the common good or the dignity of the human person.
They are:
1. abortion
2. euthanasia
3. embryonic stem cell research
4. human cloning
5. homosexual “marriage”
These are intrinsically evil. “A well-formed Christian conscience does not permit one to vote for a political program that contradicts fundamental contents of faith and morals.” Intrinsically evil actions are those which have an evil object. In other words, an act is evil by its very nature and to choose an action of this type puts one in grave moral danger.
But what does this have to do with the election? Some candidates and one party have even chosen some of these as their party’s or their personal political platform. To vote for someone in favor of these positions means that you could be morally “complicit” with these choices which are intrinsically evil. This could put your own soul in jeopardy.
The letter goes on to warn of the evils of Obamacare and to talk about how great it would be to have a president who knows how to fix the economy and put people back to work. (Read the whole letter here.)
Now, of course, chickenshit bullies old enough to have any conscience at all rarely have the nerve to actually say what they’re really saying, and this cowardly cretin is no different. He doesn’t just say “Vote Republican or go to hell.” That would be too honest and forthright. What he says instead is that voting for one party [gee, I wonder which party he’s talking about?] could make you morally complicit with evil—which could put your soul in “jeopardy.”
Vote wrong and damn your eternal soul to hell. But, ya’ know. He’s just sayin’.
Speaking of voting in polls:
[polldaddy poll=6647003]
You might also check out my The Catholic Church and the “sin so grievous it cries out for vengeance,” and Father “No communion for you!” not the whole story.
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