Some notes on our national election

Early voting started here in North Carolina last Thursday, so, unfortunately, that means that it is necessary for us to talk a little bit about the national election.

The Son of God, in His Incarnation among us, and especially in His glorious third day resurrection, revealed the Kingdom of God as our inheritance, if we believe in Him and keep His commandments. It is responsibility of individual Christians, as those who are in Christ, to make that Kingdom present in this world to the extent that we are able, working within the limitations and adversities of our particular life circumstances. This responsibility that springs from our identity as persons who share in the identity of Christ, who are, to one extent or another, deified by grace, requires that we observe and preserve intact the heart of the Law of Christ: perfect love of God and perfect love of neighbor, and that we persevere in this love until He returns. This is the foundation of our entire ethical system, placing equal value on all human persons, regardless of their thoughts, beliefs or behaviors, because they are the image of God, which can, potentially, grow in the likeness of God and share the same life with God forever.

What all of this means in practical terms as we approach this national election is that we, as Catholic Christians, have a positive moral obligation to cast our votes in such a way that the common good is best protected. Thus, when one candidate presents an overwhelming danger to the common good, it is necessary for us to cast our votes for the candidate WHO WILL DO LESS HARM. There can be little doubt what this means for us in our contemporary circumstances, since the abortion issue itself is absolutely dispositive. We should reflect that we know for certain that policies like the Hyde Amendment and the Mexico City Policy have saved millions of lives, and if those policies were to be discontinued it would free the substantial resources of the United States Government to assist in the murder of millions of innocent people in the years ahead. Of course, the abortion issue is only the beginning of very serious ethical problems that play a part in this election cycle. Joining that list would be the continued advance of what is now euphemistically termed “homosexual marriage rights” at the expense of traditional and natural marriage, restrictions on the natural right of self-defense, support for socialism (an ideology condemned by the Church, because of its degrading effects on the dignity of the human person), and ties and connections to the Muslim Brotherhood, the extent of which have not been fully disclosed.

It should go without saying that those who are qualified to vote in the United States are ethically obligated to vote in the interests of the United States. That is not to say that we do not care about the rest of the world, only that the virtue of justice requires that we care for those who are physically nearer to us in priority over those who are more distant.

Today in the Gospel, the Lord Jesus chose His first disciples, calling them away from their occupations, declaring that He would make them fishers of men. The Lord Jesus has called us as well, and for the same purpose: to make the Kingdom of God present in our lives, our homes, our circumstances. Our vote is no different than anything else in our lives. He told us, “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments.” Our actions, all our actions, make His Kingdom present in our world.