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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
The Lesser of Two Evils?	John	Thursday, December 4, 2008
Question: Bro. Ignatius, In your answer to Carol whose question titled “Former Priest Sowing Confession” dated 12/2/2008 you said, the Church has made its proclamation on the issues of abortion, euthanasia, and infanticide. I agree totally with your answer. May I ask that you comment further with regard to these five (5) statements, made by John McCain during his third debate on October 15, 2008. 1. No, I will not take any action to overturn Roe v. Wade. 2. I am pro-life but I do not believe the abortion issue to be a Federal issue. I believe the abortion issue should be left up to the individual States where it belongs. 3. I believe abortion is okay if raped; and no testing for rape. 4. I will not oppose Federal funding for Embryonic Stem Cell Research. 5. Regarding the future appointment of Judges to the United States Supreme Court, I do not believe in any kind of “Litmus Test” for any candidate, Democrat or Republican, whose credentials, in my opinion, fully support the Constitution of the United States. As a Catholic, those statements above, prevented me from casting my vote for McCain. Several friends, plus two parish priests, have stated that McCain is the lesser of two evils. I have also been reminded that God permits evil so that good may come from it. I believe this to be true. However, I am not God, and should not decree McCain to be the lesser of two evils. This is a judgement reserved solely to God. I believe, based on the moral ideology of Obama and McCain, the we should have rejected both candidates. My choice was a write in protest vote for a candidate that fully Church Teaching and Doctrine regarding the issues mentioned above. Thank you Bro. Ignatius for your continued work in God's Ministry. God bless, John.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear John: A protest vote to some other candidate who perfectly conforms to Catholic teaching is certainly a morally acceptable option, but the problem is that by not voting for either of candidates who will win the election, we inadvertently facilitate the election of the worst of two evils. Bishop Rene Henry Gracida, Bishop Emeritus of Corpus Christi, addresses this issue of proportionate reasons directly concerning another election: Consider the case of a Catholic voter who must choose between three candidates: candidate (A, Kerry) who is completely for abortion-on-demand, candidate (B, Bush) who is in favor of very limited abortion, i.e., in favor of greatly restricting abortion and candidate (C, Peroutka), a candidate who is completely against abortion but who is universally recognized as being unelectable.The Catholic voter cannot vote for candidate (A, Kerry) because that would be formal cooperation in the sin of abortion if that candidate were to be elected and assist in passing legislation, which would remove restrictions on, abortion-on-demand. The Catholic can vote for candidate (C, Peroutka) but that will probably only help ensure the election of candidate (A, Kerry). Therefore the Catholic voter has a proportionate reason to vote for candidate (B, Bush) since his vote may help to ensure the defeat of candidate (A, Kerry) and may result in the saving of some innocent human lives if candidate (B, Bush) is elected and introduces legislation restricting abortion-on-demand. *In such a case, the Catholic voter would have chosen the lesser of two evils, which is morally permissible under these circumstances. Moral theology, in the concept of "proportionate reason" taught by Pope Benedict XVI, allows us to vote for the lessor of two evils so that the worst of two evils will not win. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes:* This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

The Lesser of Two Evils?

John

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Question:

Bro. Ignatius,

In your answer to Carol whose question titled “Former Priest Sowing Confession” dated 12/2/2008 you said, the Church has made its proclamation on the issues of abortion, euthanasia, and infanticide.

I agree totally with your answer. May I ask that you comment further with regard to these five (5) statements, made by John McCain during his third debate on October 15, 2008.

1. No, I will not take any action to overturn Roe v. Wade.
2. I am pro-life but I do not believe the abortion issue to be
a Federal issue. I believe the abortion issue should be left
up to the individual States where it belongs.
3. I believe abortion is okay if raped; and no testing for rape.
4. I will not oppose Federal funding for Embryonic Stem Cell
Research.
5. Regarding the future appointment of Judges to the United
States Supreme Court, I do not believe in any kind of
“Litmus Test” for any candidate, Democrat or Republican,
whose credentials, in my opinion, fully support the
Constitution of the United States.

As a Catholic, those statements above, prevented me from casting my vote for McCain. Several friends, plus two parish priests, have stated that McCain is the lesser of two evils. I have also been reminded that God permits evil so that good may come from it. I believe this to be true. However, I am not God, and should not decree McCain to be the lesser of two evils. This is a judgement reserved solely to God.

I believe, based on the moral ideology of Obama and McCain, the we should have rejected both candidates. My choice was a write in protest vote for a candidate that fully Church Teaching and Doctrine regarding the issues mentioned above.

Thank you Bro. Ignatius for your continued work in God's Ministry.

God bless,

John.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear John:

A protest vote to some other candidate who perfectly conforms to Catholic teaching is certainly a morally acceptable option, but the problem is that by not voting for either of candidates who will win the election, we inadvertently facilitate the election of the worst of two evils.

Bishop Rene Henry Gracida, Bishop Emeritus of Corpus Christi, addresses this issue of proportionate reasons directly concerning another election:

Consider the case of a Catholic voter who must choose between three candidates: candidate (A, Kerry) who is completely for abortion-on-demand, candidate (B, Bush) who is in favor of very limited abortion, i.e., in favor of greatly restricting abortion and candidate (C, Peroutka), a candidate who is completely against abortion but who is universally recognized as being unelectable.The Catholic voter cannot vote for candidate (A, Kerry) because that would be formal cooperation in the sin of abortion if that candidate were to be elected and assist in passing legislation, which would remove restrictions on, abortion-on-demand. The Catholic can vote for candidate (C, Peroutka) but that will probably only help ensure the election of candidate (A, Kerry). Therefore the Catholic voter has a proportionate reason to vote for candidate (B, Bush) since his vote may help to ensure the defeat of candidate (A, Kerry) and may result in the saving of some innocent human lives if candidate (B, Bush) is elected and introduces legislation restricting abortion-on-demand. In such a case, the Catholic voter would have chosen the lesser of two evils, which is morally permissible under these circumstances.

Moral theology, in the concept of "proportionate reason" taught by Pope Benedict XVI, allows us to vote for the lessor of two evils so that the worst of two evils will not win.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum