Our political choices should express our values

It seems as though we have been in campaign season for the current midterm elections since the day after the November 2016 vote.  We are exposed once again to a barrage of mudslinging, deceptive and distorted partisan commercials, and the endless opinions of pundits telling us what will happen and what it will mean.  It looks like there are more registered voters than ever before and that they are responding in anger to perceived injustice and exclusion.  And, as ever, the Church is homeless among the political parties and relatively lonely among those who insist that there must be a way to respect and honor the sanctity of all human life- from the unborn child in the womb to the incarcerated criminal on death row or the person suffering from a terminal illness.  There must be a way for the government to provide for the safety and well-being of the nation without becoming omni-present in every aspect of human affairs.  There must be a way to lead the country to peace and prosperity without dominating and demeaning every other nation and people.

As followers of Christ we believe that the reign of God is ultimately God’s own work and that God will bring about the true and lasting peace and justice for which we long.  As disciples of Christ, we also contribute to creating a reflection of that reign here on earth, just as we pray daily, “thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Too often I hear complaints that the Church should not be involved in politics.   While we cannot be engaged in partisan politics, it is impossible to promote the teachings of Christ and our tradition without being political.  Politics, in its truest form, serves to build a civil society.  Politics involves working out differences without violence and securing justice for all.  The Church’s engagement in politics flows directly from our belief that faith is related to our everyday life, that the Gospel teaches us how to live with each other by the values of God’s kingdom.  Since the beginning of the “American experiment”, Catholics in the United States have found it possible to choose their faith community and to exercise its teachings with freedom and without either interference nor support from the government.  We have found a voice in the public square with which we can articulate our positions, argue why we believe they contribute to the common good in terms accessible to all; neither imposing our beliefs on others nor apologizing for the faith tradition that teaches them.

For good reason, ever since the 1973 Supreme Court decision which held that a woman has a constitutional right to abortion, the Church’s voice has consistently taught the falsehood of that position and promoted the sanctity of human life from the moment of conception.  We have worked to change attitudes and laws that deny the sanctity of human life and that struggle goes on.  Yet, when that issue becomes the only one considered, we have too often ended up overlooking other injustices and even contributing to the destruction of the planet.

During this much-hyped midterm election, as we decide how to cast our vote, we should be concerned about the consequences of climate change, which continues to accelerate even while some powerful few deny its existence and reverse advances in ecological policies.  We should also be mindful of the refusal to admit our share of suffering refugees to the nation even though we have the means and ability to do so.  The freedom of religion which we cherish and defend must apply also to Muslims escaping violence, war and starvation just as it applies to people of our faith.

We should remember the cruelty of a policy that separated children from their parents, as families fled violence and hunger in their homelands.  The long-standing tradition represented by Lady Liberty in New York’s harbor is reduced to meaninglessness by the refusal to create just and fair immigration policies that provide for family unity, provide the labor that is needed and allow hardworking immigrants to pursue the American dream just as our predecessors did.

Our Church teaches that the economy is meant to serve people, not people to serve the economy.  Do our current tax policies really support that when reductions of support services are proposed to pay for tax cuts which disproportionately benefit the wealthy?

As a shepherd and believer in the Good News of Jesus Christ, I must resist political leaders that are demeaning to women, use racist and denigrating language to refer to entire nations of God’s people, incite division and encourage violence.  We, as members of Christ’s body, insist that all people must be treated with the respect their human dignity requires.  Whatever we decide individually this election cycle, collectively we must be a voice for civility, for respectful dialogue and debate, for the protection of the vulnerable.  We can be persuasive advocates without echoing the ugliness of so much political rhetoric around us.  Let us thoughtfully and prayerfully seek the truth rather than the destruction of our opponents.  Let our political choices express our values as people of faith.