LETTER TO THE EDITOR

No issue outweighs the value of human life

Posted

TO THE EDITOR:

“Since the first century, the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion… The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life.. [to] make clear the gravity of the crime committed” (CCC 2271-2.)

Why does Rhode Island, the second-most Catholic state in the nation, have a governor and congressional delegation who whole-heartedly support abortion? I think it’s because of the noncommittal teaching of Catholic leaders on “faithful citizenship.” The USCCB’s “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” guide is a long list of vacillating points, without a clear conclusion. “A Catholic cannot vote for a candidate who favors a policy promoting an intrinsically evil act, such as abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, deliberating subjecting workers or the poor to subhuman living conditions, redefining marriage in ways that violate its essential meaning, or racist behavior, if the voter’s intent is to support that position.” I think that “if” leaves wiggle room for Catholics to think (and priests to tell us) it’s ok to vote for unacceptable candidates: “I voted for Hitler because he promised job growth, not because he wanted to exterminate Jews, so I did the right thing.”

The USCCB say, “As Catholics, we are not single-issue voters.” I have to disagree. When a candidate who supports the intentional taking of human life is running against one who opposes it, there isn’t a complex, difficult decision; there is only one right choice. Other issues are important, but nothing, not the environment, the economy, immigration, discrimination, religious freedom, lowering taxes, or national security, outweighs the value of human life.

Greg Loehr, North Kingstown