Politics, Voting and Christian Faith

Holy Week, Abortion, and the Wisconsin Supreme Court Race – Vote on April 4

The PBS Wisconsin headline on Feb. 22 got right to the point: “National debate over abortions turns to Wisconsin Supreme Court race.” It was referring to the election that will take place on Tuesday, April 4. Media coverage of the two Supreme Court candidates and their philosophies is widespread, and abortion has been the constant focal point. As we inform ourselves, and then cast our vote on April 4 – Tuesday of Holy Week – let us cherish the fact that Jesus himself took on flesh as a tiny, developing child in the womb of Mary, so that one day, on the Cross of Calvary, he might rescue us from darkness and sin. Likewise, every preborn child is in the image of the Lord who created and redeemed us.

There are local races in the election as well. For a look at the names of all the candidates on the ballot in your area, you can visit MyVoteWI (also for voting directions).

As Christians, we do not leave our faith behind when we engage the world of politics and elections. We understand that politics, like every other part of life, must be illuminated by God’s light or we will stumble in the dark. A generation ago, a large majority of Americans shared this view. Call it the Classical Christian worldview. It was the common foundation for our social and political life; we assumed it like the ground beneath our feet. Today, however, that foundation is under attack from another worldview, one that rejects God, or at least disregards him, as it makes the self supreme. Let’s call it the Radical Selfist worldview.

The Classical Christian Worldview

The Classical Christian worldview holds that we have received our lives as a gift from a God who loves us, and that we are accountable to him. It believes in moral laws that God has written on our hearts and clarified through his revelation. This is his blueprint for us, his design for our happiness and fulfillment. This blueprint reveals to us certain foundational moral principles. Among them, we see:

That every human life, of every race and nation, born and unborn, is sacred, with equal rights and dignity;
That we are created male or female according to God’s plan;
That sexual relations are meant for marriage between one man and one woman;
That religious freedom and the rights of conscience are sacred.

Though we are imperfect human beings, we work to build our lives on foundational principles such as these, as we raise our families and shape our social and civic communities.

The Radical Selfist Worldview

The Radical Selfist worldview opposes everything we have just described, rejecting the idea of a God-given blueprint. Everything is up to personal ‘choice.’ We can choose our own gender, our preferred exercise of sexuality, our definition of marriage, and even whether a child in the womb shall live or die. Radical Selfism preaches tolerance until it gains power, at which point it seeks to intimidate, silence and punish those who disagree with it. Unfortunately, this worldview has been promoted by many in Hollywood, mass media, and big tech. It has also infected substantial segments of corporate America, the education system, and government.

Political Consequences

Sadly, the current political landscape essentially forces us to choose between these two worldviews. This choice has significant consequences at every level of government, from the White House and Congress to State and local officials and school boards. The most telling indicator of Radical Selfism is advocacy of abortion, by which man steals from God the very power over life and death. By far the gravest human rights violation of our time, abortion has cost the lives of more than 64 million unborn babies in our nation. Thankfully, the recent Supreme Court decision reversing Roe v. Wade has returned abortion law to the states. But abortion advocacy continues with its deceitful buzzwords and slogans, closing its eyes to the life of the child in the womb. Moreover, abortion is inevitably clustered with other positions favored by the Radical Selfist worldview.

What is a Christian to do?

While we cannot expect perfection from any political candidate, it is vital that Christians support those most closely aligned with the Classical Christian worldview, and oppose those aligned with the Radical Selfist worldview. For Radical Selfism, with its worship of ‘choice’ in place of God, inevitably produces bitter fruits: moral and civil breakdown, destruction, and death. It is simply impossible to achieve lasting harmony and peace without adhering to the foundational principles of God’s plan. Therefore, let us be courageous witnesses to the Gospel, and pray tirelessly that God might heal our nation and lead us in his ways. And let us intensify our efforts to elect candidates with the courage to stand up for the God-given principles and rights on which our nation was founded. Our future, and the future of our children and our grandchildren, is at stake.

Comparing Republican and Democratic Party Platforms

Typically every four years, each major party, Democratic and Republican, develops a “Platform” which articulates the guiding vision, values and principles of that party in terms of what government is for and how it should serve the people. The Republican Party chose to stay with its same platform from 2016, while the Democratic Party developed a new version for 2020. Both of these are linked below, while a handout featuring excerpts on key issues can be seen here.

While legislators are not bound by their party’s platform, a study by Stephen F. Austin State University professor Lee Payne found that, over a period of 25 years, members of Congress in both parties voted in line with their party platforms 82 percent of the time. This makes the examination of these platforms a good exercise in voter education.

You can access the platforms in their entirety at the links below, or you can examine excerpts chosen because of their connection to core principles of Catholic teaching and the natural law. The Diocese of La Crosse does not endorse parties or candidates but wishes to lend its voice in forming consciences for faithful citizenship.

Wisconsin Bishops – Faithful Citizenship Resources

The Wisconsin Catholic Conference (WCC), the public policy voice of Wisconsin’s bishops, is distributing two series of resources to help Catholics reflect on their duties as faithful citizens. Catholics are encouraged to utilize these resources as they navigate the election process and fulfill their responsibilities as voters.

The first and longer five-part series includes the following:

The shorter three-part series includes:

Additional resources outside of both series include:

While the series and resources are designed for parish bulletins, they can also be reproduced on a parish website or on posters.

As in years past, the WCC materials are based on the U.S. bishops’ statement, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States (www.faithfulcitizenship.org).