Fr. Broom's Blog: VOTING INSPIRED BY CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES

Friends, we all have a double citizenship! We have a permanent home in heaven. Jesus said that He has gone to prepare a place in heaven, in which there are many mansions and one of those mansions is awaiting us! However, we are also earthly citizens, living in the world and in contact with material and temporal realities. We must act always in such a way that our minds and hearts are elevated to heavenly realities and to act accordingly. This indeed should influence the way we vote! Following are ideas to help to create a “Christian mindset” for voting. As St. Paul reminds us, “Put on the mind of Christ!”

1. AMOS READING. (Amos chapter 2). The prophet Amos depicts a society that has lost respect for human life, “They sell the just man for silver, and the poor man for a pair of sandals. They trample the heads of the weak into the dust of the earth, and force the lowly out of the way. Son and father go to the same prostitute, profaning my holy name…” Human life becomes cheap, especially when it is not respected from the very start. Mother Teresa says that if we kill the most innocent we should not be surprised that human life will not be respected as a whole. Father Juan Rivas, L.C. stated that once abortion was legalized in Mexico (D.F.) a wave of violence ensued.

2. VOTE! Consider it a privilege as well as a duty. Apathy! Today many are disgruntled due to the society and have decided simply not to vote, wrong! The Political philosopher Edmund Burke put it well, “So that evil triumph, it is sufficient that good men do nothing.” We can sin through omission too! Remember Dives and Lazarus. (Lk.16). The rich man was condemned not for what he did do, but what he failed to do!

3. CHRISTIAN-CATHOLIC CONSCIENCE IN VOTING. There is the danger of the“Dictatorship of moral relativism” as well as “Cafeteria Catholicism”. Absolute truth exists as expressed by the Bible, the Church, The Magisterium, presided over by the Pope. When the Pope speaks on matters regarding faith, doctrine and morals, then he is infallible because it is the Holy Spirit who is guiding him and the Holy Spirit is the TRUTH!

4. GUIDING PRINCIPLES: THE NON-NEGOTIABLES. There are certain topics that do not have supreme, paramount importance. Therefore, they should be taken less seriously. However, there are other topics that are of extreme importance, that will have influence on life and death, time and eternity, salvation and damnation! These are the “Non-negotiables!” By the term “non-negotiable” is meant that these actions and decisions are intrinsically wrong, disordered and sinful. They trespass against the Natural Law, reason, and, of course, Divine will, meaning against God’s will! Also these are perennial—meaning that these are not subject to change according to time, social mores and customs, persons and circumstances! What then are the NON-NEGOTIABLES? Let us get to know them and defend the TRUTH which will set us free!

A. EUTHANASIA. This false philosophical system militates against the dignity of the human person. Euphemistically it has been called “Mercy-killing” (Dr. Kevorkian). It asserts that human life has value only insomuch as it is economically productive. This philosophy had its origin among the 19^th century political-social philosophers J.S. Mill as well as Jeremy Bentham. Therefore, an elderly person who is incontinent, senile, with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease or on dialysis—all the above are considered an economic burden to society. Logically, better to truncate their lives. Modern society exalts the “5 Bs”--- BEAUTY, BRAINS, BRAWN, BIG-BUCKS!!!! Furthermore, Euthanasia can extend to using the ULTRASOUND, thereby detecting an extra gene--- meaning the person will be a “Downs” child and thereby eliminate the child before he is born! Jesus lived and preached and died for the exact opposite. Born in poverty, siding especially with the poor, sick, disabled, blind deaf-mute and lepers. He also preached: “Blessed are the poor for theirs is the kingdom of God.”

B. EMBRYONIC EXPERIMENTATION. Today laboratories are spending huge sums of money to try to create the perfect baby! A Harvard, handsome athlete donating his sperm with a Hollywood actress—by uniting the two, a perfect person will be created! In the meantime, those who are less perfect can be discarded at will! We want to play God: To decide who will come into the world, the way they will come into the world and the time and manner that they should leave the world! One of the first things we should remind ourselves every morning is that there is a GOD in the world and I am not HIM!

C. CLONING! Trying to create the human person in the wrong manner. As willed by God, human life should be conceived only by the mutual embrace between man and woman, better yet, husband and wife married sacramentally in the church. Then God decides on procreation! In the moment of conception, God infuses the immortal soul that will live for all eternity! We must not contradict God’s will and tamper with human life!

D. HOMOSEXUALITY! In the first book of the Bible, the Book of Genesis, we read that God created man and woman. Actually the first command that God gives in the Bible is INCREASE AND MULTIPLY! God did not create
“Adam and Steve, but Adam and Eve!” Homosexuality transgresses all laws: natural law, ecclesiastical law, divine law and even common sense! However, the most clear Biblical evidence is founded in Genesis 19, in the account of Sodom and Gomorrah. These two cities fell into extreme moral depravity—specifically, the practice of homosexuality. Lot and his family lived there. Angels came to visit the family of Lot, taking on the appearance of attractive men. The depravity of Sodom and Gomorrah was so great that they lusted after these angels, and would not stop until they terminated molesting them. Lot offered his daughters but the residents of Sodom and Gomorrah would have nothing to do with this trade! Long story short, the angels came to the door blinding these perverts and then God told Lot and his family to flee from the cities and not even to look back. Lot’s wife did and was transformed into a pillar of salt. Then God chastised the residents of Sodom and Gomorrah by raining down from heaven fire and brimstone thereby destroying the cities and their inhabitants! That is why the practice of homosexuality is such a heinous crime and sin that it is one of the few that cries to heaven for vengeance! In voting, we must oppose homosexual/lesbian unions and support the family, which is according to Pope John Paul II the basic building block of society and the domestic church!

E. ABORTION. Last but not least, we must take into account in casting our vote the defense of the most defenseless—that is to say the unborn baby who is in the womb of the mother. The safest place for the child should be the womb of the mother. Sad to say, The womb of the mother has become the tomb of the child. Unfortunately, it has become the most unsafe place due to abortion--- the killing of the innocent child. Abortion is the most common operation in USA. Since Roe vs. Wade close to 52 million surgical abortions, 4,000 a day, and close to one abortion every 20 seconds (3 a minute). To make matters worse, chemical abortions, by taking “Plan B”—the after morning pill, as well as hormonal contraceptives--have caused probably 200-300 million more “Micro abortions”. This means “microscopic”—they are so small and in the early stages that these abortions—murders—can only be seen under a microscope! Still, we must defend life as a gift from God, starting at the very first moment of life, which is conception! Therefore, in voting, we must take into account the most important criteria--- the importance of the fundamental and basic institution founded by God Himself, the family; furthermore, we must be the voice of the little child who cannot speak for himself. As the baby is aborted, he screams in pain! We must be the voice to defend him by voting motivated by proper, just and loving criteria! May our voting save the FAMILY! May our voting save the unborn child. “Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”