{"id":305,"date":"2007-11-14T14:39:07","date_gmt":"2007-11-14T14:39:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/news\/2007\/11\/catholic-bishops-instruct-vote.php"},"modified":"2007-11-14T14:39:07","modified_gmt":"2007-11-14T14:39:07","slug":"catholic-bishops-instruct-vote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/2007\/11\/catholic-bishops-instruct-vote","title":{"rendered":"Catholic Bishops Instruct Voters"},"content":{"rendered":"

Associated Press – November 14, 2007 <\/strong>
\nBALTIMORE – Roman Catholics voting in the 2008 elections must heed church teaching when deciding which candidates and policies to support, U.S. bishops said Wednesday.
\nAnd while the church recognizes the importance of a wide range of issues – from war to immigration to poverty – fighting abortion should be a priority, the bishops said.
\n“The direct and intentional destruction of innocent human life is always wrong and is not just one issue among many,” the bishops said.
\nThe U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops overwhelmingly adopted the statement, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” as they ended the public sessions of their fall meeting.
\nThe document does not recommend specific laws or candidates, and it emphasizes that “principled debate” is needed to decide which policies best promote the common good.
\nBut “that does not make (moral issues) optional concerns or permit Catholics to dismiss or ignore church teaching,” the bishops said.
\nAmerican bishops have been releasing similar recommendations for Catholics before every presidential election since 1976. However, in recent years, some independent Catholics groups have been distributing their own voter booklets.
\nAmong them are Priests for Life and California-based Catholic Answers, which distributed material on five “nonnegotiable” issues: abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, human cloning and same-sex marriage. Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, which formed last year, issued a guide emphasizing church teachings on war, poverty and social justice.
\nBut the bishops urged Catholics to only use voter resources approved by the church.
\nThe document makes clear the broad concerns in Catholic teaching that make it difficult for parishioners to feel fully comfortable with either the Democrats or Republicans.
\nThe bishops say helping the poor should be a top priority in government, providing health care, taking in refugees and protecting the rights of workers, and the bishops highlight the need for environmental protection.
\nHowever, they also oppose same-sex marriage, euthanasia and embryonic stem cell research, in addition to their staunch anti-abortion position.
\nThe prelates say torture is “always wrong” and they express “serious moral concerns” about “preventive use of military force.” But at the last minute Wednesday, they added a sentence acknowledging “the continuing threat of fanatical extremism and global terror.”
\nCopyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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A New Yorker by birth but a Floridian by tenure, Nicole graduated from Florida A&M University with a B.S. in Public Relations and a minor in Sociology. She moved to NY to pursue a career in journalism which started at In Style magazine. There she learned the ropes of magazine reporting, researching, and writing\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand became exponentially more stylish. But what seemed like a deep interest in fashion and entertainment would soon be revealed as merely the vehicle that moved her closer to discovering her purpose, writing and covering matters of the Christian faith. While in her purpose-driven vehicle she can be found traveling between Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens for life, work and worship, respectively. 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