Is It A Sin Not To Vote?

[Resurrexi]

ty

[Mercy me]

From the Catechism

[quote]2240 Submission to authority and co-responsibility for the common good make it morally obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one's country:
Pay to all of them their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.[45]
[Christians] reside in their own nations, but as resident aliens. They participate in all things as citizens and endure all things as foreigners.... They obey the established laws and their way of life surpasses the laws.... So noble is the position to which God has assigned them that they are not allowed to desert it.[46]
The Apostle exhorts us to offer prayers and thanksgiving for kings and all who exercise authority, "that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way."[47][/quote]

Answer your question?

[Groo the Wanderer]

Booyah!

I can only pray that the massive influx of immigrants will one day lead to a massive Catholic voting bloc. Once they are all legal, anyway.

[Socrates]

[quote name='Groo the Wanderer' post='1167638' date='Jan 16 2007, 11:58 PM']
Booyah!

I can only pray that the massive influx of immigrants will one day lead to a massive Catholic voting bloc. Once they are all legal, anyway.
[/quote]
Unfortunately simply being ethnically "Catholic" does not insure one will vote according to Catholic morality, as experience has shown. Most immigrants tend to vote for liberal Dems who will insure them "goodies" such as welfare benefits.

And one need only look at the John Kerrys and Ted Kennedys of our country to see what happened to the "Catholic vote."

Edited January 17, 2007 by Socrates

[Resurrexi]

[quote name='Mercy me' post='1167616' date='Jan 16 2007, 09:51 PM']
From the Catechism
Answer your question?
[/quote]

I knew the answer before I posted the poll. I still feel that the Church has not spoken, though, because the clause "to exercise the right to vote" in the following paragraph of the CCC is so ambiguous that it can be interpreted in a number of ways:

[quote]2240 Submission to authority and co-responsibility for the common good make it morally obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one's country: [/quote]

What this paragraph seems to say is that "It is a sin not to pay taxes, it is a sin to to "excercise the right to vote", and it is a sin not to defend one's country".

Well, I think what the Catechism means by [paraphrase]it is a sin not to exercise the right to vote[/paraphrase] is that it is a sin not to vote or not vote, becuase that is what exercising the right to vote is, either voting or not voting.

[Crusader_4]

I am the first to admit that the Holy Mother Church has never said it is a sin to vote or not to vote. However, I am of the opinnion that it is a sin not to exercise your right to vote. As StThomasMoore alluded to. If I chose not to cast a ballot based on moral reasons or along such lines I am making a clear distinct choice, I am voting by abstaining. I think it is a travesty to note put serious thought into the election of our officials after so many brave men laid down their lives for us. It is also a slap in our face to all of our forefathers who have built, and laid the foundation of our democratic society. Thus perhaps the sin is one of omission and perhaps even in to some extent a sin of not respecting our parents. I would like again to repeat to avoid confusion I believe that the sin would be found in not exercising the right to vote not the actual action of voting itself.

Edited January 17, 2007 by Crusader_4

[Mercy me]

[quote name='Socrates' post='1167663' date='Jan 17 2007, 12:07 AM']
Unfortunately simply being ethnically "Catholic" does not insure one will vote according to Catholic morality, as experience has shown. Most immigrants tend to vote for liberal Dems who will insure them "goodies" such as welfare benefits.

And one need only look at the John Kerrys and Ted Kennedys of our country to see what happened to the "Catholic vote."
[/quote]

You left out Nancy Pelosi who like theothers has not seen an abortion bill that she hasn't voted for. I miss Rick Santorum.

[goldenchild17]

[quote name='StThomasMore' post='1167672' date='Jan 17 2007, 12:12 AM']Well, I think what the Catechism means by [paraphrase]it is a sin not to exercise the right to vote[/paraphrase] is that it is a sin not to vote or not vote, becuase that is what exercising the right to vote is, either voting or not voting.
[/quote]

Not sure I can agree (big surprise huh? ). If it is a sin to simply not exercise their right to vote then this part of the passage was effective in saying absolutely nothing. Rephrase the sentence to a simpler form: It is a sin to vote, or not to vote. oookkkay.... So I either sin by voting or not voting, or I don't sin by voting or not voting... Which is it? And in which case am I sinning and when isn't it? Everybody exercises their right to the vote. Some people choose to vote, and the majority chooses not to vote, either because they don't care or because they don't find a candidate worthy of their vote or for some other reason. Very few people, that I know of, vote or don't vote against their will. People who either vote or don't vote against their will are the only people I can think of who would fall under the clause of "not freely exercising their right to vote." And of course it wouldn't make sense to say that these people are sinning because they are doing it, or not doing it, against their will.

We have a right to vote. And we have a right not to vote, so I assume. The catechism isn't saying that it is a sin for us not to do either, because clearly we are either doing one or the other. It's saying, and I quote, "to exercise the right to vote". It's saying that we have a right to vote, which we all agree upon according to law. Then it's saying that we are morally obligated to exercise this right. Not saying that we are obligated to exercise our right to do either, but to vote.

Edited January 17, 2007 by goldenchild17

[Groo the Wanderer]

[quote name='Socrates' post='1167663' date='Jan 16 2007, 11:07 PM']
Unfortunately simply being ethnically "Catholic" does not insure one will vote according to Catholic morality, as experience has shown. Most immigrants tend to vote for liberal Dems who will insure them "goodies" such as welfare benefits.

And one need only look at the John Kerrys and Ted Kennedys of our country to see what happened to the "Catholic vote."
[/quote]


I did say a Catholic voting bloc, not a Cafeteria Catholic voting bloc...

When I say Catholic, I mean REAL Catholic....

[123]

I don't really think that its a sin to vote. Most American feel that it is their American right and duty to vote. "Technically, the only freedom they really have left."

As for my personal position, no comment. I voted now didn't I?

Edited January 17, 2007 by GloriaIesusChristi

[Socrates]

[quote name='Mercy me' post='1167955' date='Jan 17 2007, 02:19 AM']
You left out Nancy Pelosi who like theothers has not seen an abortion bill that she hasn't voted for. I miss Rick Santorum.
[/quote]
Yeah, her too . . .

[quote name='Groo the Wanderer' post='1168072' date='Jan 17 2007, 10:53 AM']
I did say a Catholic voting bloc, not a Cafeteria Catholic voting bloc...

When I say Catholic, I mean REAL Catholic....
[/quote]
I know.

I'm not in any sense knocking Hispanics, but it seems unfortunately a lot of them too are mostly "ethnically" Catholic, rather than the Faith having a great impact in their lives.
So far the vast flood of Mexican and other Hispanic immigrants into the U.S. has not had much of a positive impact on bringing more of the Culture of Life into politics. The few Hispanic elected officials in Congress and such have been largely liberal pro-abort Dems, much like their Irish and Italian counterparts.

For Catholics to have any positive impact on this country, the Faith is going to have to become more than simply part of one's ethnic identification.

[quote name='StThomasMore' post='1167672' date='Jan 17 2007, 12:12 AM']
Well, I think what the Catechism means by [paraphrase]it is a sin not to exercise the right to vote[/paraphrase] is that it is a sin not to vote or not vote, becuase that is what exercising the right to vote is, either voting or not voting.
[/quote]
While I can't figure out exactly what this convoluted and muddled sentence is trying to say, if you mean that the Catechism means simply "voting or not voting" when it says we are morally obligated to exercise our right to vote, then that makes absolutely no sense.

Why speak at all of such a moral obligation if it can be fulfilled by either voting or not voting???
Then it would be impossible [i]not[/i] to fulfill it!

One can either vote or not vote - what other options are there???

That is like saying one can fulfill one's Sunday obligation by either going to Mass or not going to Mass.

Edited January 18, 2007 by Socrates

[qfnol31]

I have exercised my right to vote by refusing to vote in an election/referendum that had no good choices, but none of the bad choices were completely unacceptable.

In other words, I didn't vote for a certain amendment or my governor.

Edited January 18, 2007 by qfnol31

[goldenchild17]

[quote name='Socrates' post='1168660' date='Jan 17 2007, 09:08 PM']While I can't figure out exactly what this convoluted and muddled sentence is trying to say, if you mean that the Catechism means simply "voting or not voting" when it says we are morally obligated to exercise our right to vote, then that makes absolutely no sense.

Why speak at all of such a moral obligation if it can be fulfilled by either voting or not voting???
Then it would be impossible [i]not[/i] to fulfill it!

One can either vote or not vote - what other options are there???

That is like saying one can fulfill one's Sunday obligation by either going to Mass or not going to Mass.
[/quote]

Exactly what I was trying to say, only this time put much better.

[Resurrexi]

I think my opinion on whether it is a sin to not vote in elections of civil authorities has changed. In light of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, I now would say that the Church teaches it is a grave moral obligation to vote. Why would one be able to fulfill an obligation to "exercise your right to vote" by voting or not voting? "Exercising your right to vote" evidently means voting if there are any moral choices. If there are no moral choices, I guess the best thing to do would be to vote for the lesser evil.

[Urib2007]

No, it's not a sin. Votes are rigged anyone.