Is It A Sin Not To Vote?

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='Urib2007' post='1184871' date='Feb 4 2007, 09:19 PM']
No, it's not a sin. Votes are rigged anyone.
[/quote]
If you haven't fulfilled your obligation to vote, you have absolutely no right to open your mouth and complain about the government you get.
Sayings its rigged is a poor excuse of anyone claiming to be interested in their country.

[goldenchild17]

since when is it an obligation?

[SJRod55]

It may or may not be a 'sin' not to vote. However I believe it IS your moral duty to vote when you consider the supreme sacrifices made by so many people to afford you and I the right to vote in the first place.

Edited February 6, 2007 by Rod

[homeschoolmom]

Yep. What he said.

[goldenchild17]

For me, it is my moral duty to vote when there is somebody worth voting for. In such a case I would think it obligatory to vote for such a candidate. For me however, in most cases there is not such a candidate worthy of such consideration. And at this point I am not yet convinced of the "vote for the lesser of two evils" strategy. If the Catholic Church condemns the idea of supporting, or committing, some evil for an ultimately better outcome, then I am not sure how it is somehow different to throw your vote and your support behind someone who holds evil principles, simply for the sake of preventing a bigger evil from getting into power.

How would such a vote be different from say... executing one person to save a group of people? Sounds extreme, but for me it's the same principle. If a person believes it is wrong to kill even one person, even if it would save a group of people, then they should not kill that one person.

If a person believes abortion is evil (regardless of rape or other extenuating circumstances) and believes artificial birth control is an evil, then I don't think they should vote for someone who supports abortion in certain such circumstances and also is okay with artificial birth control, simply to make sure somebody with even more evil principles does not take office.

[Paladin]

And in '08 when our presidential candidates are Guiliani and Clinton - both unabashedly pro-abort, and at least one pro-torture leaning - is it a sin to not vote for either of them?

I don't think it's the Church's intention to force the Faithful to vote when there's nothing good to vote for. The "spirit" of the law (if I may use that term without being called a squishy Neo-Catholic ) seems rather that a Christian must be well-informed of political happenings in order to defend human life and morality. Voting is a usual excercise in that defense. However, if voting itself means you [i]must[/i] oppose the Church's teaching on human dignity, sexuality, etc., I think one would be obligated [i]not[/i] to vote.

My two cents.

[Resurrexi]

vote for a third party

[Paladin]

[quote name='StThomasMore' post='1208968' date='Mar 6 2007, 12:38 AM']vote for a third party[/quote]
Agreed! :
Now to find an appropriately quixotic and Catholic third party...