The Presidential elections and your vote

Fr. James's Sunday Homily:

"Once again, we are faced with tough decisions as we choose a presidential candidate who will lead this nation for another four years. Once again, the ideological battlefields, the cultural war, and the confusion have all intensified as Election Day draws near. Once again, Catholics in this country find themselves void of leadership and clear guidance that will help them make correct decisions when they go into the voting booth in November.

When we take a look at any candidate for political office, we should ask three fundamental questions: 1) Which candidate affirms that life begins at the moment of conception and will do all that he can to defend the rights of the unborn? 2) Which candidate affirms that marriage is between a man and woman and will do all that he can to defend and protect marriage? 3) Which candidate will appoint pro-life and pro-marriage Supreme Court Justices?

Catholics are also concerned about the war in Iraq, the environment, the economy, capital punishment, poverty and immigration. These too are important issues, but the question that divides many Catholics is this: can I vote for a candidate that supports my beliefs although that candidate supports abortion? I would argue that we cannot. I would argue that at this moment in history there is only one issue and that issue is abortion. Why do I say this? Legalized abortion is destroying our nation. Let us remember the haunting words of Mother Theresa: "Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use violence to get what they want. That is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion".

Let's look at it this way. There are more babies killed in one day in the US by abortion (4,500) than all the US soldiers combined since the Iraq war started. There have been more babies killed by abortion since Roe v. Wade than people killed in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and both Iraq wars combined. An average of 150 convicted murderers, proven guilty, are killed by the death penalty in Texas every year. 90,000 innocent babies are killed in Texas every year by abortion.

Abortion affects every hot button issue and concern that we Americans have during a presidential election. If we can kill an innocent child in the womb of a mother and that no longer shocks us as a nation, then we can justify and get used to anything... (Continued here.)"