In the 2008 election, Catholics comprised a quarter of the electorate, by far the largest single religious denomination. They achieved this statistical feat in spite of making up less than a quarter of the total population. So not only are they a formidable demographic, but an over-represented one at the polls. We'd like to think this is a sign that U.S. Catholics tend to be civic minded and informed when it comes to the issues that affect them, their country and the rest of the world. In short, hopefully it's because they care.
To feed this demand, this blog is entering the election year fray with a weekly series, "Catholics care. Catholics vote," which will run from now through May. As the politicians and pundits ramp up their rhetoric, this series will unpack and explore the themes addressed by the U.S. bishops in Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, their document on political responsibility. This will include everything from issues affecting human life and dignity, to hot-button social concerns in our country today, to the principles that shape the conscience formation and civic involvement of Catholics.
This series will be freely available to diocesan and parish leadership for use circulation/re-posting in newspapers, bulletins, websites, workshops, etc.
Stay tuned!
2 comments:
Glad to hear that you are going to have a weekly series about the Catholic vote. I pray the bishops will exert more leadership in this fight for our freedom. We need to rally all Catholics to vote in the upcoming Presidential election but before they vote, they need to be educated on the facts about what is at stake in this election. If the government gets away with the HHS Contraceptive mandate, it will be only a matter of time before they start dictating how many children a family may have and who is worthy of treatment. Our elderly, disabled and critically ill citizens will be at a terrible risk of extermination.
The title of this series leaves me cold, but I'll be watching with interest for new material posted. And I'll be willing to support our bishops, and be praying for our country's choice for leadership.
I get turned off by slogans like "I'm a gun owner, and I vote", or "I'm a lesbian, and I vote". They seem to communicate an in-your-face attitude that my special interests better be respected, or there will be negative consequences for you.
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