By Fr. Thom Hennen
Question Box
Q: Is it a sin not to vote?
A: Many people of faith are wrestling with this issue as Americans go to the polls next week. Catholics may feel especially politically disenfranchised right now. This is nothing new, as no party or candidate has probably ever perfectly hit all the right notes when it comes to Catholic social and moral teaching.
Layer on to that the fact that Catholics may rightly disagree about some issues when it comes to prudential judgment or policy approach. There are, of course, underlying and unchanging principles (ex., the dignity of human persons, rights of workers, the need to care for creation, etc.), but the practicalities of how some issues are best solved are more up in the air.
I have a confession to make. I did not vote for president in the very first election in which I was eligible to vote. As a smug college freshman, I thought that if I didn’t like either candidate, why should I be forced to vote for one? By the way, I would love to have those relatively moderate choices now.
I was probably swayed unduly by a popular political commentator, satirist and filmmaker who made an analogy like this: If you walked into a restaurant and all they had to offer was lime gelatin or sauerkraut, you would leave the restaurant. Of course, analogies always come up short. Taking part in an election is a much more serious thing than walking out of a restaurant because of the limited menu, but this idea really resonated with me then.
After the election, I had a conversation with a good friend who aligned with me on many but not all political issues and was officially registered with the other party. This was still a time in our nation’s history when you could have a friendly, if spirited, conversation with people with whom you disagreed without accusing the other of being the Antichrist. Those were the days.
At any rate, I proudly explained what I had done, when she pointed out, “There are people in the world who are dying to vote and you just didn’t vote?” Gulp. I hadn’t thought of it that way. Fortunately, these were also the days when you were allowed to change your opinion on something.
After walking away with my tail between my legs, I came to regret my decision. Yes, my choices didn’t feel great, but when have they been? Even if my one vote would not have made a difference that year, I was given a right that I now feel like I threw away.
Having said that, I do sympathize with those for whom this election is tying them up in knots. Also, the Catholic Church has a profound respect for the rights of conscience, assuming one has formed and informed their conscience through careful thought and prayer about the issues and sound Catholic teaching.
The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” goes so far as to say, “A human being must always obey the certain judgment of his conscience” (par. 1800). At the same time it says, “Conscience can remain in ignorance or make erroneous judgments. Such ignorance and errors are not always free of guilt” (par. 1801). In other words, we may be culpable for our ignorance.
If someone has examined the issues and teachings of the Church, brought it to prayer, and decided in the sanctuary of conscience not to vote for one or the other candidate, I think we have to respect that decision.
So, is it a sin not to vote? Only you can know that. How’s that for dodgy? I could have been a politician!
(Father Thom Hennen serves as the pastor of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport and vicar general for the Diocese of Davenport. Send questions to messenger@davenportdiocese.org)
