I have an old friend who argued on Facebook tonight that a Catholic could not justify a vote for Doug Jones, because of his views on abortion and gay marriage.
It is too late for my opinion to make any difference in the Alabama Senate race -- the outcome is still in doubt as I write this post -- but oh, my friends, that is a dangerous pile of nonsense masquerading as piety.
Why would a Catholic vote for Doug Jones?
Because Roy Moore is a dumpster fire of a candidate. (I am sending you to the National Review with that link. The NATIONAL REVIEW, for crying out loud.)
Catholics are obliged to choose candidates who support the rule of law. Roy Moore is not that candidate.
Catholics are obliged to choose candidates who view racism as a serious sin, who will work to stamp it out. Roy Moore is not that candidate. Doug Jones, on the other hand, successfully prosecuted KKK members for their crimes against children.
Catholics are obliged to choose candidates who respect the intrinsic dignity of their constituents, regardless of their sexual orientation. And we can continue to talk about how Catholic positions on sexual morality should shape public policy, but there is no denying the facts here: Roy Moore is not that candidate.
Catholics are obliged to choose candidates who believe in the importance of protecting the vulnerable. And I hear you on the importance of protecting the unborn, but this is important: if we narrow down our definition of "the vulnerable" to the unborn, we do so at our peril, disregarding enormous swaths of the gospel. Roy Moore has been credibly accused by multiple women of sexually predatory behavior directed at underage girls. I have heard his denials, but here is a true fact: every person ever accused of molesting a child initially responds with denial. Every single one. Don't @ me, as they say on Twitter, because the machinations of his supporters have been weighing on me like a giant-squid-sized pile of osmium.
It is not a mark of ideological purity to be a single-issue voter. I have been a single-issue voter, and I will not make that mistake again. Single-issue voting represents a failure to acknowledge that evil is many-faceted, and that complex problems have complex solutions. Single-issue voting represents a failure to recognize that our God is a God of integrity, who sees the big picture clearly, who judges wisely, who calls us to do the same.
So for the hypothetical voters who value posturing over performance and tribal identity over truth? Maybe Roy Moore is their candidate. For the rest of them? The choice is unmistakable. And to the voters who thought it was better to cast a quixotic write-in vote than to make the sensible decision in a down-to-the-wire contest? Take the plunge next time. If the "pro-life choice" is a candidate who gives lip service to pro-life positions while declining to protect the vulnerable in any meaningful way, go ahead and vote for the other guy.
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