​Is Each Issue Weighted the Same?
​​
Before answering this question, the Bishops warn that we must not:
  1. Say that each issue is morally equal (because some issues are more important than others)
  2. “Dismiss or ignore other serious threats to human life and dignity” (29)

So, is each issue worth the same amount of "points"?
  • No, the issues are not weighted the same, but “all the issues are connected”(25)

The Bishops define 2 types of issues:
  1. Intrinsically evil actions
  2. Other serious threats to human life and dignity

1. INTRINSICALLY EVIL ACTIONS:
The Bishops say:
  • “There are some things we must never do, as individuals or as a society, because they are always incompatible with love of God and neighbor. Such actions are so deeply flawed that they are always opposed to the authentic good of persons. These are called 'intrinsically evil' actions. They must always be rejected and opposed and must never be supported or condoned (22).”
  • A List of Intrinsically Evil Actions (Directly quoted in Paragraphs 22-23):
    • Racism
    • Treating workers as mere means to an end
    • Destructive research on human embryos
    • Genocide
    • Torture
    • Abortion
    • Targeting of noncombatants in acts of terror or war
    • Euthanasia
    • Human Cloning
    • Deliberately subjecting workers to subhuman living conditions
    • Treating the poor as disposable
    • Redefining marriage to deny its essential meaning

2. OTHER SERIOUS THREATS TO HUMAN LIFE AND DIGNITY:
These issues are not intrinsically evil at the moment they are carried out, but they “pose a risk to humanity in the future and threaten the lives of poor and vulnerable human persons here and now.” “These are not optional concerns which can be dismissed” (29).
  • Some examples (Directly quoted in Paragraph 29) are:
    • The current and projected extent of environmental degradation
    • Resorting to unjust war
    • War crimes
    • The failure to respond to those who are suffering from hunger or a lack of health care
    • An unjust immigration policy
    • Pornography
    • Compromising religious liberty

In summary:
  • “All the life issues are connected, for erosion of respect for the life of any individual or group in society necessarily diminishes respect for all life" (25).
  • We must consider all of the issues when voting, especially the ones that are “intrinsically evil actions.”
  • We must have a renewed consideration for the issues that indirectly attack human dignity because “all the life issues are connected” (25).

After taking this into consideration, can a Catholic, in good conscience, vote for a candidate who supports an intrinsically evil action?