Why It Is Most Likely Immoral To Deny Your Vote To Trump

We've all seen and participated in some discussions in which Christians have said they won't vote for Trump because he's merely the "lesser of two evils".  When the political landscape has been rehearsed before them, they invariably say that they must be guided by their "consciences".  While there's some truth to that, they omit a large part of that picture.  We Christians, if we are to utilize our consciences properly, must ensure that we are forming and informing our consciences in accordance with Church teaching, particularly in accordance with the principles of Catholic moral theology.

In my most recent post on this matter I linked to a video by Michael Matt regarding this very topic and also linked to other attempts (here and here) to examine this matter through the prism of Catholic moral theology.  I call to attention a comment on that post to which I replied on August 5th.  In that comment I noted that Hillary's body count is growing; indeed, since that time there have been 4-5 additional "mysterious" deaths.  The quotation from Mr. Gruden that I cited is now even more relevant: "Can I in good conscience act in a way that helps a liberal like Hillary Clinton win the presidency?"

In that first link, I quoted from Father Peter West who cites three aspects of a human act.  All three aspects must be good or at least morally neutral in order for the act to be good.  If one of those aspects is evil, then the act is evil.  Those aspects are: 1) the inherent nature of the act 2) intention of the one placing the act, 3) circumstances surrounding the act.  He does a decent job explaining these.  The only thing I might elaborate on is the intention.  One can have a number of valid intentions to placing a vote.  Namely, one can vote for Candidate A because they believe that Candidate B would be worse than A, understanding that either Candidate A or Candidate B and no others will have a chance at victory.

I've also dealt with the Principle of Double Effect, a principle recognized by the Church since some acts can have both positive and negative effects..  There are four criteria that must be met under this principle for an act to be morally good.

1. The act itself must be good or at least morally neutral
2. The evil effect and the good effect must proceed equally from the act.  The good effect cannot be a result of the evil effect
3. The intention must be good; we may not directly will the evil effect.
4. There must be a proportional reason for tolerating the evil effect.  

In previous posts I've brought all these factors to bear on the question of casting a vote for Donald Trump.  So have others.  Even some #nevertrump folks believe that a vote for Trump is at least morally permissible.

However, just as the decision to vote for Trump must be subjected to rigorous scrutiny under the lens of Catholic moral theology, so too must the decision not to vote for Trump be subjected to the same rigorous examination.  It fails.  Right off the bat, looking at the fourth factor of the Double Effect principle, we see no proportional reason for tolerating the election of Hillary Clinton.  Bear in mind that she has promised to expand abortion, promote the gay agenda, fund Planned Parenthood, stack the Supreme Court with pro-aborts, and we see her body count ever-growing.  What "proportional reason" can be offered for tolerating that?

When I've posed that question to some (mostly on facebook discussions) the great majority of them will reply, "but at least I vote my conscience" as though that's a supreme good in and of itself.  I link now to an article found on American Thinker.  Mr. Lopez states, "Of course who wins the election is more important than your precious conscience or how you feel about voting.  Your country matters more than you do.  Has America become so weak and self-absorbed that people no longer understand what it means to say, 'It's not all about you, honey'?"  He has a very valid point.

The role of our conscience is to assist us in selecting acts that are in obedience to God.  That is why we need to form and inform them in accordance with Christ's teachings as revealed through Holy Mother Church (that includes Catholic moral theology).  It is a means to an end, the end being to please God.  We do not seek to assuage or please our own consciences for their own sakes.  If consciences are not informed by and subordinate to objective Catholic morality, they are not much more than pride and sentimentality disguised in sanctimonious veneer. When I hear some of the #nevertrump crowd say "no one can deter me from my conscience" and "I won't sell my soul" I have to suspect that they may well be turning their consciences into de facto idols.

I think for some of the #nevertrump crowd, their animosity towards Trump is a very strange sort of pride.  Allen West (himself a one-time candidate for president) has some words to consider.  He's correct about the tantrums being pitched by these "nevertrump" folks.  Don't we find it odd that they spend more time and energy kvetching about Trump than they do about Hillary?  In their disregard for any consequence of their trash-talking against Trump, they seem quite willing to cut off their noses to spite their faces.

I've asked this before and will repeat myself.  If there are objective reasons (as opposed to subjective resonations with consciences) why one thinks they can just let Hillary waltz into the White House by not supporting Trump, please advise.

Why It Is Most Likely Immoral To Deny Your Vote To Trump (duplicate)

Somehow this post shows up twice.  I would have deleted this one but then I would have lost TLM's comments.  Please note that TLM's comments pertain to the post above this.  Apologies for the confusion.

Today's Abortion Ruling - A Smack On The Head For Some GOP Crybabies

By now most people have heard the Supreme Court's decision on Whole Women's Health Versus Hellerstedt, that essentially gutted Texas' HB 2.  It is a disaster for women as it essentially crippled common-sense regulations for abortuaries.  The ruling was 5-3, with Kennedy joining the usual pro-abort contingent.

If there is a "take-away" for the pro-life community (and all decent people), this underscores the absolute importance of this upcoming presidential election and the need for every one of us to work to defeat the Democratic nominee.  Both Clinton and Sanders have made plain their intentions to further ensconce baby-murder within the fabric of American society.  I fear that whoever the Democrat nominee is, he/she just might win the White House.  Moreover, I believe that if they do so, one leading cause will be the utter stupidity of some who are Christians and pro-life.

It now appears that the GOP nominee might well be Donald Trump.  In the primaries I voted for Ted Cruz because I believe that Cruz' pro-life credentials are far superior to that of Trump's.  Trump's are shaky at best.  There are those in the pro-life community who hold to the stupidly simplistic notion, though, that Trump is no less pro-abortion than the Democrats and thus they intend not to vote for him.  I will now address them directly in the "first-person".

You erroneously hold Trump and Hillary (presumptive Democrat nominee) to be equal in holding malevolent political views.  In doing so, you simply demonstrate that you have no sense of perspective whatsoever.  While there may be uncertainty regarding Trump's stances on abortion, there is absolute certainty regarding Hillary's positions; she has made no secret that she intends to pave the way for further bloodshed in this country.  Is that the certainty that you want to unleash on this country?

You state that your "principles" won't allow you to vote for the "lesser of two evils".  I've dealt so much with the principle of double effect, but will do so again.  A vote for Trump (or the GOP nominee) is not so much voting for "the lesser of two evils" as much as it is acting positively to reduce the harm to be done and to preserve as much good as possible.

Some of you have gone so far as to say that "if Trump is the GOP nominee we deserve Hillary" and you're just fine with Hillary waltzing into the White House; you've said so outright.  I think it's quite telling that from this crowd I see many "#nevertrump" hashtags but hardly ever see these (#neverhillary) tags.  You do so citing their "principles".  May I suggest that if their "principles" impel you to stand by and offer no opposition to Hillary, that your "principles" are not worth a pile of cow-poop?

Some of you have gone through ridiculous logical contortions to justify not voting this November.  Here's one gem I've seen rather frequently: "You say my non-vote for Trump is in Hillary's favor?  Well then my non-vote for Hillary is in Trump's favor".  That's not how it works.  Any reduction in the vote for the GOP nominee means that the Democrat will have fewer opposing votes to overcome to win the election - that's the simple math.

Thus far I've been addressing comments to the #nevertrump crowd, but another demographic group needs to cease their snit-fits as well.  The GOP convention has not yet occurred.  I've no idea of the various machinations that can occur in the conventions, but there is an outside chance that Trump will not be the nominee.  Similar to what I've been hearing from the #nevertrump crowd, I've been hearing from Trump fans that if the nomination is "stolen" from Trump, then it will be they who sit out the election.  Do you see how both camps are carrying on like they're still stuck in kindergarten?

You who are in either camp must get over your petty rivalries (and that is what they are, sanctimonious prattle about "principles" notwithstanding).  Hillary must be stopped and we must act positively to stop her.  Any who dare not vote or "vote third-party" may well find yourselves with the blood of innocent babies on your hands - oh, not to the extent of abortionist to be sure.  But if you refuse to act proactively to prevent the damage that Hillary will do if she's given the chance, you will bear some of the moral responsibility for that.

No matter who wins the GOP nomination, let's put on our big-people pants and vote for that GOP nominee so as to prevent a truly evil Democrat from taking the White House.

Yes, Voting In This Election Is Necessary

It is not often when I disagree with His Excellency Rene Gracida, Bishop Emeritus of Corpus Christi.  However, in light of this post of his, I must.  I see two flaws in this post.

First, there is this notion that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are equally evil.  I think that has been amply demonstrated by enough people that simply isn't the reality of the situation.  Hillary has already proven her depravity during her public career - and her record includes a trail of dead bodies.  A commenter on the bishop's post asked for a list of Trump's evils, mentioning that no list was necessary for Hillary.  When such a list can be produced (I mean actual evil committed, not just verbalized) that is comparable to Hillary's, then I'll concede that the bishop has a point.

Second, the bishop seems to think that in the matter of this election, that our action of voting isn't necessary.  I hold that it is very necessary, for one simple reason.  Of the two unequally evil outcomes, one will inevitably occur.  If the bishop is implying that we don't have a positive moral duty to at least mitigate the harm done, then he may inadvertently be justifying and even advocating a sin of omission on the part of Catholic voters.  The act of voting is, in and of itself, a moral good.  Its morality can be impacted by the intended aim of the voter.  We also know that in the poll, we can vote so as to oppose a candidate as much as to support one; the bishop himself acknowledges that fact as he suggests a "write-in" for Cruz.

When we deliberate any action, we must consider any foreseeable consequences of the action.  We cannot act in reckless disregard for these consequences, even if we don't deliberately intend them.  To do so would be a sin against prudence.  Too many of the #nevertrump crowd are engaging in such sin - and they seem to be quite proud of it!  Go figure!  They refuse to learn from history!  Look at what happened when they refused to vote for McCain eight years ago and Romney four years ago!  What kind of "principles" allow these folks to disregard such foreseeable disasters as they deliberate how to cast their votes?  Must we have a repeat of these last eight years?  Must we allow Hillary entrance into the White House where she (and her husband) can complete the work of dismantling the United States (and probably adding to their body count)?

My dear fellow Christians!  Wake up!  Please regain a sense of perspective about our current situation and vote for the GOP candidate!  That is the only effective way to stop Hillary (or Bernie).

The Suicidal Whining Of The #nevertrump Crowd

Some seriously individuals, deluded by their own frustrations, have decided to jump on a bandwagon with the hashtag #nevertrump.  I and others have commented on this mental disconnect.

With some variations, what we hear from them is this: "My favorite guy didn't win!  Therefore I will not vote or write my favorite in or otherwise waste my vote.  Who cares about the consequences?"  This is quite similar to the pouts we hear from small children: "I don't like things here so I'm going to take my toys and go home!  So there!"   In one Facebook discussion I asked why I'm not seeing any of the #nevertrump folks sport hashtags that say #neverhillary.  The response is rather telling:

Clearly we have a "cut off the nose to spite the face" mentality.  Not only are they refusing to bring logic and reason to bear on the matter, but they actually seem to hold logic and reason in disdain.

One individual on Facebook who is associated with a leading Catholic site, posted, "You know, I think I'm ok with Hillary for four years, if that means that the GOP gets its shit together."  Perhaps we can cut him some slack for he is Canadian, but a reasonable person will not be ok with Hillary in light of what I found on another Facebook post.  Here is a list of associates of the Clintons who, over the years, met with "untimely" deaths.  To wit:

1- James McDougal – Clintons convicted Whitewater partner died of an apparent heart attack, while in solitary confinement. He was a key witness in Ken Starr’s investigation.
2 – Mary Mahoney – A former White House intern was murdered July 1997 at a Starbucks Coffee Shop in Georgetown .. The murder happened just after she was to go public with her story of sexual harassment in the White House.
3 – Vince Foster – Former White House councilor, and colleague of Hillary Clinton at Little Rock’s Rose Law firm. Died of a gunshot wound to the head, ruled a suicide.
4 – Ron Brown – Secretary of Commerce and former DNC Chairman. Reported to have died by impact in a plane crash. A pathologist close to the investigation reported that there was a hole in the top of Brown’s skull resembling a gunshot wound. At the time of his death Brown was being investigated, and spoke publicly of his willingness to cut a deal with prosecutors. The rest of the people on the plane also died. A few days later the air Traffic controller committed suicide.
5 – C. Victor Raiser, II – Raiser, a major player in the Clinton fund raising organization died in a private plane crash in July 1992.
6 – Paul Tulley – Democratic National Committee Political Director found dead in a hotelroom in Little Rock , September 1992. Described by Clinton as a “dear friend and trusted advisor”.
7 – Ed Willey – Clinton fundraiser, found dead November 1993 deep in the woods in VA of a gunshot wound to the head. Ruled a suicide. Ed Willey died on the same day his wife Kathleen Willey claimed Bill Clinton groped her in the oval office in the White House. Ed Willey was involved in several Clinton fund raising events.
8 – Jerry Parks – Head of Clinton’s gubernatorial security team in Little Rock .. Gunned down in his car at a deserted intersection outside Little Rock Park’s son said his father was building a dossier on Clinton He allegedly threatened to reveal this information. After he died the files were mysteriously removed from his house.
9 – James Bunch – Died from a gunshot suicide. It was reported that he had a “Black Book” of people which contained names of influential people who visited prostitutes in Texas and Arkansas
10 – James Wilson – Was found dead in May 1993 from an apparent hanging suicide. He was reported to have ties to Whitewater..
11 – Kathy Ferguson – Ex-wife of Arkansas Trooper Danny Ferguson, was found dead in May 1994, in her living room with a gunshot to her head. It was ruled a suicide even though there were several packed suitcases, as if she were going somewhere. Danny Ferguson was a co-defendant along with Bill Clinton in the Paula Jones lawsuit Kathy Ferguson was a possible corroborating witness for Paula Jones.
12 – Bill Shelton – Arkansas State Trooper and fiancee of Kathy Ferguson. Critical of the suicide ruling of his fiancee, he was found dead in June, 1994 of a gunshot wound also ruled a suicide at the grave site of his fiancee.
13 – Gandy Baugh – Attorney for Clinton’s friend Dan Lassater, died by jumping out a window of a tall building January, 1994. His client was a convicted drug distributor.
14 – Florence Martin – Accountant & sub-contractor for the CIA, was related to the Barry Seal, Mena, Arkansas, airport drug smuggling case. He died of three gunshot wounds.
15 – Suzanne Coleman – Reportedly had an affair with Clinton when he was Arkansas Attorney General. Died of a gunshot wound to the back of the head, ruled a suicide. Was pregnant at the time of her death.
16 – Paula Grober – Clinton’s speech interpreter for the deaf from 1978 until her death December 9, 1992. She died in a one car accident.
17 – Danny Casolaro - Investigative reporter. Investigating MenaAirport and Arkansas Development Finance Authority. He slit his wrists, apparently, in the middle of his investigation.
18 – Paul Wilcher - Attorney investigating corruption at MenaAirport with Casolaro and the 1980 “October Surprise” was found dead on a toilet June 22, 1993, in his WashingtonDC apartment. Had delivered a report to Janet Reno 3 weeks before his death.
19 – Jon Parnell Walker – Whitewater investigator for Resolution Trust Corp. Jumped to his death from his Arlington , Virginia apartment balcony August 15, 1993. He was investigating the Morgan Guaranty scandal.
20 – Barbara Wise – Commerce Department staffer. Worked closely with Ron Brown and John Huang. Cause of death unknown. Died November 29, 1996. Her bruised, nude body was found locked in her office at the Department of Commerce.
21 – Charles Meissner – Assistant Secretary of Commerce who gave John Huang special security clearance, died shortly thereafter in a small plane crash.
22 – Dr. Stanley Heard – Chairman of the National Chiropractic Health Care Advisory Committee died with his attorney Steve Dickson in a small plane crash. Dr. Heard, in addition to serving on Clinton ‘s advisory council personally treated Clinton’s mother, stepfather and brother.
23 – Barry Seal – Drug running TWA pilot out of Mena Arkansas, death was no accident.
24 – Johnny Lawhorn, Jr. – Mechanic, found a check made out to Bill Clinton in the trunk of a car left at his repair shop. He was found dead after his car had hit a utility pole.
25 – Stanley Huggins – Investigated Madison Guaranty. His death was a purported suicide and his report was never released.
26 – Hershell Friday – Attorney and Clinton fundraiser died March 1, 1994, when his plane exploded.
27 – Kevin Ives & Don Henry – Known as “The boys on the track” case. Reports say the boys may have stumbled upon the Mena Arkansas airport drug operation. A controversial case, the initial report of death said, due to falling asleep on railroad tracks. Later reports claim the 2 boys had been slain before being placed on the tracks. Many linked to the case died before their testimony could come before a Grand Jury.

THE FOLLOWING PERSONS HAD INFORMATION ON THE IVES/HENRY CASE:
28 – Keith Coney – Died when his motorcycle slammed into the back of a truck, 7/88.
29 – Keith McMaskle – Died, stabbed 113 times, Nov, 1988
30 – Gregory Collins – Died from a gunshot wound January 1989.
31 – Jeff Rhodes – He was shot, mutilated and found burned in a trash dump in April 1989.
32 – James Milan – Found decapitated. However, the Coroner ruled his death was due to natural causes”.
33 – Jordan Kettleson – Was found shot to death in the front seat of his pickup truck in June 1990.
34 – Richard Winters – A suspect in the Ives/Henry deaths. He was killed in a set-up robbery July 1989.

THE FOLLOWING CLINTON BODYGUARDS ARE DEAD
35 – Major William S. Barkley, Jr.
36 – Captain Scott J . Reynolds
37 – Sgt. Brian Hanley
38 – Sgt. Tim Sabel
39 – Major General William Robertson
40 – Col. William Densberger
41 – Col. Robert Kelly
42 – Spec. Gary Rhodes
43 – Steve Willis
44 – Robert Williams
45 – Conway LeBleu
46 – Todd McKeehan

That of course doesn't include the Benghazi Four, or the millions of dead babies whose murders were facilitated by both the Freedom of Choice Act and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act that Bill Clinton signed.  Here's some more food for thought to illustrate why her presidency would be an unmitigated horror for the United States.

Trump, for all his admitted faults, has no dead people to his charge as do the Clintons.  In many ways he is a wild card, true.  But we know what Hillary would do, should she win.  To my #nevertrump friends: please cease immediately your petulant whining.  Ted Cruz (for whom I voted) is not the candidate.  Please put on the big boy/girl pants and work to deny Hillary the White House.