Iowa Catholic Conference makes new voting flyer available

St Michael, Redemption Grotto, West Bend, Iowa

ASK THESE QUESTIONS OF CANDIDATES IN IOWA

An affirmative answer would be consistent with the positions of the Iowa Catholic Conference. Do you support:

• Protecting the dignity of human life from conception until natural death?
• Placing restrictions on abortion funding and mandates?
• Ensuring alternatives to abortion by funding organizations that assist women in crisis pregnancies?
• Requiring a 24-hour reflection period before an abortion?
• Restoring Iowa’s ban on all human cloning and prohibiting embryonic stem cell research?
• Maintaining Iowa’s status as a “no death penalty” state?
• Passing legislation that helps all immigrants provide for their families and become participating members of their communities?
• Enacting a fair and just tax system, a just living wage, and fair and reasonable labor practices by employers?
• Passing legislation to outlaw unfair lending practices?
• Establishing community-based corrections for prisoners who are not a threat to the community?
• Passing measures to preserve, protect and improve the quality of the air, water and land?
• Increasing tax credits to individual and corporate contributors to a “school tuition organization” for scholarships to low-income children so they may attend a nonpublic school?
• Increasing funding for textbooks, transportation and technology for children in public and nonpublic schools?
• Amending Iowa’s Constitution to recognize marriage only as a union of one man and one woman?
The way to do this is by convening a constitutional convention. Every 10 years, including this year, Iowa voters have the opportunity to call for a constitutional convention. A “yes” vote on this measure will allow Catholics and others to work for a marriage amendment to the Iowa Constitution. This amendment would affirm the traditional understanding that marriage is a union of one man and one woman.

Check out the full Faithful Citizenship Iowa

Why this sucks:
Why are we putting "unfair lending practices" on the same level as "protecting human life?"  This is yet another failure of the USCCB's Faithful Citizenship and does a DIS-service to the pro-life community by muddying the waters for pro-choice Catholic politicians to now hide behind the argument that they support some of the issues important to Catholics.  Issues of Life and Family are not negotiable with our politicians.  Until bishops make that clear, these lists(which ARE good) will be misused by our enemies as a Church endorsement for someone who supports " improve the quality of the air" but is still an unwavering abortion supporter.  I DO think it is a good list, but we have to take into account that American Liberalism is a religion unto itself.  They are only looking to conform their religion to fit into their political party's platform.  For bishops to be effective, they must have a list of non-negotiables.

Photo Tammy @ Flickr