What role does personal conscience have in my decision to vote?

Conscience must be informed but can never be disobeyed. God would never allow you to justify a wrong act as good, and permit any act that is wrong. Your conscience, presuming you are forming it properly by learning and being open to the Spirit, would tell you when you are doing any act that is wrong. And since we are followers of our Divine Master, we must obey the laws and commandments as set down by Him, and interpreted by his Church.

Recently the voters of the state of NJ were asked to approve of the use of embryonic stem cells for research. The voters of that state overwhelmingly denied permission for this use. This was a hotly debated issue among the Senate and Assembly candidates, but the people spoke with their informed consciences in their voting.

If we don't vote our conscience then the laws that support abortion, the death penalty, unjust war, disrespect of immigrants and the poor will never be overturned. Catholics have a moral responsibility to speak loudly and clearly the voices of our consciences, and let those in office or running for office know by our votes where we stand.

I am sure that we have all seen young teenagers wearing bracelets with the initials on them of WWJD. Ask yourself that question (What Would Jesus Do?) as we enter the voting booths of this country in the primaries, and also as we elect a new President of our United States this November.

As Christians and Catholics we must think with our mind, pray and vote with our informed consciences in any and all elections. Hopefully we are voting for and electing those men and woman into office who hold as closely as possible, the ideals that we ourselves possess, as followers of Jesus.