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| The Catholic Vote: A Guide for the Perplexed | 
 enlarge | Authors: Clarke E. Cochran, David Carroll Cochran
Publisher: Orbis Books
Category: Book
List Price: $16.00
Buy New: $9.33
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (4 reviews)
Sales Rank: 121363
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 134
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.4
ISBN: 1570757429
Dewey Decimal Number: 324.9730088282
EAN: 9781570757426
ASIN: 1570757429
Publication Date: January 30, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 MIsses the mark May 6, 2008
4 out of 7 found this review helpful
This book really tries to be unbiased, but I'm afraid it misses the mark. Over and over, people are encouraged to use discernment to vote, but the authors make it clear that if there is one issue that a voter discerns to be of greatest moral value, then they are not faithful. The authors admit to struggling with the Catholic Church on issues of gender and sexuality, and I think Catholics who wish to form their consciences with true Catholic theology would be far better off getting their direction from sources who are not confused about Church teachings.
Try "Catholics in the Public Square" instead April 3, 2008
6 out of 11 found this review helpful
The authors of this book take aim at the "Voter's Guide for Serious Catholics" put out by the lay apostolate Catholic Answers: "While the Catholic Answer guide minimizes the role of prudence in its five 'non-negotiables,' on other issues it invokes prudence to set aside entire areas of Church teaching."
Yet in a March 2006 speech to European parliamentarians, Pope Benedict himself used the term "not negotiable" to describe Catholic responsibilities in the public square for three areas: (1) protection of life in all its stages, from the first moment of conception until natural death; (2) recognition and promotion of the natural structure of the family - as a union between a man and a woman based on marriage - and its defense from attempts to make it juridically equivalent to radically different forms of union which in reality harm it and contribute to its destabilization, obscuring its particular character and its irreplaceable social role; and (3) the protection of the right of parents to educate their children.
These are virtually the same "not negotiable" areas identified by the Catholic Answers guide.
Pope Benedict again used the term "not negotiable" in reference to these three areas in the apostolic exhortation "Sacramentum Caritatis," released in the spring of 2007. So by denigrating this term, the authors run the risk of trying to be "more Catholic than the Pope."
For a faithful guide that is true to the authoritative teachings of the Church's Magisterium, or teaching office, try Bishop Thomas Olmsted's short Q&A book Catholics In The Public Square.
 The book that should be in all parishes, in the U.S. March 19, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
"The Catholic Vote, A Guide for the Perplexed," is a book that requires the reader to be prudent about using Catholic Social Teachings when evaluating who to vote for. This is a surprising read, which will cause one to review what the Church teaches in the area of voting. It makes one think outside of the Democrat and Republican mold. If one wishes to just get the bare-bones of this book read chapter 4 and chapter 5. Enjoy.
At last - an even-handed guide!!! March 9, 2008
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
I am a high school theology teacher who has long been looking for a Catholic (as opposed to Republican or Democratic) examination of the Church's teachings on citizenship and a thoughtful analysis of how to apply those teachings to the real world. Yes, I've read the U.S. Bishops letter on "faithful citizenship," but it reads like what it is - the product of a committee. Clarke & David Cochran's "The Catholic Vote" is, by far, the most balanced guide I've encountered.
If you want a screed, Catholic Answers puts out a voter's guide that probably should be paid for by the Republican Party. They list five "non-negotiables" - five intrinsic evils - that should determine how one votes, they claim. Conveniently, all five are part of the traditional Republican platform. All the rest of the issues are dismissed as being "prudential judgments." This might sound good at first examination, but why did they pick just those five? Torture is an intrinsic evil, but that's not mentioned.
As the Cochran book says, "While the Catholic Answer guide minimizes the role of prudence in its five 'non-negotiables,' on other issues it invokes prudence to set aside entire areas of Church teaching."
If you're a good Catholic who doesn't want to be a shill for either party (I'm a registered Independent, BTW), this is the book to read.
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