Saved by the ballot

By Todd Stadler · Friday, November 16, 2007 12:46am

In contrast to my previous post, I will now endeavor to write something timely and short. Well, how about timely, then?

I don't normally pay attention to what Catholics do and say because (a) I'm a Lutheran, and (b) there's an awful lot of Catholics out there doing and saying things. I can't keep track.

But a recent story in the newspaper about the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops caught my eye for what it said. Overall, the story dealt with a statement ("Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship" — you can read the full thing as a PDF) from the conference about how Catholics should not forget their faith when they vote. Which is all well and good. Don't support the immoral policies of political candidates. Fine. Great.

What I have a problem with, frankly, is the faith that the Catholic bishops would have their flock follow — after all, what is the point of exercising one's faith if it is misplaced?

The bishops believe that one's salvation is contingent on what one does. Or, to quote from the statement, "It is important to be clear that the political choices faced by citizens not only have an impact on general peace and prosperity but also may affect the individual's salvation." Let's read that again: "political choices ... may affect the individual's salvation."

So, like, no pressure or anything, but filling in that oval might send you to Hell. Just sayin'.

And that would be great and all, if only it lined up with what God says. But hey, don't take my word for it. Let's ask Paul, who seems to have had a hand in writing some Bible stuff. What say you, Paul?

"It is by [God's] grace you have been saved, through faith ... not by works, so that no one can boast." Hmm, we're not saved by what we do? Perhaps that quote was out of context ...

"We maintain that a man is declared righteous by faith apart from observing the law" (that is, God's expectations of us). That also sounds like our forgiveness isn't dependent on us. But the whole first eight chapters of Paul's letter to the Romans are kind of like that. Maybe his letter to the Galatians ...

"Are you so foolish? ... Are you now trying to attain your goal (salvation) by human effort? ... All who rely on observing the law (that is, on what they do) are under a curse, for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.' Clearly no one is declared righteous before God by the law, because, 'The righteous will live by faith.'" "The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ... If righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" Yeah, come to think of it, the whole book of Galatians is like that, too.

So it sounds like God's pretty emphatic about our salvation not being dependent on what we do — even voting! — but rather on what he did for us (in spite of what we've done). Which makes the following quote a bit odd:

"One of the responsibilities that I believe we have as bishops is to let our people know that the choices and the decisions that they make in their lives here on Earth do impact their salvation," said Bishop Samuel J. Aquila. "And we as bishops are really called to be about the salvation of souls."

I'd feel better about that if their understanding of salvation jived with God's.