A progressive National Catholic Reporter conducted an election poll among Catholics in 7 key US states. Surveyers were amazed by the political views of Catholic voters, especially on cultural and church issues.
One of the questions was, "What values are most crucial to the candidate?". The suggested answers include options specified as respect for life, concern for creation, honesty, concern for the poor, human dignity and common good, equality and justice. "NCR" considered these values to be pillars of Catholic social science. The option of "care to preserve the American way of life" has emerged as a subject addressed by both Democrats ("We Don't Back Down") and Republicans ("Make America large Again").
The survey shows that more than three-quarters of American Catholic voters have indicated honesty as a key value on which the success of democratic institutions depends. The second place included concern for human dignity and common good. Two-thirds of voters considered the protection of the American way of life important.
Respect for life and justice was chosen by 58% and 59% of respondents respectively. Half of Catholics considered caring for the mediocre crucial erstwhile selecting candidates, which amazed the pollers of the “NCR” who believe that this should be a key criterion erstwhile choosing the highest positions in the state.
Nearly 90% of respondents considered Catholic identity to be highly important. According to the ‘NCR’, ‘Catholic identity is both cultural and behavioural’. 1 4th of respondents regularly attend Mass all week or more, and 1 3rd participates in it “more than erstwhile a month”. Half of all Catholics pray all day.
Catholic voters have pointed out many sources from which they derive their values, but fewer turn for political guidance to clergy (about 13%). little than a tenth of them form their political views under the influence of bishops or pope Francis.
Catholics were divided in consequence to the question of whether religion “contributed” to divisions in the country or “helped overcome them”. The answers spread about equally.
Only 13% of Catholic voters stated that they had read a bishop's paper on the formation of Catholic conscience "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship".
Catholic voters besides amazed about abortion. More than a 3rd (36%) considered "reproductive rights/abortion" to be an crucial topic, but only 13% said that they would not vote for a candidate who did not share their views on the subject.
For Catholics, there are besides 2 another problems that are not negotiable: economy and immigration. "NCR" expressed concern that "in the issue of immigration Catholics have no scruples, ignoring the teaching of the Church". In the poll, after quoting the comments of Pope Francis on "minor evil", in which he mentioned Donald Trump's immigration policy as "against life", 3 quarters of the Catholics supporting Trump stated that his position on this issue was 1 of the reasons for their support. Only 8% declared that they support him "despite" his immigration policy.
Summarizing the results of the survey, it was found that Catholics are not a unified group of voters, unlike white evangelicals who mostly support Republicans or black Protestants who mostly support Democrats. There are clear differences between different groups of Catholics, specified as white and Latin Catholics.
Secondly, "the Catholic faith, unlike the teaching of the Church, is sufficiently spacious to accommodate people with very different political ideologies."
Thirdly, the upcoming presidential elections and the complementary elections to legislature will be "very equalized", which is why "the old saying about the voice of Catholics is inactive valid: there is no uniform Catholic vote, but Catholic votes will decide the election".
Source: ncronline.org
AS
