The presidential Race

In short, the 2012 field for the most part sucks.....but hopefully by writing this I'm able to help you all understand a few things.

As a Catholic, we have certain principles which we must uphold.
1) Pro-Life*
2) Pro-Family
3) Pro-traditional marriage
4) Pro-parental rights
5) Believes in the application of subsidiarity.

While there are certainly more, I'm keeping the list short.

I put an asterisk next to the Pro Life, because this needs some expansion. To be pro-Life means to promote Life from conception to natural death. It means that one must stand against abortion and euthanasia. As these are grave violations of the dignity of the human person. It does NOT mean that you have to be against the death penalty. Why not? The Death penalty sometimes involves the taking of an innocent life, where abortion and euthanasia always take an innocent life. It means that one must take a stand against immoral embryonic stem cell research. (Ones that involve the killing of life). The Church is not against moral methods of finding embryonic stem cells (such as umbilical chord).

There are other issues which are of secondary importance
1) Healthcare
2) Immigration
3) various other issues.

Healthcare, insofar as it's been deigned by God is a right, or what is better known as the ordinary means of care. Food, water, every person has a right to, this was set up by God for us. Modern healthcare as we know it is a man made invention, enlightened by God. To say that someone has a right to this would be a misuse of terms. It wasn't directly deigned by God. Now certainly there is a moral obligation for healthcare, but not in the strictest sense the "right" to it as it's often portrayed. Now how this obligation is carried out can be up for debate.

Exactly same thing for immigration. People have a right to it, but a limited right insofar as they follow the laws of the country that they are moving to. It is not an absolute right insofar as someone can just show up unannounced. Think of your property. Does any person have a right to walk on your property that you own? No, it is your private land, which you can do with what you want. (Not addressing the moral obligation at this time). Who you let on your property is up to you. It is in your rights to restrict access to your place. Likewise it is the right of a country to restrict who can enter or leave the country. This process is called legal immigration. Intentions aren't really all that important. It doesn't matter whether someone intends to live a better life, or for a positive reason. Ignorance of the law can't be pleaded. This is a matter of prudential judgement, but the rights of both sides must be respected in any immigration reform debate.

Over the coming weeks I'll be analyzing each of the candidates and ranking them on a 10 point scale for each position that the candidates hold. It's probably a bit late for this, but hey, I figure, why not.

Beats anything the USCCB will be publishing.