An editorial from the Ft. Wayne Indiana newspaper “The Journal Gazette” is urging faith based voters to show prudence when they enter the voting booth.
The editorial commends efforts by some of the region’s religious groups to register voters but cautions “the line between government and religion is vital to democracy……and faith-led voter campaigns should always avoid crossing it.” That’s a message the religious groups involved already seem to understand.
One event is called “Gaining God’s Guidance,” a “2016 Presidential Election Prayer Gathering”, which invites participants to “seek guidance from God through prayer.” The event is meant to “guide participants through a prayer-time of praise, gratitude, repentance and hopefulness, ending with the Lord’s Prayer.”
Meanwhile, the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese is also working to register voters. The effort’s trained volunteers will not only register voters and encourage them to go to the polls, they will also engage in conversations with potential voters to encourage them to prayerfully consider Catholic teaching and values when making their electoral choices and to “vote their values.”
The paper’s editorial board seemed impressed concluding – “Urging potential voters to examine their values or engage in prayer before the election is wholly appropriate. The right and duty to vote are cornerstones of our American system.”