But you're a loyal Democrat. Or perhaps instead, you're a loyal Republican. Never mind that. Your political affiliation is not that important.

What's crucially important is your affiliation with Jesus, and your commitment to his campaign - to his divine plan.

Are you voting for Jesus Christ?

Oh, but Jesus is not running for election. Oh, but yes he is!

He is running as an unborn baby threatened by abortion, a starving child, a poor mother whose resources have run out, a war-weary desperate father with five children, a hard-working undocumented immigrant, a Christian refugee fleeing ISIS, a Central American teenager seeking asylum from gang violence, a heroin addicted young man, a little child drinking polluted water, a lonely old woman with meager resources, a young sweatshop worker, a homeless man, a trafficked girl trapped in prostitution, and a seriously ill elderly lady informed that a physician is available to assist her in committing suicide.

Oh yes, Jesus is surely campaigning - for the vulnerable and poor, for the care of creation and for peace on earth.

However, sad to say, his party - the human race - is not leading in the polls. Most wealthy individuals, corporations and government office holders are far more interested in holding unto their riches and power than in voting for, and working for, the human race.

Consequently, countless members of the human race continue to suffer from war, war preparation, poverty, hunger, starvation, homelessness, unemployment, underemployment, environmental degradation, slave labor, trafficking, capital punishment, physician-assisted suicide and abortion.

The 2016 U.S. elections are of crucial importance not only for America, but for the human race. Because the U.S. is the world's strongest military and economic power, the November elections are of great importance to the inhabitants of planet earth. That is exactly why it is crucial for Christians to enter the voting booth with a well-formed conscience based on Gospel values.

The compassionate integrity - or lack thereof - of the next president and members of Congress, will significantly determine how well, or how poorly, the human race does in the next several years.

"Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship" (go to http://bit.ly/1kHJsse), produced by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, is a very good election guide to help Catholics, all other Christians, and people of good will to make the best moral choices. The bishops are urging us to read the entire document.

In this document the bishops teach that as each person strives to form her/his conscience, it is essential "to embrace goodness and truth. For Catholics, this begins with a willingness and openness to seek the truth and what is right by studying Sacred Scripture and the teaching of the Church as contained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church."

The bishops clarify that while we may choose different ways to respond to compelling social problems, "We cannot differ on our moral obligation to help build a more just and peaceful world through morally acceptable means, so that the weak and vulnerable are protected and human rights and dignity are defended."

May voters everywhere commit to voting for candidates who are most likely to work for the common good of the entire human race - especially for the poor, vulnerable, war-torn, and planet earth - our common home.

As faithful disciples of Jesus, let us never forget that when it comes to political elections, as well as in all matters, the Gospel trumps everything!

• Tony Magliano is an internationally syndicated social justice and peace columnist. He is available to speak at diocesan or parish gatherings about Catholic social teaching. His keynote address, "Advancing the Kingdom of God in the 21st Century," has been well received by diocesan and parish gatherings from Santa Clara, Calif. to Baltimore, Md. Tony can be reached at tmag@zoominternet.net.

Directing what he calls "the strong right arm" of the Church, he is a champion for many conservative Catholics for many of the same reasons the Catholic left considers him deeply problematic.

One major, longstanding reason for such polarization is his prioritization of abortion as a uniquely important political issue.

At the Knights' international convention last week he suggested no other issue could outweigh abortion in our political considerations, given that it is "killing on a massive scale."

Anderson also appeared to claim that Catholics may not vote for a pro-choice politician.

"It is time to end the entanglement of Catholic people with abortion killing," he said.

"It is time to stop creating excuses for voting for pro-abortion politicians."

His statements have drawn the ire of left-leaning Catholics such as Anthony Annett atDotCommonweal.

Annett asks "Why is abortion such a unique category?" and expertly demonstrates problems with appeals to concepts like non-negotiability and intrinsic evil.

But Anderson make his reasoning quite clear as to why he thinks abortion deserves unique consideration: millions and millions and millions of horrific killings. One million every year.

On this score, Anderson is surely correct.

No other issue comes close to the importance of abortion because no other issue is dealing with the actual, real-life slaughter of the most vulnerable on this scale.

These are children who, Pope Francis reminds us, have the face of Christ as the paradigmatic example of the least among us.

Though Anderson didn't mention it, another reason abortion deserves unique standing is because of how many millions of women are explicitly and structurally coerced into it.

Abortion on demand was created by men to serve the interests of men.

Feminists for Life reminds us that another important evil of abortion is that it violently exploits women as well.

Speaking frankly, the Catholic left has been grossly negligent when it comes to taking the gravity of massive abortion violence seriously.

Other proportionate reasons

It's one thing to acknowledge the complexity of the issues and reject GOP solutions to the problem. But it is quite another to simply sit by in silence as the Democratic party is taken over by what I call "abortion-is-awesome" extremism.

Though Anderson is absolutely correct about the unique status of abortion, he is absolutely incorrect if he is claiming Catholics have a moral obligation to avoid voting for a pro-choice candidate.

Back in February I wrote a piece arguing that Catholics may vote for Bernie Sanders, and much of that argument applies to Hillary Clinton as well.

This is not "making excuses," but simply following the reasoning of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who in his previous role as head of the CDF, said:

"When a Catholic does not share a candidate's stand in favour of abortion and/or euthanasia, but votes for that candidate for other reasons, it is considered remote material cooperation [with evil], which can be permitted in the presence of proportionate reasons." Continue reading

• Charlie Camosy is Associate Professor of Theological and Social Ethics at Fordham University, where he has taught since finishing his PhD in theology at Notre Dame in 2008.
• Image: Vimeo

The Samoa Observer reported that the decision "contributed largely to absence of violence and unruly behaviour in most villages".

The presence of church pastors at voting places also helped with security, the newspaper stated.

The election on March 4 saw Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi and his Human Rights Protection Party collective prevail.

Five cabinet ministers lost their seats in the election.

At a thanksgiving service on March 6, Rev. Toailoa Peleti of the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa urged HRPP party members to put God first as he is the creator of all things.

"God has chosen all of you to be the caretakers of the people and leaders of the country," Rev. Toailoa said.

"So you need to lead with love and honesty.

"You have been chosen by the people of your constituency because they trust and believe in you.

"It is God's will for you to be here and through the people he has made it happen."

The leader of the Tautua Samoa Party, Palusalue Fa'apo II, congratulated the Prime Minister, but expressed fears about Samoa's future.

"Without an opposition, we are now a one party state," he said.

Samoan law requires a party to have at least eight members to be recognised as an opposition by Parliament.

As of March 9, the Tautua Party had only three members in Parliament.

Mr Fa'apo said there had been a lot of bribery during the elections.

"There was a lot of money that had been floated around. It was the use of money where the election result was determined."

Sources

• Samoa Observer
• Samoa Observer
• Samoa Observer
• Samoa Observer
• Image: Radio New Zealand

According to the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference website, the statement is written for Catholics to read and reflect upon.

It begins with a quote from Pope Francis: "The goal of economics and politics is to serve humanity, beginning with the poorest and most vulnerable, wherever they may be, even in their mothers' wombs."

But the bishops were quick to say that neither themselves nor the Church would tell people who to vote for.

"Catholic teaching advises us on how to think about who to vote for. This takes a bit more work, and a lot more thinking and talking," the statement explained.

The bishops said that no political party or platform represents the totality of the Church's teaching.

They acknowledged that sometimes voters might feel they are faced with having to choose between important issues, for example, prioritising a politician's or a party's position on euthanasia or poverty.

"Catholic teaching does not trade off the well-being of vulnerable groups of people against one another," the statement argued.

"We seek political outcomes that protect the lives and wellbeing of all vulnerable people."

The bishops said there is a "special responsibility to engage with the political party that we intend to support in an election, and to speak up for the poor and the vulnerable through the whole political cycle".

"This means challenging all politicians and political parties, especially the one for whom you decide to vote."

The statement went on to address the following issues: People living in poverty; People living with pain, illness or approaching the end of their lives; Unborn children; Refugees, asylum seekers and migrants; People in prison; People without a vote;

It concluded with an exhortation: "Question, discuss, debate, pray, be involved, and speak out for the poor and vulnerable among us as you decide how to cast your vote."

New Zealand's General Election is on September 20.

Source

• New Zealand Catholic Bishops' Conference
• Image: elections.org.nz

"Everyone should have a nice life," she tells a small audience at a Wellington bar. "Small actions, multiplied, can lead to big change," she says.

Laura, 25, outlines her pitch for RockEnrol, a movement to increase youth voter turnout.

The audience is a mix of smartphones and activists wearing knitted jumpers; committed environmentalists and social media addicts.

Laura talks about crowd-funding the campaign, getting musicians and artists on board, and convincing people that government is cool. "I grew up in the age of Paris Hilton and the Kardashians," she says, and government just isn't glam.

She describes RockEnrol as a "crowd-fuelled youth-led movement to try and build and activate political power for young people in Aotearoa".

"We use the cultural mediums that young people are already engaged in to try to make politics more relevant and resonant - so that's popular culture, music, events, art, things like that."

The idea is to hold events - gigs, house parties, festivals, a carnival - for which the price of admission is a promise to vote in September's election. They'll also be running marketing and education campaigns.

These measures are necessary because fewer than half of 18-29 year olds voted in the last election.Turnout has been declining in much of the world for decades.

New Zealand's numbers sit in about the middle of the OECD, so there's no crisis yet.

We're one of the easiest countries in the world to enrol to vote and cast your ballot. And yet, people are worried about what the decline means for our democracy. Continue reading.

Source: The Wireless

Image: NewsTalkZB

Electoral Commission representative Alice Guguna said the awareness was a civic-voter education strategy to educate people in the remote areas on the election process and their right to vote freely, fairly and safely.

Caritas PNG has been a long-time partner of the commission in educating the people on the election process.
It has produced awareness materials such as posters, leaflets and brochures to educate the people on the importance of casting their votes without being intimidated.