Politics.

There are firsts for everything and seminary has been a place where I have done many new things for the first time. Take, for example, this year's presidential election; it was my first time voting. I had never cared or really felt strongly about politics until I became Catholic, but since then I have considered it more and more.

In college I developed a "moderate" political identity without any affiliation to any party. Since my knowledge and understanding of the truth has been fortified by my Catholic faith, I have become increasingly more aware of the Church's pro-life identity. We are pro-life at the core. While it may seem tough for some to understand, it is really common sense. Morality must stay at the forefront of our philosophy. We must never give in to societal trends and movements which, as G.K. Chesterton noted, are usually the repeated errors on the path, while the Church is the constant teacher against even future errors.

Maybe I am a one issue voter, but I don't see it that way. Consider war, for instance. Certainly I see war as an issue that demeans the dignity of human life. The Pope himself attempted to dissuade President Bush from entering into armed conflict. War, however, can be justified under certain circumstances. There are other issues, though, that can never be justified for any reason. Abortion is one of them. What really is in contention is the hierarchy of life issues, and it is in this regard that the Church demands lines be drawn. For this reason, we have to continue to strive for the Truth, shedding the light of Christ and his Church to the millions of people who are in desperate need of it. We need to teach the truth unhindered by our desire not to offend people. That is not an option; there has to be something done to shake people out of apathy and selfishness.