• The Bishops of the United States have re-propose their document Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship. "This statement, overwhelmingly adopted by the body of bishops in 2007, represents the continuing teaching of our Bishops' Conference adn our guidance for Catholics in the exercise of their rights and duties as participants in our democracy."
  
  This document DOES NOT tell Catholic who they are to vote for; rather is holds a deep Catholic truth, that a person must form their own conscience and act according to that conscience. A well formed conscience includes discernment on objective truths, on effect to individuals and community, and on context.
  The statement does include some of the objective truths, and reflects on how these are manifested in our world and community.
  
  Below are some excerpts taken from this document.
  
  n 9: The Church's obligations to participate in shaping teh moral character of society is a requirment of our faith. It is a basic part of the mission we have received from Jesus Christ, who offers a vision of life reavaled to us in Sacred Scripture and Tradition.
  
  n 13: As Catholics, we should be guidded more by our moral convictions than by our attachemnt to a political party or interest group.
  
  n17: Conscience is not something that allows us to justify doeing whatever we want, nor is it a mere "feeling" about what we should or should not do. Rather, conscience is the voice of God resounding in the human heart, revealing the truth to us and calling us to do what is good while shunning what is evil.
  
  n 18: The Formation of Conscience includes several elements....to a desire to embrace goodness and truth...by studying Sacred Scripture adn the teaching of the Church as contained in the catechism of the Catholic Church. It is also important to examine the facts and backgorund information about various choices. Finally prayerful reflecdtion is essntial to discern the will of God.
  
  n 22: There are some things we must never do...because they are alway incompatible with love of God and neighber...These are called "instrinsically evil" actions...A prime example is the intentional taking of innocent human life, as in abortion and euthanasia.
  
  n23: Similarily...human cloning and destructive research on human embryos...Other direct assaults on innocent human life and violations of human dignity, such as genocide, torture, racism, and the targeting of noncombatants in acts of terror or war, can never be justified.