There were a couple of pro-life letters to the editor in the Catholic Sentinel this week:

To the Sentinel:

The Church teaches that there is a prioritized list of political issues to consider, and the life issues — including abortion, euthanasia, fetal stem-cell research and cloning — are at the top. The Church teaches that these are always immoral. On the other hand, the Church does not teach that war and the death penalty are always immoral; indeed, the Church teaches that these issues are not at the same level of moral concern as life issues. Catholics must properly form their consciences according to Church teaching in order to cast a truly Catholic vote. Vote pro-life. Always.

Jay Boyd
Baker City


To the Sentinel:

The archbishop’s Aug. 15 column, “Political responsibility among Catholics,” is a guideline for everyone. The archbishop makes it clear that it is intrinsically evil to treat the destruction of innocent human life as a matter of individual choice. Also that the weak and vulnerable must always be protected and human rights and dignity defended. This is a universal moral teaching of the Church. It is up to the voter’s conscience to apply these guidelines to the applicable candidates and issues.However, there are issues that do not carry the same moral authority of the church. For example, these include terrorism, health care and immigration. These issues are up to the individual to decide. Research and prayer are necessary to determine how one is to vote.

Mike Fajer
Salem