EDITORIAL: America’s moral consensus

Policies and politics are seemingly out of sync with the values of the majority of Americans. Seventy-one percent of Americans in a new poll say the nation’s moral compass is “pointing in the wrong direction.” But is the nation’s moral compass wrongheaded or are our lawmakers and policymakers failing to reflect the values of the American people?

The poll, conducted by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion on behalf of the Knights of Columbus, interviewed Catholics and non-Catholics between Sept. 24 and Oct. 3. It shows that Americans are disgruntled and want leaders who foster a wholesome culture. Our policymakers and lawmakers are left of center on the issues of abortion and same sex marriage - in sharp contrast to the majority of the American people.

Among the most striking findings of the survey is that even on abortion, the public can be unified. The poll says 50 percent of Americans are pro-choice and 44 percent are pro-life. However, 84 percent of Americans say “abortion should be significantly restricted,” 71 percent of registered voters say they would vote for a candidate who says life begins at conception and 77 percent say parents have the right to be notified if their underage daughter wants an abortion. Pro-lifers can find common some ground with pro-choicers: 71 percent of pro-choicers want significant restrictions on abortion; 43 percent of pro-choice Americans say abortion should be restricted to the first three months of pregnancy and 28 percent of pro-choicers want to limit abortion “only to cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.”

As for same-sex marriage: 70 percent do not support same-sex marriage and 70 percent of voters say they would support a candidate who would uphold marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman. Also, 63 percent say they want a presidential candidate who “stands for Christian principles.”

What does all this mean? Policies and legislation should be realigned with America’s moral consensus. It’s the pragmatic thing to do.