If there's one thing Americans can bank on after an election, it's this: social conservatives will get none of the credit when Republicans win and all of the blame if they lose. In the week since last Tuesday, the news has been full of predictable headlines, like "Republicans must adapt to new reality;" "Social issues sink Republican Party;" or "GOP needs to evolve on values issues." Of course, the race to the center is nothing new for the GOP, but after a profound loss like last week's, the drumbeat is even louder. Instead of reevaluating the strategy on family issues, Republicans are reevaluating the need for them.
After Tuesday, the culture also seems to be sticking its collective finger in the winds to see which way country's values are blowing. On MSN.com yesterday, there was actually a poll surveying Americans on whether the Catholic bishops should "stick with the gay marriage, birth control fight." Thirty-three percent said the Bishops "need to adjust to the modern era." It was a surprising confirmation of this new political theme that we can change the truth based on an election outcome. But I've got news for America: if it was wrong before November 6, it's wrong now. The idea that the church should jettison its views based on the opinions du jour shows a real lack of understanding about the basis for religion.
Principles aren't dictated by popularity. They're based on transcendent truth--and elections don't change that. If our guiding principles are up for a vote, then America is in a bigger mess than we knew. Will support for our values wax and wane? Almost certainly. But fortunately for us, morality is not dependent on a majority vote. As Fulton Sheen said, "Wrong is wrong even if everybody is wrong. Right is right, even if nobody is right."
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