Novi Times

A St. Mary's parishioner says the right-to-life issue is the main one that Catholics should focus on in the upcoming election.

Laura Luke, who attends Mass weekly, said protecting the most vulnerable among us is the most important thing on the ballot.

"I believe that as Catholics, we should be considering our faith in every aspect of our lives, and voting is no exception," Luke said in an interview with the Novi Times. We are called to have a worldview by grace that's different than the rest of the world. And part of our opportunity to influence the world for the good is through our vote."

Right-to-life is a major political issue. | stock photo

Luke said the right-to-life is extremely important to her.

"And I think it's our Catholic and Christian worldview that every human being is made in the image and likeness of God, and because of that, every human being at every stage has to be protected and cared for and loved, and nobody's... expendable," she said.

Luke said we must protect those who cannot protect themselves.

"From the moment of conception, it's a person and a distinct human being from their mother. And again, it is the most vulnerable. They have no voice to speak for themselves. That's why we have to speak for them," she told the Novi Times.

Luke said she wouldn't vote for a candidate who advocated for abortion or euthanasia.

"Absolutely not," Luke said. "I can't do it. I can't do it. It's too fundamental an issue. And for me, it gives me an idea of how they judge human life and, usually, almost always, actually, it's an indicator of how they vote on other issues."

Luke said Catholics should absolutely vote for pro-life.

"I think that there was a time when there were more pro-life candidates, and they crossed parties and they were kind of everywhere and... you'd have to consider other issues as well, but the reality is that I think Catholics have an obligation to vote pro-life first because if you don't get the life issue right, nothing else matters," Luke said.

Luke said the right-to-life issue is key.

"Again, as I say, if we don't get the life issue right — if you don't have a right to be born, if we don't protect the most vulnerable among us, nothing else matters really," she reiterated.

Luke clarified that when she says "the most vulnerable," she means the unborn, but also the elderly and anyone who is not positioned well to advocate for themselves.