Joe Biden and Paul Ryan, Two Catholic Vice Presidential Candidates and One is Being Faithful

By Keith A. Fournier
9/18/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

The deliberate decision to deprive an innocent human being of his life is always morally evil and can never be licit either as an end in itself or as a means to a good end

One cannot be a faithful Catholic and deny the Right to Life for our first neighbors in their mother's womb. Nor can one be a faithful Catholic and fail to defend true marriage and the family and society founded upon it. Given our numbers, U.S. Catholics can determine the outcome of this election.

Joe Biden and Paul Ryan

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WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - On the weekend of September 14 - 16, 2012 thousands gathered in Washington, DC for the "Values Voters Summit". On Friday morning, Congressman Paul Ryan, the Republican Party's Vice Presidential candidate, spoke to a large, mostly enthusiastic crowd. There were a few protesters who attempted to disrupt the speech. They were escorted out of the hall. He was introduced by a fellow Catholic who has long been active in Public Service, Bill Bennett.

Ryan addressed the Middle East, the economic crisis and many other serious policy concerns. He did so in a down to earth, well informed and comfortable manner. I heard him speak for the first time in Norfolk, Virginia when he was introduced by Gov. Romney as his running mate. I wrote an article entitled "Romney Goes Bold: Pro-Life Catholic Paul Ryan Chosen as Republican Vice Presidential Candidate."

For me, it was the following comments which stood out: "Under the current President, we are at risk of becoming a poor country, because he looks to government as the great benefactor in every life. Our opponents even have a new motto. They say, quote, "Government is the only thing that we all belong to." I don't know about you, but I've never thought of government as something I belong to. As a matter of fact, on the seven occasions I've been sworn in as a Member of Congress, I have never taken an oath to the government. The oath that all of us take is to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, under which government is limited and the people are sovereign."

"In the experience of real life, the most important things we belong to have a very different hold on us. I am a Catholic, not because anyone has ordered me to accept a creed, but because of the grace and truth revealed in my faith - and that's how we all feel about the faiths we hold. In the same way, we Americans give ourselves to every kind of good cause. We do so for the simple reason that our hearts and conscience have called us to work that needs doing, to fill a place that sometimes no one else can fill."

"...Ladies and gentlemen, you would be hard pressed to find another group in America that does more to serve the health of women and their babies than the Catholic Church and Catholic Charities. And now, suddenly, we have Obamacare bureaucrats presuming to dictate how they will do it. As Governor Romney has said, this mandate is not a threat and insult to one religious group - it is a threat and insult to every religious group. He and I are honored to stand with you - people of faith and concerned citizens - in defense of religious liberty."

"When he (President Obama) tries to make big government sound reasonable and inclusive, President Obama likes to say, "We're all in this together." And here, too, he has another handy straw man. Anyone who questions the wisdom of his policies must be lacking in compassion. Who else would question him but those mean people who think that everybody has to go it alone and fend for themselves."

"We're all in this together" - it has a nice ring. For everyone who loves this country, it is not only true but obvious. Yet how hollow it sounds coming from a politician who has never once lifted a hand to defend the most helpless and innocent of all human beings, the child waiting to be born. Giving up any further pretense of moderation on this issue, and in complete disregard of millions of pro-life Democrats, President Obama has chosen to pander to the most extreme elements of his party."

"In the Clinton years, the stated goal was to make abortion "safe, legal and rare." But that was a different time, and a different president. Now, apparently, the Obama-Biden ticket stands for an absolute, unqualified right to abortion - at any time, under any circumstances, and even at taxpayer expense...We don't write anyone off in America, especially those without a voice. Every child has a place and purpose in this world. Everyone counts, and in a just society the law should stand on the side of life."

There is another Catholic candidate running for the Vice Presidency in 2012 - Joe Biden, wants another four years. He purports to be personally opposed to abortion. He claims to accept the Catholic teaching that all human life must be protected and respected from the moment of conception, throughout life and to a natural death. Yet, in his own words, he "strongly supports Roe v Wade", the Supreme Court decision that entrenched unrestricted abortion as the positive law in America.

He participated in a Presidential debate on April 27, 2008 in South Carolina which contained this exchange and said ...

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1 - 10 of 22 Comments

Amanda
7 months ago
I am a converted Catholic. I was raised in a Protestant church, but I chose to become Catholic. This is not just about Catholics. This is about Christians. If you are a true Christian, there is never a seperation of anything that goes on in this world and Christ. He is everywhere. If you are a true Christian, you cannot give your support to someone who condones murder. If you are a true Christian, you cannot give your support to someone who spits on the sacrement of marriage! Here's what I know, God will make a way. God is in charge of everything. You may want to seperate the Church from the state, but man cannot control God. It saddens my heart that so many of you have blind eyes. God help us all, and may He have mercy on us all. Peace be with all of you.
frankie
7 months ago
@ michal brooks, Ryan is pro less government which is better for big businesses, if we hurt big companies with taxes they will leave the US causing us to loose more jobs. even though you think that welfare is the answer to help the poor its not, community service and strong companies that employ a ton of people is.
Artemio E Pascual
7 months ago
I'm from the Philippines and we've had many Roman Catholic presidents. The Roman Catholic Church could never dictate to them. Many of their political actions and decisions fell short of true Christian ideals. Why do I say so? Simply because greed for money and power abounded during their terms. What about our current president? He says he is Catholic but he supports the use of condoms (RH bill) which should be bought using taxpayers money.
There is no Catholic vote.The electorate are more than 90% and yet we can't get the true Christian candidates to win. I read the comments to these article by supposedly Catholic Americans and I'm very disheartened. They talk of separation of Church and State but they don't realize that there are issues like abortion, marriage where one cannot separate the body from the soul such that the Church has to speak up!
Joe
7 months ago
Mark

Uhmmm, you were asleep in history class, Inquisition, Crusades, Thirty Year War, Iran, yep the church took control of government!

And we need more of that???
Gerald Grosek
7 months ago
One cannot be a faithful Catholic and pro war. One cannot be a faithful Catholic and pro death penalty. Neither political party is worthy of the Catholic vote. The Catholic Church lowers itself when it jumps into the political arena. Christ changed the world by spreading the Good News of God's Kingdom. Let us change people's hearts, not man's laws.
Mark
7 months ago
Will,
You should pay more attention at Sunday Mass. The ministries of the church help those who need it. It regulates the help people get. How do you think we functioned before entitlements. The church regulated. Then those that did not go to church asked the government for help. That is why we are taxed so much. Now what about rich people? It they (like you need to) paid more attention at mass, they would take care of those in need. The church would see to it that a person on welfare did not spent the money on "Intoxicants" or purchase a 4th big screen TV. Our country is in this situation because more and more individuals are subscribing to a secular lifestyle. Attempting to quench their thirst with other than the living water of Christ. I wish the church would take more political control of the country. We need it!!!
Will
8 months ago
The Catholic church should do what it does best. Say Mass on Sunday and holidays and administer the other sacrament. Please stay out of politics or risk loosing your tax emempt status.
Obama is the man we need as President right now so as to finish his plan of change. No one can correct the evil of the Bush years but Obama.
If the majority of Catholics withdrew its support for the church due to the fact that the majority see nothing wrong with abortions the church would fold.
Judy Claar
8 months ago
Psmith: Are you kidding me? Read Both Bill Sr.'s posts.

And WWJD? I know that Jesus would most certainly not support a Party of Death! The question that you posed was pretty much of a no brainer. Moses of the OT and the Ten Commandments would not even support their party!

Any True practicing Catholic could not possibly support Obama/Biden. Both are of a Godless Party, as demonstrated by the DNC. Both are advocating slaves for the Culture of Death, proving to me, that they neither Respect Moses or Jesus. If one respects neither of these persons, how can I or any other True practicing Catholic vote for them?

What can I say or do about a herd that follows such persons?

Nothing. Nothing but pray. And so I do. Blessings my friend..
Michael Brooks
8 months ago
The Church must teach that the poor and the Middle Class cannot carry the heavy burden of taxes while the Millionaires and Billionaires are getting hudge tax breaks. Paul Ryan cannot be considered a real Catholic with his "Ryan's Budget" plan. Paul Ryan is for the Rich, not the Poor.
John
8 months ago
JFK stated: I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute--where no Catholic prelate would tell the President (should he be Catholic) how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote--where no church or church school is granted any public funds or political preference--and where no man is denied public office merely because his religion differs from the President who might appoint him or the people who might elect him.

I believe in an America that is officially neither Catholic, Protestant nor Jewish--where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the Pope, the National Council of Churches or any other ecclesiastical source--where no religious body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly upon the general populace or the public acts of its officials--and where religious liberty is so indivisible that an act against one church is treated as an act against all.

For while this year it may be a Catholic against whom the finger of suspicion is pointed, in other years it has been, and may someday be again, a Jew--or a Quaker--or a Unitarian--or a Baptist. It was Virginia's harassment of Baptist preachers, for example, that helped lead to Jefferson's statute of religious freedom. Today I may be the victim--but tomorrow it may be you--until the whole fabric of our harmonious society is ripped at a time of great national peril.

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