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

9/18/2012

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"I strongly support Roe v. Wade. I wouldn't have a specific question but I would make sure that the people I sent to be nominated for the Supreme Court shared my values; and understood that there is a right to privacy in the United States Constitution. That's why I lead the fight to defeat Bork. Thank God he is not in the court or Roe v. Wade would be gone by now."

The Catholic Church has an unbroken 2000 year teaching defending human life. The Encyclical of Blessed Pope John Paul II entitled "The Gospel of Life" is a recent example. "Therefore, by the authority which Christ conferred upon Peter and his Successors, and in communion with the Bishops of the Catholic Church, I confirm that the direct and voluntary killing of an innocent human being is always gravely immoral. This doctrine, based upon that unwritten law which man, in the light of reason, finds in his own heart (cf. Rom 2:14-15), is reaffirmed by Sacred Scripture, transmitted by the Tradition of the Church and taught by the ordinary and universal Magisterium.

"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. It is in fact a grave act of disobedience to the moral law, and indeed to God himself, the author and guarantor of that law; it contradicts the fundamental virtues of justice and charity."

"Nothing and no one can in any way permit the killing of an innocent human being, whether a fetus or an embryo, an infant or an adult, an old person, or one suffering from an incurable disease, or a person who is dying. Furthermore, no one is permitted to ask for this act of killing, either for himself or herself or for another person entrusted to his or her care, nor can he or she consent to it, either explicitly or implicitly. Nor can any authority legitimately recommend or permit such an action".

"As far as the right to life is concerned, every innocent human being is absolutely equal to all others. This equality is the basis of all authentic social relationships which, to be truly such, can only be founded on truth and justice, recognizing and protecting every man and woman as a person and not as an object to be used. Before the moral norm which prohibits the direct taking of the life of an innocent human being "there are no privileges or exceptions for anyone. It makes no difference whether one is the master of the world or the poorest of the poor' on the face of the earth. Before the demands of morality we are all absolutely equal".

Joe Biden also dissents on Marriage. On Sunday, May 6, 2012, he appeared on Meet the Press and said, "I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women and heterosexual - men and women marrying - are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties. And quite frankly, I don't see much of a distinction beyond that."

In the Sacrament of Charity, Pope Benedict summarized the duty of the Catholic faithful: "Marriage and the family are institutions that must be promoted and defended from every possible misrepresentation of their true nature, since whatever is injurious to them is injurious to society itself." The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Catholic Church wrote in 2003, "The Church's teaching on marriage and on the complementarity of the sexes reiterates a truth that is evident to right reason and recognized as such by all the major cultures of the world."

"Marriage is not just any relationship between human beings. It was established by the Creator with its own nature, essential properties and purpose. No ideology can erase from the human spirit the certainty that marriage exists solely between a man and a woman, who by mutual personal gift, proper and exclusive to themselves, tend toward the communion of their persons. In this way, they mutually perfect each other, in order to cooperate with God in the procreation and upbringing of new human lives."

Joe Biden has rejected his obligation as a Catholic to defend marriage. He has chosen to support the efforts of an activist wing of the homosexual community intent on changing the legal definition of marriage and restructuring western culture. He supports the State making homosexual relationships legally equivalent to marriage. The next natural step is to enforce the fiction with the Police Power of the State.

Civil institutions do not create marriage nor can they create a "right" to marry for those incapable of marriage. Government has long regulated marriage for the common good. For example, the ban on polygamy and age requirements were enforced to ensure that there was a mature decision at the basis of the Marriage contract. Heterosexual marriage, procreation, and the nurturing of children form the foundation for the family, and the family forms the foundation of civil society.

To limit marriage to heterosexual couples is not discriminatory now, nor has it ever been. Homosexual couples cannot bring into existence what marriage intends by its very definition. To now "confer" the benefits that have been conferred in the past only to stable married couples and families to homosexual paramours is bad public policy. To state this is not to be "anti-gay". It is to defend marriage and further the common good.

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.

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Joe Biden, Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney, Barack Obama, Values Voter, Marriage, Gay Marriage, abortion, Pro-Life, Right to Life, campaign 2012, Keith A Fournier

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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
8 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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