Ryan a Pro-Life Catholic; Biden a “Personally Opposed” Pro-Abortion Catholic

At the end of last night’s Vice-Presidential debate, Martha Raddatz asked Ryan and Biden a question key to pro-lifers — how their Catholic faith influenced their position on abortion.

Ryan clearly, and with conviction, said: “I don’t see how a person can separate their public life from their private life or from their faith…..My faith informs me about how to take care of the vulnerable….Now, you want to ask basically why I’m pro-life? It’s not simply because of my Catholic faith….it’s also because of reason and science.” Ryan then told the touching story of the first ultrasound seen by him and his wife of their first child at seven weeks. The baby looked like a “bean,” and is still affectionately called by the nickname “bean.”

Biden responded that, “With regard…with regard to abortion, I accept my church’s position on abortion as a — what we call a (inaudible) doctrine. Life begins at conception in the church’s judgment. I accept it in my personal life. But I refuse to impose it on equally devout Christians and Muslims and Jews…..” Biden fell back on the tired and ridiculous argument that you can be “personally opposed” to killing an unborn baby, but can’t force his views on others.

Ryan a principled pro-lifer. Biden parroting the worn-out, weak pro-abortion rhetoric of the past. A clear difference.

Barbara Lyons