Politicians and Their Faith. Practice or Political Practicality?

During the Vice Presidential debates, moderator  Martha Raddatz asked the two contenders about abortion and how their faith informs their lives. VP Joe Biden said,  “My religion defines who I am...”  He is, like Paul Ryan, a Catholic. Unlike Ryan, it appears he decides which doctrines and dogma he decides to accept.

The longer quote:

"I accept my church’s position on abortion as a — what we call a de fide 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, and I just refuse to impose that on others…"

Not being Catholic I had to look up "de fide": De fide (of the faith) is a "theological note" or "theological qualification" that indicates that some religious doctrine is an essential part of Catholic faith and that denial of it is heresy.[1] (Wikipedia Dictionary)

This also, to my understanding, something revealed by God. Apparently the issue of abortion doesn't qualify. 

To my greater point, politicians often separate their faith from their politics. This causes me severe cognitive dissonance. If your faith informs and defines you, how can you in practice ignore the values, beliefs or teachings of your Faith or Church?

Biden's answer is typical; he refuses to impose them on others. The Kennedy's are all pro abortion and nearly all have gotten divorces against the doctrine of the Church they claim to belong to. Nancy Pelosi, another Catholic has even said abortion is an unsettled matter in the Church, and doctrine has developed only in the last fifty years.

"I would say that as an ardent, practicing Catholic, this is an issue that I have studied for a long time.  And what I know is, over the centuries, the doctors of the church have not been able to make that definition.  And Senator–St. Augustine said at three months.  We don’t know. The point is, is that it shouldn’t have an impact on the woman’s right to choose.  Roe v. Wade talks about very clear definitions of when the child–first trimester, certain considerations; second trimester; not so third trimester.  There’s very clear distinctions.  This isn’t about abortion on demand, it’s about a careful, careful consideration of all factors and–to–that a woman has to make with her doctor and her god.  And so I don’t think anybody can tell you when life begins, human life begins.  As I say, the Catholic Church for centuries has been discussing this, and there are those who’ve decided…"

 The Catholic Church teaches life begins at conception. It has been since at least 70 CE.  

“The second commandment of the teaching: You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not seduce boys. You shall not commit fornication. You shall not steal. You shall not practice magic. You shall not use potions. You shall not procure [an] abortion, nor destroy a newborn child” (Didache 2:1–2 [A.D. 70]).

The Catechism in paragraphs 2271, 2272, and 2274, and explicit in 2322:

 "From its conception, the child has the right to life. Direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, is a “criminal” practice (GS 27 § 3), gravely contrary to the moral law. The Church imposes the canonical penalty of excommunication for this crime against human life."

If a politician claims to belong to a religious institution, or claims belief in the teachings and values of their stated Faith, when they say, like Biden, their Faith defines them, they should walk the talk. It's not a matter of forcing beliefs on others. Such people deciding to be politicians, regardless of political affiliation, should vote issues according to their Faith if they state it's what defines them. They should run for office stating they cannot vote for pro abortion laws or State funded abortion because of religious beliefs. The same with any issue. They should tell the public their affiliation and beliefs when they run for office, and that they obey and practice them. Biden saying his Religion informs his life, then not acting on that, makes him both a hypocrite and a liar. These people's politics and lust for power inform their lives, not their Church or their Faith.

What church or what religion one practices is a matter of choice. Belonging to a Church is voluntary.

If one disagrees with those teachings, dogma, doctrine, another Church should be found. To do anything other than that is hypocritical and cowardly.

 From the debate:

http://youtu.be/KOpb9irG3Cw

Bidenisms! And they mocked Bush?

Joe "Laughing" Biden 'always saying what he means' debating with himself. Hilarious vid!

Political Joke

Barack Obama asked the Queen of England, "Your Majesty, what tips can you give me for running an efficient government?"

"Well," said the Queen, "the most important thing is to surround yourself with intelligent people."

Obama frowned. "But how do I know the people around me are truly intelligent?"

The Queen sipped her tea. "Easily dear. Simply ask them to answer an intelligent riddle." She pushed a button on her intercom. "Please send Tony Blair in here."

Tony Blair walked in. "Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Answer me this please, Tony. Your mother and father have a child. It is not your brother and it is not your sister. Who is it?"

Without pausing for a moment, Tony Blair answered, "That would be me." "Yes! Very good," said the Queen.

Obama went back home to ask Joe Biden the same question. "Joe, answer this for me. Your mother and your father have a child. It's not your brother and it's not your sister. Who is it?"

Biden said "Let me get back to you on that one." He asked each of his advisors, but none could give him an answer Finally, Biden ran into Sarah Palin at a restaurant. Biden asked, "Sarah, can you answer this for me? Your mother and father have a child and it's not your brother or your sister. Who is it?"

Sarah Palin answered right back, "That's easy, it's me!"

Biden thanked her and went back to speak with Obama. "Say, I did some research and I have the answer to that riddle. It's Sarah Palin!"

Obama rose, stomped over to Biden, and angrily yelled into his face, "No! You idiot! It's Tony Blair!"

Slime

If you disagree for their jobs, I mean, spending bill, they you're for rape?

http://youtu.be/fxxotkX9ZOo
Finger pointing in chest, aggression, hate, intolerance, full of self, self-important, forgetting he's supposed to be a servant of the people. Thin skinned knucklehead only willing to take marshmallow questions from the Jurassic Press, aka propaganda division of the Democrat Party.

This is the whole Biden bit. Disgusting.

http://youtu.be/ZXAv4O5NC8w

Biden has moved from being just stupid and incompetent to slimy.

Palin Response to the Vile Joe Biden Calling TEA Party "Terrorists"

Even Leftist Greta Van Susteren gets it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JExyVPvtTw&feature=player_embedded

Chronicled here in previous post the vile name calling from the Left, Democrat politicians (allegedly representatives of the people) calling fellow citizens terrorists and hostage takers among other things.

Vice Pres Biden Calls for Impeachment for Obama!

“I want to make it clear. And I made it clear to the President that if he takes this nation to war with Iran without Congressional approval. I will make it my business to impeach him. That’s a fact. That is a fact.”

Well, not quite. Obama has attacked a nation with no congressional approval. Bush attacked Iraq with congressional approval. Of course the Dems then tried and said everything they could to make sure the effort was a failure once they voted for it. Bush got congressional approval for Afghanistan too.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dRFJ6CF2Mw&feature=player_embedded

Of course Joe "The Mouth" Biden is falling all over himself defending Obama's unconstitutional action against Libya now.

Draining the Swamp

Obama and his Dems are always confiscating, in increasing amounts, the earnings of citizens to pay off fat cats and give raises to themselves and government employees for little or no (badly done) work. Of course they can’t take care of their own finances as evidenced by our Vice President that is in trouble with the Federal Election Commission. He’s been fined $133,000 and only has $82,000 in his campaign coffers. The Bamster still has a little over $3 million and has asked the FEC to let Barry pay off little Joey’s debt.

No skullduggery in that story, but racist, liar and thief Charlie Rangel has been using tax payer money, and not paying his taxes, to live life writ large. He was found guilty by the House Ethics Committee this week on 11 of 13 ethics violations. The committee voted 9-1 to censure him. That used to mean something, but Dem politicians have the moral values of a goat, so he’ll have Nancy Pelosi tell him he’s been a bad boy. Rangel will keep his seat. Speaks volumes here that he, known to be one of the most corrupt politicians in congress, got reelected; the people in his district apparently approve of racism, lying, corruption and theft.  

Like most Dems, they’re a bunch of juvenile crybabies. This FEC hearing was two years in the making. This past spring Rangel was saying he wasn’t guilty of anything, to bring it on. A couple months ago he fired his lawyer. During the hearing he was wah wah wah, I don’t have a lawyer, don’t have money to get a lawyer, and even walked out saying he was being denied due process. Then when the verdict comes down wah wah wah those guys did that and he wasn’t even there! Of course he’s in denial, saying “there’s no evidence of corruption”. Sorry Charlie. I’m sure your corruption runs a lot deeper that what you were caught doing.

Then there’s the corrupt lying racist Maxine Waters. She’s up on corruption charges too. It’s pretty bad when the corrupt Dem politicians can’t cover up for their own people any more; their sleaziness gets so deep and wide. She’s in hot water because she sponsored legislation that got her husband some big bucks. He was on the payroll of a lobbying group that Waters passed the legislation for. This is another sleaze ball that, like the bottom sucking Rangel, got reelected even with all kinds of corruption having been exposed. She’s gotten an extension on her hearing because:

 “The Committee voted to recommit the matter regarding Representative Maxine Waters to the investigative subcommittee due to materials discovered that may have had an effect on the investigative subcommittee’s transmittal to the Committee.”

Let’s hope it’s something even worse and she gets some truly bad fine and booted out altogether.

When she came to power, Pelosi said she would drain the swamp. Didn’t happen. Now she could no longer protect these two of dozens of bottom suckers in the swamp she needed to survive. Now she’s out of power (though she thinks she’s still the honcho bottom sucker), so the Dem swamp is getting a little smaller, but done by voters. I don’t think she thought draining the swamp was to be accomplished by being such a loser leader that over sixty of her bottom sucking corrupt friends would be voted out of the swamp.