Watching two Catholics on the VP debate stage for the first time ever might tempt some to wonder who will be first in line at the Pearly Gates, but none of us can presume to know the state of one’s soul.
Both contenders have been shaped by their faith, attend Mass regularly, and are clearly big-hearted family men. We saw a big difference tonight, however, when asked how they have integrated that faith into their public-policy positions. Judgments about that are fair game.
Paul Ryan came of age as part of the John Paul II and Mother Teresa generation, and has always been in sync with the Church on foundational issues. He defended the right to life masterfully tonight, speaking of seeing the heartbeat of his unborn daughter at seven weeks gestation. On religious liberty, he powerfully criticized the administration’s HHS mandate. We also heard the moral argument for an economic agenda that recognizes how the exploding federal debt will hurt the poor and vulnerable the most when a bankrupt nation cannot support its safety net.
Joe Biden seems to be from the Nancy Pelosi “religion on Sundays” wing of the Church. Tonight we heard Biden shilling for the most pro-abortion president in history. On religious liberty, Biden was jaw-dropping in his deceptive explanation of the HHS mandate.
Lastly, wasn’t there a nun in the vice president’s Catholic upbringing who told him not to interrupt like that?