Was the Catholicism question out of line?

[7,052,770]

Yes.  They only asked how Catholic beliefs affected their views on abortion, but never how Catholicism affected their views on war, social policy, health care, 47%, etc.

It was a total softball to Ryan, and even though Biden answered it well, it's not really fair to cherry pick an issue that one candidate is clearly more "in line" with church teachings.

[Franzl]

Abortion is more at the intellectual level of the average voter. Easy to understand and easy to explain in 60 seconds.

[J. J.]

Well, they both were Catholic, so it wasn't "You're going to sell country out to the Pope, are you?"

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Maybe, but I thought their answers were actually really good and thoughtful ('bean' notwithstanding). I was pleasantly surprised how that went.

[memphis]

It was out of line because religion should have nothing to do with employment. The debate is essentially a job interview. As such, religious questions are completely inappropriate.

[You kip if you want to...]

Yes. Would she have asked Mitt about his mormonism?

[Franzl]

Well, they both were Catholic, so it wasn't "You're going to sell country out to the Pope, are you?"

That's not the point.

[Inmate Trump]

I don't get how everyone screams for religion to be separate from politics and government, and then they ask the candidates a direct question regarding their personal views on religion, and how those thoughts affect (or will) the way in which they govern.

[ilikeverin]

I don't get how everyone screams for religion to be separate from politics and government, and then they ask the candidates a direct question regarding their personal views on religion, and how those thoughts affect (or will) the way in which they govern.

Clay! *hughughug*

[Brittain33]

The intersection of the Catholic church's political positions, individuals' Catholic identity, and social issues is part of the U.S. political scene. Catholicism has a political dimension to it. The question was fair because it's part of the debate in the U.S. and not founded in bigotry.

[J. J.]

Well, they both were Catholic, so it wasn't "You're going to sell country out to the Pope, are you?"

That's not the point.

I think if one had been Methodist or something, it would have been.

There was a history of that kind of mistrust of Catholics by Protestants in the US.

[Franzl]

Well, they both were Catholic, so it wasn't "You're going to sell country out to the Pope, are you?"

That's not the point.

I think if one had been Methodist or something, it would have been.

There was a history of that kind of mistrust of Catholics by Protestants in the US.

Read the original post again...

[angus]

Yes.  They only asked how Catholic beliefs affected their views on abortion, but never how Catholicism affected their views on war, social policy, health care, 47%, etc.

It was a total softball to Ryan, and even though Biden answered it well, it's not really fair to cherry pick an issue that one candidate is clearly more "in line" with church teachings.

I voted no. 

Generally, I think we worry too much about each candidate's ethno-religious identity, and I know I complain about it frequently on this forum, and I certainly wouldn't have asked such a question, but it was a fairly narrow question aimed at highlighting two candidates' differences on a particular issue that is important to many voters. 

I agree that Biden handled it well.  I disagree that it was a softball to Ryan.

[timothyinMD]

Joe Biden is no Catholic.  You cannot spend 40 years supporting abortion in public office and be Catholic, period.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_true_Scotsman

[J. J.]

Well, they both were Catholic, so it wasn't "You're going to sell country out to the Pope, are you?"

That's not the point.

I think if one had been Methodist or something, it would have been.

There was a history of that kind of mistrust of Catholics by Protestants in the US.

Read the original post again...

I did; same answer.  They focused on abortion, because it is one of the major points of difference.

[Link]

They only asked how Catholic beliefs affected their views on abortion, but never how Catholicism affected their views on war, social policy, health care, 47%, etc.

The question should have been how does pandering to your respective bases affect your views on abortion.  As per the birth control debate the vast majority of sexually active Catholic women have used birth control at some point so political pandering and brain washing is the only thing that made that nonissue an issue.  To act as if wandering into a Cathedral once or twice a month is what is driving this debate is absurd.

[useful idiot]

Abortion is largely still split between religious/non-religious. Those other issues you mentioned aren't. Considering they both belong to a religious organization that condemns the practice strongly (to put it mildly, in a way uncomparable to those other issues), it makes sense to tie the issue to their faith.

If the question had been asked to two people of a widely different religious tradition I think it would have been less acceptable.

I thought they both gave pretty bad answers to the question anyway.

[angus]

The question should have been how does pandering to your respective bases affect your views on abortion.

Fair enough, but the question was open-ended:  "what role have your religious views played in your personal views on abortion?"  Either candidate had the opportunity to answer that his faith in his ability to exploit the electorate had more to do with his position than his faith in Jesus.  Maybe the moderator just figured out a really subtle way to ask just what you suggested.

Call me naive, but I got the impression that they both answered honestly.  You can agree or disagree, and you have to suspend judgment on the poor grammar, but it struck me that Paul Ryan really believes that he doesn't see how a person "can separate their public life from their private life."  Similarly, Biden struck me as being honest when he said that he accepts the Church's position on abortion as a de fide doctrine and "...I accept it in my personal life, but I refuse to impose it on" others.  

I don't often get the feeling that politicians are being completely honest, and this is especially the case with the candidates for President and for Vice President, but in this case they seemed to me to be answering the question honestly.  This exchange was a rare moment of straightforward answers in a debate that was otherwise filled with obfuscation, dodging, condescension, and a complete failure to offer an honest summary of their intentions of governing.

[milhouse24]

Its interesting that white Catholics seem to take the abortion issue far more seriously than Hispanic Catholics.

Hispanic voters, either Democrat or Republican, realize that the only way to increase their political clout in America is to increase the number of Hispanic-American voters.  The most important way to succeed and surpass the white-majority voting population is to have more Hispanic-American births and children.  In order for the next president to be Hispanic, Hispanic Americans must ignore the abortion issue.  

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Joe Biden is no Catholic.  You cannot spend 40 years supporting abortion in public office and be Catholic, period.

How does Ryan's economic philosophy fit with the Church's message of social justice?

Also, lolmilhouse

[sentinel]

Joe Biden is no Catholic.  You cannot spend 40 years supporting abortion in public office and be Catholic, period.

Oh so now you're the leading expert on what beliefs qualify someone as Catholic or not? Tell me, how many parts of scripture does one have to disagree with before they are no longer considered a Catholic? In addition, could you provide the qualifications to in fact be Catholic?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

There actually are certain things that I think if a person denies they should not be considered Catholic, but disagreement with church teaching on abortion is not one I would qualify there (it's a political issue, not a religious one.)

[Wisconsin+17]

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FTFY. For me it's telling. the groups that choose not to kill their children through abortion are seeing their political power increase over time. That is the natural order of things.   

[Wisconsin+17]

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Good thing your opinion means sweet diddly poo. Abortion is a core teaching of the Catholic church, and Biden's public support of abortion means that he is no longer a Catholic in good standing with the Church.