Thirty-five years ago, Democratic Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, who was then serving as chairman of the Judiciary Committee, gave a speech explaining why he was going to vote against confirming Judge Robert Bork to the Supreme Court.
Biden spoke as a self-proclaimed “child of God” and claimed his opposition to Bork was all about God-given rights.
“I believe that all Americans are born with certain inalienable rights, certain God-given rights that they have, not because the Constitution says they have them,” Biden said in the text of a speech preserved in the Congressional Record. “I have rights because I exist, in spite of my government, not because of my government.”
“As a child of God, my rights are not derived from the majority, the State or the Constitution,” said Biden. “Rather, they were given to me and to each of our fellow citizens by the creator and represent the essence of human dignity.
“It is with this spirit that the framers of our Constitution met in Philadelphia 200 years ago,” he said.
Twenty-five years after he expressed this point of view, as this column has noted before, Biden discussed his views on abortion in a vice presidential debate with Republican Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.
Martha Raddatz of ABC News, who moderated that debate, insisted on inserting the candidates’ religion into the abortion issue. “We have two Catholic candidates, first time, on a stage such as this,” said Raddatz. “And I would like to ask you both to tell me what role your religion has played in your own personal views on abortion.”
Ryan, who is pro-life, said that “reason and science” informed his position.
“Now, you want to ask basically why I’m pro-life?” said Ryan. “It’s not simply because of my Catholic faith. That’s a factor, of course. But it’s also because of reason and science.”
“Now, I believe that life begins at conception,” he said. “That’s why — those are the reasons why I’m pro-life.”
Unlike Ryan, Biden did not cite “reason and science.” He spoke of abortion as if it were solely a religious issue and addressed the question of whether human life begins at conception as if it were something that was merely “the church’s judgment” rather than a scientific fact.
“My religion defines who I am, and I’ve been a practicing Catholic my whole life,” Biden said. “And it has particularly informed my social doctrine. The Catholic social doctrine talks about taking care of those who can’t take care of themselves, people who need help. With regard to abortion, I accept my church’s position on abortion as a — what we call 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, unlike my friend here, the congressman. I do not believe that we have a right to tell other people that — women — they can’t control their body. It’s a decision between them and their doctor.”
It was false for Biden to suggest that whether life begins at conception is merely “the church’s judgment.” It is an inescapable fact, just as it is an inescapable fact that abortion ends a human life.
But last Sunday in New York, the man who cited his recognition of God-given rights in explaining his opposition to the confirmation of Judge Robert Bork to the Supreme Court declared once again that he intends to sign legislation declaring a nationwide right to abort unborn babies.
“Look, here’s the bottom line: If Republicans gain control of Congress and pass a nationwide ban on abortion, I will veto it,” said Biden. “And if we elect — they give me two more Democrats in the Senate and we keep control of the House, we’re going to codify Roe v. Wade in January and make it the law of the land.”
This is Biden’s commitment: to sign a law that legalizes the mass killing of innocent human beings.
Jose Dimentio is one sick freak….and he is being run by a bunch of Obama holdover freaks.
Absolutely no morals at all.
“But I refuse to impose it on equally devout Christians and Muslims and Jews, and I just refuse to impose that on others,”
That is a reasonable statement, made 25 years ago albeit, but reasonable.
What is happening now is the leftist elites are claiming that conservatives want to ban abortion period.
And on the other side there are claims that the leftist elites want to allow babies to be killed after they are born.
Forced to choose between the two extremes I would choose no abortion, but I don’t believe that either is practically applicable.
Hey, I’m against murder but I won’t impose my beliefs on others. Makes perfect sense, like most things Biden says. (sarc.)
Hey Kasandra:
You better pray that no one tries to kill you. If you don’t impose your beliefs on others, you would just have to stand there, not resist, and let them kill you. Just about the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard., and I’m 80.
Rev. Roy……<
I’m not surprised, baby murder is the Liberal National Religion. DUH?
The fact that the American bishops do not collectively excommunicate Biden, Pelosi, and other so-called Catholics who actively and enthusiastically promote moral positions contrary to church teaching on such fundamental issues as abortion, the nature of marriage, and the male/female “binary” is – or should be – a source of scandal to any authentic Catholic.
“As a child of God, my rights are not derived from the majority….”. Sorry pal, you are not a ‘child of God’. You are a ‘creation’ of God, but you do not become a ‘child of God’ until you have publicly accepted Christ’s sacrifice on your behalf (admitting that you are a sinner in need of a Saviour) and then follow Jesus Christ ONLY. Not traditions and ceremonies and sacraments of the catholic cult, but establishing a personal relationship with Yeshuah Hamashiach, Jesus the Messiah.
“John 1:12, But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12, KJV).
Biden only believes in his own name, NOT the Name above all names. Shao me a video over the last 50 years where Biden has said that Jesus Christ was his Lord and Saviour !!
Rev. Roy………<
Abortion is First Degree Murder. Why is that so hard to understand?
While he cuts off our Domestic fuels to appease the Eco-Freaks and will probably have areas set aide into Wilderness Reas and Wild and Scenic Rivers Bidens not Human he is a Alien Reptile like from the V tv series
ACCOUNTABILITY. That is the number one thing the left/democrats think they have nothing to worry about.
For some unknown reason they seem to think they have never done anything wrong, it is always the other guys who are wrong. When their bubble is burst, the world will have to watch as the biggest batch of crybabies ever to hit the face of the planet, will be crying their eyes out trying to get the attention of the people left alive on the planet to feel sorry for them. They are the biggest joke on the planet now, how much sympathy do you think they will draw then? They are very pathetic people now, they will, at best, only get worse.
Federal Government has no authority to enact and anything about abortion because the States have the only authority to pass legislation about abortion, furthermore, murdering a living baby that happened to survive abortion attempt, is First Degree Murder for the mother and physician. No law, anywhere in the US, authorizes murdering a child, Prosecution is the key here: prosecute and execute in States that have capitall punishment. There must be very strong, and decisive action against such crimes and criminals.
A pathological liar from his early days in the Senate. I wonder what natural rights he believed were threatened by Judge Bork?
God will not be mocked (Galatians 6:7 and more). Justifying evil in God’s name is blasphemy.
Abortion is murder. God has not given anyone the right to murder innocent babies who are created in His image. Even those who don’t believe in God or His Scripture are not exempt from the consequences of not knowing or following the Truth.
A quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “Silence in the face of evil is evil itself. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak, not to act is to act.”