Since I only have a few minutes, I am only going to focus on a few minutes out of the Vice Presidential debate last night.

If you put aside all the “malarkey”, distortions and ideological nuances, what the debate last night gave us was a very clear picture of two forms of government. Answering the question asked by Raddatz, “What role your religion has played in your own personal views on abortion”, the candidates gave voters a fundamental choice between systems of government.

Ryan stated that “a person cannot separate their public life from their private life or their faith. Our faith informs us in everything that we do…. how to take care of the vulnerable, of how to make sure people have a chance in life.” Ryan believes life begins at conception. He also mouthed the lie that Romney would “oppose abortions with the exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother.” This from the man that believes that hormonal contraception is a form of murder.

Ryan’s Catholic beliefs not being separated from his public life with respect to abortion means that he would defund Planned Parenthood, criminalize abortion, and take away the provision that contraception is covered under health insurance. Well lets be fair, he would dismantle ACA altogether so the contraception/assault on religious liberty issue would go away on its own.

Biden is also a life-long practicing Catholic. He answered the question by stating that he accepts the church doctrine on abortion and that life begins at conception. More importantly he said “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…, I do not believe that we have a right to tell …women they can’t control their body. It’s a decision between them and their doctor.”

There you have it, cut and dried. If you believe that the US should continue abiding by the constitution and stick with separation of church and state, you have your choice. If you believe the 1st amendment goes too far and takes God out of the public domain, and indeed out of our very decisions about what is right, then you have your choice. This is not just about abortion, its about understanding the slippery slope.

One of those choices makes me very afraid. One of those choices will take away some of my civil rights and impose, through laws, the moral beliefs of a religion I don’t follow. Last time I checked that’s how folks were describing the Taliban.

Just for kicks, one of my favorite Big Bird songs.