Joe Biden declared as clear winner of VP debate

I think (Vice President Joe) Biden beat (GOP opponent Paul) Ryan, on both style and substance. At least Biden knows how to smile!

But I worry that voters and the media seem to treat political debates like WWF wrestling matches, caring more about performance than about issues.

No doubt that goes back before Lincoln vs. Douglas, but still....

‘Brawler’ Biden imposed his will on ‘boxer’ Ryan

Someone asked me recently if Glenn Beck went too far when he described Vice President Joe Biden — on his radio show a day after the vice presidential debate — as “an out-of-control, nasty dude….”

The way I see it ... egos run rampant in politics. Biden is just cut from the same cloth as many others ....

 As a fan of boxing I will tell you that Biden did what he was supposed to do: Impose his will on the opponent.

This was a match between a slugger and a trained boxer. The slugger has to make it a brawl; not give any space to the boxer; crowd him, turn it into a street fight. That’s how they win.

If they let the boxer do his masterful thing, no way can the brawler win.

 Biden controlled the fight. He made GOP opponent Paul Ryan fight HIS style.And Ryan lost. (of course the moderator did nothing; as in the case of a weak referee.)

 Whether Biden was a bully or not ... he imposed his will on the opponent. He got Ryan off his fight plan and, in my opinion, dominated the fight. 

I have seen this sort of thing so many times in the past. A boxer vs. a slugger.  Same ol’ story ... Nasty dude? That’s his fight plan.

Request issued to remove Unitarians from ‘cult’ list

It’s always interesting to see how other people view you, even if to discover how wrong their perceptions are.

I hadn’t known that, as the Citizen-Times reported, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association identified Unitarians as a cult, but as long they have decided to withdraw Mormons from the list, in the interest of accuracy they ought to take us off, too. 

Unitarians, and our allied tradition, Universalists, have been around for 200 years. Unlike cults, we have always made room for a broad range of religious perspective centered in a belief in the inherent worth and dignity of every person and the interconnection of all things.

Our roots are in Christianity, but we draw from many others sources as well. Our Asheville congregation seeks to nurture the individual search for meaning as we work together for freedom, justice and love. Billy Graham’s folks are welcome to come and find out what we’re about. 

We could begin by teaching them a poem by the Universalist Edwin Markham: “He drew a circle that shut me out — heretic, rebel, a thing to flout. But love and I had the wit to win: We drew a circle and took him in.” 

EDITOR’S NOTE: Ward is lead minister, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville

Tax scofflaws in Congress need to repay — or resign

I’m wondering who, if anyone, is in a position to make people like Charlie Rangel and many, many others in Congress who owe in the thousands of dollars in back taxes.

Their names and amounts of owed taxes should be published! (Editor’s note: Rangel is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and is a Democrat from New York).

Rangel conveniently forgot his condos in Costa Rica to report on his taxes.

When they owe so much ... if it were you or me, we would be in jail. They should not be able to run again for any office until these taxes are paid.

Does anyone know about Obama going to Indonesia years back, denounced his citizenship and went by the name of Barry Satara? Can anyone tell me about these questions?

Democratic Party termed a clash with biblical values

I am baffled and upset when I hear people say they vote Democrat because that is how their fathers and grandfathers voted.

I contend, as a Christian, we must vote based on our biblical values, rather than for the political party of our ancestors.

Is your historical family political identity more important than your values? With that question in mind, let’s examine what the modern Democrat Party has become and then ask you if this is still your party?

Consider this: The Democrat Party is no longer the party of Jefferson, Truman or Kennedy. They have veered, radically, to the left, abandoning the traditional Judeo-Christian values upon which our nation and the party were founded. We witnessed this first hand at the convention in September, as God was excluded from their platform, and the delegates vehemently booed God three times. Is this still your party?

Further consider, the Democratic platform includes unwavering support for abortion. It is interesting to see the progression of support for legal abortion on demand over the past several election cycles from simply “standing behind Roe v. Wade” in 2000 to “standing proudly behind” the right of women to choose in 2004.

The 2012 platform states that the Democrats “strongly and unequivocally support Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to make decisions regarding her pregnancy, including a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay.” Where is their defense of the rights of the most innocent among us, the unborn? Is this still your party?

Recently, President Obama announced support for gay marriage and the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act.

Then, the 2012 Democratic platform included in its platform “we support marriage equality and support the movement to secure equal treatment under law for same-sex couples.”  Does this match your own Christian values? Is this still your party?

The crowning achievement of the Obama administration and the Democrat-controlled House and Senate, in spite of overwhelming opposition by the American people, is Obama-Care.

This government takeover of healthcare includes a mandate that all employers provide coverage for contraceptives, abortion inducing drugs and sterilization services even when they object to these practices on religious principle. Couple this with the fact that taxpayer money funds abortions through Democrat sponsored groups like Planned Parenthood and you have an unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and freedom of Religion.

As Cardinal Timothy Dolan stated January 2012 in a Wall Street Journal editorial, “This latest erosion of our first freedom should make all Americans pause.

When the government tampers with a freedom so fundamental to the life of our nation, one shudders to think what lies ahead.” Keep in mind Obama-Care passed without a single Republican vote. Is this your party?

I believe that there are a myriad of reasons not to vote for Obama and other Democrats in this election, but these are the most threatening to the spiritual future of America. I urge all Christians to compare their biblical values to the candidate’s, as well as the party’s platform and ask themselves, if this is still their party before they vote in this election!