Grace Thompson
Mike Pence has described himself as a born-again, evangelical Catholic, a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order, and as a pretty ordinary Christian. Growing up in an Irish Catholic family, Pence served as an altar boy and attended parochial school. In college, he left the Catholic Church and became an evangelical, born-again Christian, later attending evangelical megachurches. Pence's religious views have influenced his political career, making him popular with conservative evangelical Christians.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Religion | Catholic, Evangelical, Born-again Christian |
| Political Affiliation | Democrat (until 1980s), Republican |
| Political Views | Conservative |
| Social Views | Anti-abortion, Anti-LGBTQ, Anti-feminist |
| Education | Attended Hanover College, a small liberal-arts school in Indiana |
| Profession | Governor of Indiana (2013), U.S. Congressman, Radio Show Host, Lawyer |
| Awards | JFK Profile in Courage Award |
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What You'll Learn
Mike Pence's religious upbringing
Mike Pence was born on 7 June 1959 in Columbus, Indiana, to a family of Irish Catholics supporters of the Democratic Party. He was raised Catholic, serving as an altar boy and attending parochial school. He has described his family as revering the Kennedys.
Pence's political views shifted to the right during his college years, and he left the Catholic Church, becoming an evangelical, born-again Christian. He has described the moment he made a commitment to Christ while taking part in a non-denominational Christian student group in college.
Pence has described himself as "a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order", and as "a born-again, evangelical Catholic". He has also referred to himself as a "pretty ordinary Christian".
Pence's religious views have made him popular with conservative evangelical Christians, both during his time as vice president and beforehand as a US congressman and governor of Indiana. However, his time in the White House has not been without controversy, even among evangelicals. Pence's refusal to eat alone with a woman who is not his wife or attend events where alcohol is served without her has raised eyebrows.
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Pence's transition to evangelicalism
Mike Pence has described himself as "a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order". He has also described himself as a ""born-again, evangelical Catholic", a "pretty ordinary Christian", and a ""born-again Christian".
Pence was raised Catholic and was a Democrat in his youth. He volunteered for the Bartholomew County Democratic Party in 1976 and voted for Jimmy Carter in the 1980 presidential election. He was inspired to get into politics by people like John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. However, while in college, Pence left the Catholic Church and became an evangelical, born-again Christian, which disappointed his mother. His political views also shifted to the right during this time, which he attributes to the "common-sense conservatism of Ronald Reagan".
After graduating from law school in 1986, Pence practised as an attorney. In 1988, he ran for Congress against Democratic incumbent Philip Sharp but lost. Shortly after his first congressional campaign, Pence was hired by radio station WRCR-FM in Rushville, Indiana, to host a weekly half-hour radio show called "Washington Update with Mike Pence". In 1992, Pence began hosting a daily talk show, "The Mike Pence Show", and also a Saturday show on WNDE in Indianapolis. Pence considered himself politically conservative, calling himself "Rush Limbaugh on decaf".
In 1994, Pence called himself Catholic, but by 1995, he and his family had joined an evangelical megachurch, the Grace Evangelical Church. In 2013, Pence said his family was "kind of looking for a church". In 2016, Pence and his wife regularly worshipped at College Park Church, a nondenominational church in Indianapolis.
Pence's support for Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which would have allowed businesses and individuals to refuse to do business with certain people based on their religious beliefs, made him popular with evangelicals and other conservatives. However, critics argued that it would allow businesses to discriminate against LGBTQ people.
Pence was elected vice president of the United States in 2016, serving as Trump's running mate. He was appointed chairman of Trump's transition team and held significant influence in the administration. During his time as vice president, Pence raised eyebrows for his refusal to dine alone with any woman besides his wife or attend events without her if alcohol was being served.
Pence and Trump fell out after the 2020 election, as Pence refused to go along with Trump's attempts to remain in power after losing. Pence later distanced himself from Trump, endorsing other candidates and criticising Trump's conduct during the Capitol attack. In June 2023, Pence launched a 2024 presidential bid but withdrew by October.
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His political views and religion
Mike Pence was raised Catholic and served as an altar boy, but he left the Catholic Church while in college. He became a born-again Christian and identified his "commitment to Christ" with a Christian music festival in Asbury, Kentucky, in the spring of 1978. After that, he continued to attend Mass and was a Catholic youth minister. Pence called himself Catholic in a 1994 news piece, but by 1995, he and his family had joined an evangelical megachurch, the Grace Evangelical Church.
Pence has described himself as "a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order", and as ""a born-again, evangelical Catholic". This has made him popular with conservative evangelical Christians. As governor, he supported Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which would have allowed businesses and individuals to refuse to do business with some people based on their religious beliefs. However, critics argued that it would allow businesses to discriminate against LGBTQ people.
Pence's political views started shifting to the right during his college years, which he attributes to the ""common-sense conservatism of Ronald Reagan". He volunteered for the Democratic Party in 1976 and voted for Jimmy Carter in 1980, inspired by people like John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. However, his views evolved, and he later ran for Congress as a Republican in 1988, losing to the Democratic incumbent.
Pence is known for his conservative stances on various issues. He has been vocal about abortion, calling it "the most pressing moral issue of our time." He voted to withhold funds from Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers and addressed the annual March for Life in Washington, DC, in 2017 and 2019. Pence has also expressed scepticism about human-induced climate change, once calling global warming "a myth". He led Republican efforts to defeat the American Clean Energy and Security Act, a Democratic-backed bill to combat climate change.
In terms of immigration, Pence proposed a plan in 2006 that included increased border security, strict enforcement against hiring illegal aliens, and a guest worker program. He opposes birthright citizenship and has criticised tobacco settlements and regulations, arguing that they encroach on personal freedom. Additionally, he has been an aggressive advocate for trade deals between the US and foreign countries, supporting the North American Free Trade Agreement and voting in favour of free-trade agreements during his tenure in the House.
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Pence's stance on abortion
Mike Pence, a self-described "born-again, evangelical Catholic", has been vocal about his anti-abortion stance. He has called abortion "the most pressing moral issue of our time", and has a history of supporting policies and legislation that restrict abortion access.
As a member of the US House and later as Governor of Indiana, Pence had a reputation as a "culture warrior", opposing the expansion of abortion rights and federal funding for organisations like Planned Parenthood. In 2017, as Vice President, he cast a tie-breaking vote in the Senate to allow states to withhold funds from abortion providers. He also made a surprise appearance at the annual March for Life in Washington, DC, in 2017 and 2019, reiterating his anti-abortion stance.
Pence has criticised his former boss, President Trump, for his view that abortion policy should be left to the states. He has urged Republican senators to reject appointments and support federal abortion bans, demonstrating his commitment to restricting abortion access at a national level.
In 2020, Pence expressed disappointment in the Republican Party's platform, which omitted national abortion restrictions. He emphasised that the right to life is a moral issue and that the party should speak with "moral clarity and compassion".
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His relationship with Donald Trump
Mike Pence has described himself as "a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order". He has also referred to himself as a "born-again, evangelical Catholic", a "pretty ordinary Christian", and a "cradle Catholic".
Pence became Donald Trump's running mate in 2016 and served as vice president from 2017 to 2021. Pence's strong religious convictions and his reputation as a "culture warrior" made him a popular choice for Trump, whose personal life does not naturally appeal to America's Catholics and well-to-do conservatives. Pence's support for Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which would have allowed businesses and individuals to refuse to serve certain people based on religious beliefs, was also well-received by conservative and evangelical groups.
As vice president, Pence was vocal about abortion, calling it "the most pressing moral issue of our time". He also opposed Trump's plan to halt all Muslim immigration to the U.S., tweeting that "calls to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. are offensive and unconstitutional". Pence has also been quoted as saying that Trump is "the most pro-life president in American history".
Despite their partnership, Pence and Trump lost their bid for re-election in 2020 to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Trump refused to concede and urged Pence to overturn the election results. When Pence refused and oversaw the certification of Biden and Harris as the winners, he incurred Trump's wrath and faced criticism from his supporters. In the aftermath, Pence distanced himself from Trump, endorsing other candidates and criticising Trump's conduct on the day of the Capitol attack.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Mike Pence was raised Catholic and attended an evangelical megachurch. He called himself Catholic in a 1994 news piece.
Yes, Pence left the Catholic Church while in college. He abandoned the Mother Church, becoming an evangelical.
Mike Pence has described himself as "a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order". He has also called himself a "born-again, evangelical Catholic".
An evangelical Catholic is someone who has blended Catholicism with Evangelical Protestantism. They stress a personal relationship with Jesus and emphasise an idiosyncratic approach to the Bible.
Mike Pence has been religious since he made a commitment to Christ while taking part in a non-denominational Christian student group in college.
