Sarah Mitchell
Former Vice President Mike Pence has described himself as a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order. He was raised Catholic and served as an altar boy, but he left the Catholic Church while in college and became an evangelical, born-again Christian. Pence has been a vocal supporter of religious freedom and conservative values throughout his political career. He has also been particularly outspoken about abortion, calling it the most pressing moral issue of our time.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Religion | Catholic, born-again, evangelical Christian |
| Political affiliation | Democrat, Republican |
| Political views | Conservative |
| Political offices held | U.S. congressman, Governor of Indiana, Vice President |
| Education | College graduate |
| Profession | Attorney |
| Family | Wife, 3 children |
| Health | Asymptomatic left bundle branch block, slow heartbeat |
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What You'll Learn
Mike Pence was raised Catholic
Former US Vice President Mike Pence was raised Catholic. In his childhood and early adulthood, Pence was a Roman Catholic, as was the rest of his family. He volunteered for the Bartholomew County Democratic Party in 1976 and voted for Jimmy Carter in the 1980 presidential election. While in college, Pence left the Catholic Church and became an evangelical, born-again Christian, to the disappointment of his mother.
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." Pence's theological justification for his support of modern-day Israel was met with criticism from Palestinian Christians during his vice presidency. One pastor said, "I find very little, from what I know of it, in Mike Pence’s religion, that looks like Christianity to me."
Pence has stressed religious freedom throughout his political career. He addressed the State Department's Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, saying, "The United States stands with all victims of religious persecution, and the American people have them in our hearts and in our prayers." 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.
Pence has been particularly vocal about abortion, calling it "the most pressing moral issue of our time." He has opposed the expansion of abortion rights and federal spending on embryonic stem cell research. He pushed a constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage and briefly cut off new federal funding for Planned Parenthood.
Pence returned to his Catholic roots in 2020 when he met Pope Francis at the Vatican.
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He left the Catholic Church in college
Former US Vice President Mike Pence was raised Catholic and remained so until college when he left the Catholic Church and became an evangelical, born-again Christian.
Pence was raised in a Catholic family and was an altar server and attended parochial school. He volunteered for the Bartholomew County Democratic Party in 1976 and voted for Jimmy Carter in the 1980 presidential election. However, while in college, Pence's political views started shifting to the right, and he left the Catholic Church, to the disappointment of his mother.
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". In 2016, Pence and his wife regularly worshipped at College Park Church, a nondenominational church in Indianapolis.
Pence has stressed religious freedom throughout his political career. As governor of Indiana, 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. Pence has also been particularly vocal about abortion, calling it "the most pressing moral issue of our time". He has opposed the expansion of abortion rights and pushed a constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage.
Despite his evangelical beliefs, Pence has returned to his Catholic roots in recent years, meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican before the coronavirus pandemic.
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He has described himself as a born-again, evangelical Catholic
Mike Pence has described himself as a "born-again, evangelical Catholic". He was raised Catholic and was an altar server and attended parochial school. While in college, Pence left the Catholic Church and became an evangelical, born-again Christian, to the disappointment of his mother. His political views also started shifting to the right during this time, something which he attributes to the "common-sense conservatism of Ronald Reagan".
Pence has stressed religious freedom throughout his political career. In 2018, he addressed the State Department’s Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, saying, "The United States stands with all victims of religious persecution and the American people have them in our hearts — and in our prayers."
Pence's theological justification for his support of modern-day Israel was met with criticism from Palestinian Christians when he visited the Middle East as vice president in 2018. “I find very little, from what I know of it, in Mike Pence’s religion,” one pastor said, “that looks like Christianity to me.”
Pence has raised eyebrows for his refusal to eat alone with a woman who is not his wife or to go without her to events where alcohol is being served. This rule was popularized by the late evangelist Billy Graham. His appearance at Notre Dame University, a Catholic school, ended in a student walkout, and at Taylor University, an evangelical school, in the resignation of its president.
Pence returned to his Catholic roots in 2020, meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican. The visit “made me a hero” in the United States, he told the Pope.
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He has supported anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ+ policies
Mike Pence was raised in a Catholic family and was an altar server and attended parochial school. However, while in college, he left the Catholic Church and became an evangelical, born-again Christian.
Pence has been a prominent voice in the anti-abortion movement. As governor, he opposed the expansion of abortion rights and signed multiple anti-abortion bills, including one banning abortions based on the fetus's race, gender, or disability. He also pushed for a constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage and briefly cut off funding for Planned Parenthood. As vice president, Pence continued to advocate against abortion, referring to it as "the most pressing moral issue of our time." He has also opposed embryonic stem cell research.
In terms of his stance on LGBTQ+ issues, Pence has a history of supporting policies that the LGBTQ+ community has criticized as discriminatory. For example, he opposed the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in the military and rejected the Obama administration's directive on transgender bathroom rights, characterizing it as a state issue. He also initially supported Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which LGBTQ+ advocates argued could enable discrimination against their community. Facing backlash, Pence eventually approved changes to the law to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Additionally, Pence has opposed marriage equality, stating that gay couples signaled "societal collapse." He has also blocked hate crime prevention legislation, explicitly because it criminalized violent attacks on LGBTQ+ people.
Pence's actions and statements on these issues have attracted significant controversy and led to accusations of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment.
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He has called for a return to traditional values
Former US Vice President Mike Pence has described himself as "a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order". He was raised Catholic and served as an altar boy, but he left the Catholic Church while in college and became an evangelical, born-again Christian.
Pence has stressed religious freedom throughout his political career. As governor of Indiana, he supported the state's Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which would have allowed businesses and individuals to refuse to serve people based on their religious beliefs. This caused controversy, with critics arguing that it would allow discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. Pence has also been vocal about abortion, calling it "the most pressing moral issue of our time". He has pushed for a constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage and opposed the expansion of abortion rights and federal spending on embryonic stem cell research.
Pence has called for a return to traditional values, urging conservative Catholics to "boldly live out their faith in the public square". He has celebrated what he calls a "post-Roe" society, referring to the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that legalised abortion nationwide. Pence also received an award from the Napa Institute honouring his commitment to pro-life causes.
In addition to his conservative social views, Pence has also expressed support for traditional values in other areas. For example, he has refused to dine alone with women other than his wife and will not attend events where alcohol is served without her. He has also railed against schools teaching white students "to be ashamed of their own skin colour" and denounced "a radical gender ideology that denies the difference between men and women".
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Frequently asked questions
Mike Pence was raised Catholic and attended an evangelical megachurch. He has described himself as a "born-again, evangelical Catholic". However, he is now an evangelical Protestant.
Pence has described himself as "a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order". He has also said, "I believe with all my heart that God created the heavens and the earth, the seas and all that is in them. How he did that, I'll ask him about some day."
No, Pence was a Democrat in his youth and volunteered for the Bartholomew County Democratic Party in 1976.
Yes, Pence met Pope Francis at the Vatican before the coronavirus pandemic.
Pence has called abortion "the most pressing moral issue of our time". He has also celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade, calling it a "historic pro-life victory".
