Mike Pence, a staunch Christian, will not dine with a woman alone or attend events that serve alcohol without his wife present.
A profile on Karen Pence by the Washington Post revealed the tidbit about the Second Lady and the Vice President’s married life. The detail was originally from a 2002 profile by the Hill.
The concept of avoiding all possible temptations of the flesh stems from Billy Graham’s 1948 ‘Modesto Manifesto’.
The rule that prohibits a husband from dining with another woman alone does not seem to have an exception for female colleagues.
Graham explained this part of the manifesto on his website: ‘We all knew of evangelists who had fallen into immorality while separated from their families by travel. We pledged among ourselves to avoid any situation that would have even the appearance of compromise or suspicion.’
‘From that day on, I did not travel, meet or eat alone with a woman other than my wife. We determined that the Apostle Paul’s mandate to the young pastor Timothy would be ours as well: “Flee … youthful lusts.”’
The new detail on the Pence’s marriage philosophy spurred some backlash. Some saw the rule sexist because it excludes women from having professional dinners. It also implies spending time with a woman alone is inherently sexual. Others said it was the couple’s own business what rules they set for their marriage.
According to the Indianapolis Star, Mike Pence said during his gubernatorial campaign in 2012: ‘I would say that my Christian faith and my relationship with (my wife) Karen are the two most dominant influences in my life today.’
The Pences’ highly traditional views towards gender roles should not come as a surprise. They have both advocated against gay marriage and have reiterated that evangelical Christianity is a guiding force in their lives.
Mike Pence revealed some of his opinions about gender roles in 1999. He wrote that women should not be in the military according to a column obtained by Buzzfeed.
He used Mulan as an example and accused Disney of creating propaganda to subvert gender roles: ‘Despite her delicate features and voice, Disney expects us to believe that Mulan’s ingenuity and courage were enough to carry her to military success on an equal basis with her cloddish cohorts.’
‘Obviously, this is Walt Disney’s attempt to add childhood expectation to the cultural debate over the role of women in the military.’
