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MICHAEL RICHARD PENCE


Picture of Michael Richard Pence

1959-

48th Vice President (2017-2021)

Biographical Data
Religious Views
Quotations
Misquotations
References, Links, & Further Reading



Education: Hanover College, Indiana University's Robert H. McKinney School of Law

Occupation: Lawyer

Political Affiliation: Republican


Religious Affiliation: Roman Catholic; "born-again" Christian

Summary of Religious Views:

Views on Religion & Politics:


Quotations:

"I often say when people have asked me over the years what my philosophy is, I tell them I’m a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order.
. . .
"The freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our conscience is at the very heart of who we are as Americans. In a very real sense, America was founded by people who had the courage to cross the Atlantic, motivated in so many cases to come here so that they might have that freedom of religion.
. . .
"But to be clear, adherents of other religions across the world have not been spared. And we will speak for them and pray for them as well. For as history attests, persecution of one faith is ultimately the persecution of all faiths." -- Speech at the World Summit in Defense of Persecuted Christians, Washington, D.C, 11 May 2017

" As President Trump has said on many occasions, the United States of America is a “nation of faith,” and religious freedom is a top priority of this Administration.
"Since the earliest days of our nation, America has stood for religious freedom. Our earliest settlers left their homes to set sail for a New World, where they could practice their faith without fear of persecution. Our forebears carved protections for religion into the founding charters and their early laws.
"And after this great nation secured our independence, the American Founders enshrined religious freedom as the first freedom in the Constitution of the United States. And America has always, and will always, lead the world by our example.
. . .
"And in the long history of this nation, religious freedom has been our first freedom. But as our Founders knew, this precious liberty is endowed not by government, but by our Creator. And we believe that it belongs not just to the American people, but to all people so endowed.
"The right to believe or not believe is the most fundamental of freedoms. When religious liberty is denied or destroyed, we know that other freedoms -- freedom of speech, of press, assembly, and even democratic institutions themselves -- are imperiled.
"That’s why the United States of America stands for religious freedom yesterday, today, and always. We do this because it is right. But we also do this because religious freedom is in the interest of the peace and security of the world.
"Those nations that reject religious freedom breed radicalism and resentment in their citizens. They sow the seeds of violence within their borders -- violence that often spills over into their neighbors and across the world.
"And as history has shown too many times, those who deny religious freedom for their own people have no qualms trampling upon the rights of other people, undermining security and peace across the wider world.
. . .
"In America, we prove every day that religious freedom buttresses all other rights. It provides a foundation on which a society can thrive.
"Here, in America, believers of all backgrounds live side-by-side, adding their unique voices to the chorus of our nation, proving that religious freedom means not only the right to practice one faith; it lays a foundation for boundless opportunity, prosperity, security, and peace.
"The American people will always cherish religious freedom. And we will always stand with people across the world who stand for their faith." -- Address at the First Annual Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, Washington, D.C, 28 July 2018

Misquotations:


References, Links, & Further Reading: Books, Articles, Links


Books

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Works by Michael Richard Pence

So Help Me God, Simon & Schuster, 2022

Biographies

Michael D'Antonio and Peter Eisner, The Shadow President: The Truth About Mike Pence, Thomas Dunne Books, 2018
Tom LoBianco, Piety & Power: Mike Pence and the Taking of the White House, Dey Street Books, 2019
Leslie Montgomery, The Faith of Mike Pence, Whitaker House, 2019
Andrea Neal, Pence: The Path to Power, Red Lightning Books, 2018

Articles

Emily McFarlan Miller, "5 faith facts about Vice President Mike Pence: A 'born-again, evangelical Catholic'", Religion News Service, August 24, 2020
Jane Mayer, "The Danger of President Pence", The New Yorker, October 23, 2017
Stephen Rodrick, "The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence", Rolling Stone, January 23, 2017

Links

Works by Michael Richard Pence

VP Nomination Acceptance Address (American Rhetoric)
Address at the Annual U.S. March for Life Rally (American Rhetoric)
53rd Munich Security Conference Address (American Rhetoric)
Speech at the World Summit in Defense of Persecuted Christians (American Rhetoric)
Address to Argentine and Latin American Business Community (American Rhetoric)
Address at the First Annual Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom (American Rhetoric)
On the Future of the U.S. Military in Space (American Rhetoric)
Address to the United Nations Security Council on the Crisis in Venezuela (American Rhetoric)
Speech on the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing (American Rhetoric)
Inaugural Frederic V. Malek Memorial Lecture (American Rhetoric)
Eulogy for Ravi Zacharias (American Rhetoric)
Opening Remarks to the U.S. Senate Following Riot at the U.S. Capitol Building (American Rhetoric)
Mike Pence (C-Span)
Vice President Mike Pence (Twitter)
2016 Vice Presidential Debate (Commission on Presidential Debates)
2020 Debates (Commission on Presidential Debates)

Biographical Sites

Michael R. Pence (White House)
Former Indiana Governor Mike Pence (Indiana)
PENCE, Mike, (1959 - ) (Biographical Directory of the US Congress)
#ChurchToo and Mike Pence's Crisis of Faith (Wired)



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