Mike Pence’s No-Meals-with-Other-Women Rule Appears to Be Inspired by an Evangelical Preacher
Vice President Mike Pence‘s marriage is under scrutiny this week after a Washington Post profile on his wife, Karen, resurfaced his 2002 revelation that he never eats alone with another woman and won’t attend events where alcohol is served without his wife.
In a follow-up piece, The Post‘s Laura Turner suggested that Pence, who has called himself an “evangelical Catholic,” is following the “Billy Graham Rule,” named for the famous evangelist who set similar guidelines for himself and pastors working in his ministry.
As the story goes, after a woman attempted to seduce him following one of his famous evangelistic meetings in 1949 or 1950, Graham resolved never to travel, eat or meet alone with a woman other than his wife, in an effort to avoid temptation.
Many evangelicals and supporters of the vice president were quick to defend his adherence to the rule on social media.
The "Billy Graham rule" -never be alone with a woman not even in an elevator. I respect Mike Pence for doing his part to guard his marriage.
— Corryn Mobley (@Corrynmb) March 30, 2017
Good for Mike Pence. Billy Graham had the same rule. Seemed to work out well for him. https://t.co/bZJ7zjYjiu
— Jim Denison (@JimDenison) March 31, 2017
Billy Graham had even stricter rules than Matt Walsh or Mike Pence: marriage is worth protecting by avoiding certain situations.
— Fr Matthew Schneider (@FrMatthewLC) March 30, 2017
While The Post‘s Turner acknowledges that the intention behind the guidelines (to be faithful to one’s spouse) is a “good and honorable one,” she argues the rule also risks “reducing women to sexual temptations” and excluding women from “important work and career conversations simply by virtue of their sex.”
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Her sentiments were echoed by many on social media, who labeled the rule sexist.
Agreed. Sexist. The so-called "Billy Graham Rule" also assumes adults can't get along without temptation of sex. https://t.co/d1wn4f0NLN
— Kevin Powell (@powe2550) March 30, 2017
This is thoughtful and nuanced but the billy graham rule is sexist and totally misogynistic and as a leader pence shouldn't do it. Period https://t.co/EVZbZObSS9
— DancinInTheDownPour (@melknepp) March 30, 2017
Read @lkoturner's tweets on "the Billy Graham Rule" – it may come from a good place but it is absolutely sexist and dehumanizing to women.
— Kim Waggoner (@kim_waggoner) March 29, 2017
Turner and others also pointed out that while the rule may have been okay for an evangelical pastor, it’s problematic for Pence as a leader.
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“How on earth can he be expected to represent half the country if he won’t eat at the same table as us?” Turner asked.
from PEOPLE.com
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