Pence gets it right in response to attack on Christian faith

Christians around the globe participated in the start of the Lenten season Wednesday, kicking off 46 days leading to Easter Sunday.

Lent is a time when many Christians participate in a fast, giving up something of value in observance of Christ's sacrifice on the cross and using that time to pray or read the Bible. It's less legalism and more of an opportunity to practice one's faith and grow in relationship with Christ.

That's what brings me to this column.

On Tuesday, Joy Behar of "The View" on ABC compared Vice President Mike Pence's faith in Jesus to those who suffer with mental illness.

"It's one thing to talk to Jesus. It's another thing when Jesus talks to you," she said, making the comment after one former Trump staff member made disparaging remarks about the vice president on a reality TV show. "That's called mental illness, if I'm not correct, hearing voices."

Behar continued her verbal attack in reference to Pence's faith and that he does not eat alone with another woman other than his wife, Karen, and refrains from other situations that could be compromising.

Most reasonable people call this refreshing: Men -- or women -- who set guardrails when it comes to their marriage and actively seek God's direction.

It's not the first time for the VP to be criticized about his faith, but this time Pence responded less in an effort to defend himself and more to defend other Christians who practice their faith.

In an interview at the Axios News Shapers event on Wednesday, Pence, firmly yet with much grace, responded when asked about the comments from The View host.

"I'm a believer. Like tens of millions of Americans today will have ash on their foreheads to mark the beginning of Lent. The overwhelming majority of Americans cherish their faith. And we have all different types of faith in this country.

"To have ABC maintain a broadcast forum to compare Christianity to mental illness is just wrong. And it's an insult not just to me but to the vast majority of the American people who cherish their faith. My Christianity is the most important thing in my life. I try to start every day by opening the Good Book. My wife and I try to have a prayer together before I leave every morning. I can honestly tell you my faith sustains me in all that I do and it's just a regular part of our lives. But I'm not unusual. I think I'm a very typical American, whatever your faith tradition, people understand that.

"But I just think it demonstrates how out of touch some in the mainstream media are with the faith and values of the American people that you could have a major network like ABC permit a forum for invective against religion like that. And I call them out on it. Not because of what was said about me. But it's just simply wrong for ABC to have a television program that expresses that kind of religious intolerance.

"We're better than that. Our country's better than that. You're better than that. I'd like to be light about it, but I really can't. Not for my sake, but for the tens of millions of Americans who cherish their faith, I can't be silent."

What Behar and others don't realize is that many Christians not only claim the Christian faith but actively practice it through prayer, reading the Bible, and, yes, seeking God's direction.

I don't know if the vice president has heard the audible voice of God or heard from the Creator through prayer and reading the Bible. Nevertheless, God can speak to His children however he wants.

Too often we put the Creator in a box. The God who created the world in six days is certainly capable of speaking to us -- whether it's an audible voice, Scripture or prayer.

As much as people like Behar preach tolerance and respect when it comes to other beliefs, you would hope that same respect would be given to Christians. Unfortunately, in many cases it is not.

Hats off to the vice president on a great response.

Lucas Presson is the assistant publisher of the Southeast Missourian.