{"id":8561,"date":"2017-04-02T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-04-02T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites-stage.familylife.com\/flministries\/?p=8561"},"modified":"2017-04-02T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2017-04-02T00:00:00","slug":"why-mike-pence-is-wise-to-protect-his-marriage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/articles\/topics\/marriage\/troubled-marriage\/infidelity\/why-mike-pence-is-wise-to-protect-his-marriage\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Mike Pence Is Wise to Protect His Marriage"},"content":{"rendered":"
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So let\u2019s get this straight. To protect his marriage, Vice President Mike Pence doesn\u2019t dine alone with other women. And people are angry about that?<\/p>\n

Once upon a time, in the early days of the web, many predicted this new technology would foster a climate of polite civil discourse, where people could interact peaceably and thoughtfully. Instead, our world of digital connection has evolved into a simmering cauldron of resentment, ridicule, and outrage. It seems every week something sparks a contentious debate where people hiss and scream at each other like a pack of feral cats.<\/p>\n

And in recent days one of these debates has focused on, of all things, Vice President Pence\u2019s self-imposed rules to protect his marriage.<\/p>\n

It began with a Washington Post profile<\/a> on Pence\u2019s wife, Karen. The article focuses on their close marriage and mentions the influence of their conservative Christian beliefs, and one sentence attracted a lot of attention: \u201cIn 2002, Mike Pence told The Hill [a political website] that he never eats alone with a woman other than his wife and that he won\u2019t attend events featuring alcohol without her by his side, either.\u201d<\/p>\n

An article last fall in the Indianapolis Star provided more context:<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

During his 12 years in Congress, Pence had rules to avoid any infidelity temptations, or even rumors of impropriety. Those included requiring that any aide who had to work late to assist him be male, never dining alone with a woman other than his wife, and not attending an event where alcohol is served unless Karen was there.
\nIn a 2002 interview with The Hill, Pence called it, \u201cbuilding a zone around your marriage.\u201d
\n<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Billy Graham rule<\/strong><\/h5>\n

In the evangelical world, \u201czones\u201d like these are not unusual. Some call it the \u201cBilly Graham rule.\u201d In the early days of Graham\u2019s ministry, his team took steps to avoid some of the traps that had ensnared other evangelists. \u201cWe all knew of evangelists who had fallen into immorality while separated from their families by travel,\u201d Graham wrote in his autobiography, Just As I Am<\/em>. \u201cWe 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\u2019s mandate to the young pastor Timothy would be ours as well: \u2018Flee \u2026 youthful lusts\u2019 (2 Timothy 2:22, KJV).\u201d<\/p>\n

Here at FamilyLife we follow similar rules to protect our marriages and to guard the organization from charges of impropriety. If you\u2019re married, include someone else when you travel or eat out with a co-worker of the opposite sex. If you need to meet privately, do it in a room with a window to the hallway. \u00a0These rules don’t limit opportunities for women. \u00a0And while they are sometimes inconvenient, they help foster a culture that reminds us of the sanctity of the marriage relationship. We are, after all, an organization that teaches biblical principles for marriage and family.<\/p>\n

Author Jerry Jenkins wrote a book in which he calls these \u201chedges\u201d of protection. In an\u00a0interview<\/a> on FamilyLife Today\u00ae, he talked of other hedges he\u2019s constructed regarding issues like flirting, hugging, and access to adult videos in hotel rooms. Just as parents will keep their children far away from the busy road in front of their house, hedges can help keep you from harm\u2019s way; in the spirit of Ephesians 5:3: \u201cBut sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you\u2026\u201d
\nRules like these are especially beneficial for pastors, church leaders, and others in the public eye (like Mike Pence). And they set an example for all followers of Christ who understand how easily we can make wrong choices and who want to remain faithful to our spouses.<\/p>\n

Author Michael Hyatt, in an article<\/a> about protecting his marriage, includes a similar list of self-imposed guidelines and says they \u201cmay sound old-fashioned, perhaps even legalistic. So be it. I think our world could use a little old-fashioned common sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

Firestorm<\/strong><\/h5>\n

In the last few days, news of Pence\u2019s rules reached critical mass and burst into a social media firestorm of ridicule, sarcasm, and indignation. Some typical statements from articles, Tweets, and reader comments:<\/p>\n