Earlier this week, Joy Behar, host of ABC’s The View mocked Vice President Mike Pence’s Christian faith, likening it to a “mental illness.” For context, the entire segment can be viewed below.
Like I said before, it’s one thing to talk to Jesus, it’s another thing when Jesus talks to you. That’s called mental illness, if I’m not correct, hearing voices… My question is, can he talk to Mary Magdalene without his wife in the room.
The Vice President has since hit back, slamming Behar’s remarks as “wrong” and “insulting” to the majority of Americans who cherish their faith.
I actually heard that ABC has a program that compared my Christianity to mental illness. And I’d like to laugh about it, but I really can’t… The overwhelming majority of Americans cherish their faith… But I have to tell you, to have ABC maintain a broadcast forum that compared Christianity to mental illness is just wrong. And it’s an insult, not to me, but to the vast majority of the American people who, like me, cherish their faith.
My Christianity is the most important thing in my life. I try and 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 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. 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 is better than that. And 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 just can’t be silent.