Posted on 04/24/2017 9:01:20 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
When we were newlyweds, my husband started graduate school at a seminary whose president frequently recommends that men do everything within their power to safeguard their marriages and ministries. Nothing will destroy a pastor and his family faster than sexual scandal.
In addition to agreeing that he would not be alone with a person of the opposite sex, my husband gave me the remote control and asked me to set the viewing controls to restrict any type of program I thought would harm our marriage. He never knew the password in the years we had cable. When we got rid of cable, he started asking me to look up reviews of movies to determine whether we should watch them.
My husband’s actions showed me that he wanted me to trust him and that he valued me. I respect him for this and feel cherished and loved. It takes humility to admit that you are capable of falling. But it also made me aware of the grave possibility of temptations that have the power to destroy our marriage.
So when I heard of Vice President Mike Pence’s personal policy for his conduct with women who are not his wife, I grew in respect for him. When I heard about the allegations of sexual misconduct against former Fox personality Bill O’Reilly, I wondered if he might have his job today had he espoused similar policies. Because of these allegations, Fox fired O’Reilly last week. O’Reilly issued a statement calling it “tremendously disheartening that we part ways due to completely unfounded claims.”
If the claims are indeed unfounded, it would be easier to prove this (and less likely they would have arisen in the first place) if O’Reilly had treated interactions with women as Pence does. Pence’s policy aims to put him above reproach. A man who is never alone with a woman besides his wife is trying to prevent even a hint of infidelity and can dispute false allegations, and his wife should be able to trust his faithfulness to her. A man who doesn’t drink alcohol without his wife wants to prevent foolish inebriated behaviors that could hurt his marriage. These two rules Pence holds are an extension of his wedding vows to remain faithful to his wife until death should part them.
Pence’s personal policy also shows respect for women. A politician with his standard for conduct frees women to be merited based on their abilities and performance, rather than on their attractiveness or flirtatious behavior. It levels the playing field for women because it attempts to protect them from unwanted advances.
Pence’s personal convictions also show esteem for the covenant he made to his wife in their marriage vows. He is attempting to protect his marriage and seeking to love his wife well because he values her. The world should see that he is a one-woman man and that he recognizes sin starts with temptation. In this he demonstrates a high view of his wife, his wedding vows, and the institution of marriage.
Outside of a traditional view of marriage, understanding Pence’s convictions is impossible. Such conduct is not the action of a misogynist, it is the conduct of a man who highly values the most important woman in his life. Nor does it suggest that women are around only to entice or domesticate — it actually protects women from sexual harassment.
To accuse Pence of following sharia law is ignorant of both sharia law and how Christianity defines the role of a husband, because in creating these boundaries for himself Pence is actually giving himself for his wife. He is showing he will forsake possibly advantageous business dinners by prioritizing his wife over all other women and over his career. It is loving and honorable. This man knows that sexual immorality, all impurities, and covetousness have no place among the saints.
Pence’s policy does not absolutely prevent him from sexually harassing women, but it is a good safeguard. A man with such a policy is likely thinking about how to respectfully treat women and how certain behaviors will have unfavorable, and possibly destructive, repercussions. Perhaps that would have also protected O’Reilly from the accusations against him.
When a man does not have such policies, and is not admitting risk of impurity, he opens up himself not only to allegations, but also to temptations. We cannot run from temptations if we do not know or admit they are there. Carefully considering how we should act with the opposite sex is vital for adults who want to live honorably. Adopting Pence’s policy, or any other standard for conduct, is no guarantee of living a pure life, but it is an admission that purity is worth fighting for.
We can’t condemn Pence for his efforts to act honorably and condemn O’Reilly for his alleged sexual harassment at the same time. The allegations against O’Reilly are just one of the reasons Pence’s policy is so important — it strives to protect women from being victims in addition to attempting to protect Karen Pence from the pain of an unfaithful husband. Pence’s policy holds women and marriage in high regards. His love of his wife and his protection of his marriage is good for everyone.
Tucker Carlson is reportedly taking over O’Reilly’s spot at Fox News. If I could offer him a piece of advice, I’d tell him to conduct himself more like Pence than his predecessor. It would help protect both his job and marriage.
Dinner wasn’t the problem...
IIRC, Billy Graham never allowed himself to be alone with a woman other than his wife. He would not even take the same elevator with a single woman, if they would be the only two in the car. He was held to a higher standard and he wanted to honor God and his vows to his wife Ruth.
Yep. The Rev. Graham had this figured out long ago.
If you have to go this far with your wife, you have a serious problem as a man.
It’s sad it has come to this but men have to protect themselves from predatory women just looking for a payday and don’t care who they hurt in the process. I call this behavior evil, even Satan-like, they seem to think it’s okay and are able to justify it in some way I have yet to figure out.
Sounds boring.
Drinking with strange broads is fun.
well no- he’d still be accused of ‘sexual harassment’ because o ne woman is claiming harassment simply because bill ‘leered at her’- these days a man can be accused of sexual harassment simply for glancing in the general direction of a woman- apparently -
Lol.
It does sound boring, and drinking with the RIGHT strange broads is fun.
Or....just stay single and don’t worry about it. Problem solved.
I always wonder at men who become schoolteachers. At any time any female teacher or aide in the school and any female student that takes exception to something he says or does can ruin his career and life. “HE TRIED TO KISS ME!” is all it takes, and they do much worse than that.
If you have to go this far with your wife, you have a serious problem as a man.
On top of that it means your wifes butt cheeks are just way too clenched.
When I want to watch hardcore porn I invite my wife to join me. 90% of the time she does. Your marriage is unfulfilled. Mine is SPICY, happy and fun. I have no urge to stray. also FYI 90% of men admit to looking at porn in anonymous surveys, and 9% lie on those same surveys.
Men have been accused of sexual harassment because they have NOT leered or made suggestive talk to a woman in the office. If they paid more attention to other women they were ipso facto harassing the ones they ignored.
It’s woman office politics at the root of O’Reilly’s demise, not dinners alone.
I'm male. I've been a schoolteacher, in public and private schools.
Something that gets drilled into you when you're studying to be an educator: you never, ever, ever, EVER allow yourself to be alone with a student. And you especially NEVER talk to a student behind closed doors.
That goes for any teacher, whether male or female.
There are many exceptional male teachers. Who are wholly devoted to their subject matter and sharing their passion with young minds and encouraging them to think for themselves (yes, even with the constraints of the public screwls).
But the days of the wise mentor who can be trusted to take a student aside and offer guidance, are over. It took just a few to ruin it for everyone.
Watching porn is a great way for degenerates to support an industry that promotes the abuse of women, drug use/abuse, child abuse, the destruction of the family, homosexuality and pedophilia.
“IIRC, Billy Graham never allowed himself to be alone with a woman other than his wife.”
He also - and I saw him say this on TV once years ago - would send a co-worker, a man, into his hotel room first. That man would check out that the room to make sure no one and nothing improper was in the room. He wanted to not only remove temptations but also preclude any chances that he might be set up by someone.
That won’t work either. Any woman can still claim you engaged in sexual harassment or worse, rape. Marriage is a protection and those who throw it off do so at grave risk.
Mike Pence is pretty much in a class by himself in today’s environment. When is the last time you saw a public figure who walked the talk and actually lived by such high principles?
Yeah, it was probably Reagan. GWB was a good man when he was in office, but he had a past life. Pence doesn’t. He’s always been this way.
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