Citing Scripture, Pence Switches out Jesus for the American Flag in Convention Speech

BALTIMORE (RNS) — Vice President Mike Pence closed out his speech before the Republican National Convention on Wednesday evening (Aug. 26) with a mashup of Bible references, into which he inserted American symbols and ideals.

Speaking before a crowd at Fort McHenry National Monument in Baltimore, Pence, a self-described “born-again, evangelical Catholic” known for infusing his political rhetoric with religious language, sprinkled his address with references to God and prayer.

But Pence, who accepted his party’s nomination for vice president during the speech, sparked outcry in some Christian circles as he closed out his remarks when he combined at least two Bible verses — and replaced references to Jesus with patriotic imagery.

Let Religion News Service explain.

So What Did Pence Say?

Here’s the full quote from Pence’s speech that has people talking:

“Let’s run the race marked out for us. Let’s fix our eyes on Old Glory and all she represents. Let’s fix our eyes on this land of heroes and let their courage inspire. And let’s fix our eyes on the author and perfecter of our faith and freedom and never forget that where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom — and that means freedom always wins.”

That Seems Vaguely Familiar

That may be because Pence references two different Bible verses in his remarks.

One is 2 Corinthians 3:17, which according to…