Writers note: This was written in the days leading up to the first Mike Pence versus Kamala Harris debate.

You know what’s upcoming here within the week? The second debate, the one I am looking forward to. The Vice Presidential debate. On Wednesday October the 7th we will see Vice President Mike Pence, a self-acknowledged quiverfull evangelical, debating Kamala Harris, a hard-nosed, intense former prosecutor and district attorney knock heads.

I don’t think we’ll quite see the level of insane rancor we witnessed a few nights ago between Trump and Biden at the first debate. But I will be watching for another reason. Because of Pence’s theology. Pence holds the same flawed views on women and the roles of women as guys like Larry Solomon and Doug Wilson. That women are there merely to service men, make life easier for men with zero rights, or power for the women.

Kamala Harris is a strong woman who has held powerful positions in the justice realm and is now a senator from California. This is not a simpering little woman wearing an apron behind the stove who sometimes has to fulfill the role of sex robot. This woman, love her or hate her, is a fully functioning adult member of society.

Pence might work with women as the VP, but I doubt he’s come up against a powerful woman very often. It just does not exist in his world. It’s bound to be disconcerting for him. Instead Pence invokes the Billy Graham rule, refusing to be alone with a woman he’s not married to or blood related to. Must make the business of governance a bit of a drag to worry about stray vaginas and all.

When you have these guys treating the women around them as brainless sperm repositories that walk, talk, raise children, cook, and clean you merely create thin skinned, scared, weak men. Everyone needs challenge to grow and be the best you can be.

I contrast that with one of my favorite presidents, who is having his 96th birthday today. Jimmy Carter, who has done some vital things to help the world since leaving office.  One of the thing I love about Carter the most is the fact that he recognizes and has spoken out about the issues of women being mistreated as one of the most pressing problems in our world. From his book “A Call to Action”

“Yet although economic disparity is a great and growing problem, I have become convinced that the most serious and unaddressed worldwide challenge is the deprivation and abuse of women and girls, largely caused by a false interpretation of carefully selected religious texts and a growing tolerance of violence and warfare, unfortunately following the example set during my lifetime by the United States.”

Carter went as far as to break with the Southern Baptist denomination years ago over the issues of the treatment of female members:

“So my decision to sever my ties with the Southern Baptist Convention, after six decades, was painful and difficult. It was, however, an unavoidable decision when the convention’s leaders, quoting a few carefully selected Bible verses and claiming that Eve was created second to Adam and was responsible for original sin, ordained that women must be “subservient” to their husbands and prohibited from serving as deacons, pastors or chaplains in the military service”

Plus a few years ago Carter pressed Pope Francis on the issues of women, with the Pope promising a greater role for women within the Roman Catholic church.

Dear Mike Pence and Donald Trump, this is what ‘presidential’ looks like, respectful of everyone, able to make a difficult decision when others would do the wrong thing, and treating women like human beings just like men. Presidential means helping others who are repressed for nonsensical reasons.