Indiana Gov. Mike Pence challenged Democrat opponent Sen. Tim Kaine to defend Hillary Clinton’s extreme stance on abortion during Tuesday night’s vice-presidential debate, saying his own pro-life stance is based on a biblical worldview.

“For me, the sanctity of life proceeds out of the belief — that ancient principal — where God says, ‘Before you were formed out of the womb, I knew you,'” Pence said, referencing a passage in the book of Jeremiah. “For me, it all begins with cherishing the dignity, the worth, the value of every human life,” he added

Pence noted that he has sought to expand alternatives to abortion in Indiana, particularly by encouraging adoption, and then brought up Clinton’s support for partial-birth abortion and her plan to revoke the law that bans taxpayer funding of abortions.

“What I can’t understand is with Hillary Clinton — and now Sen. Kaine at her side — is to support a practice like partial-birth abortion, to hold to the view that … The very idea that a child who is almost born into the world could still have their life taken from them is just anathema to me,” he said.

“For me, my faith informs my life — I try to spend a little time on my knees everyday — but, for me, it it all begins with cherishing the dignity, the worth, the value of every human life.”

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Kaine responded by accusing Pence of not “trusting” women with the decision to end the life of their unborn child, and brought up Republican nominee Donald Trump’s past comment that women who have abortion should be “punished.”

“Donald Trump and I would never support legislation that punished women who made the heartbreaking choice to end a pregnancy,” Pence responded, attributing the comment to Trump’s lack of polish.

“A society can be judged by how it deals with its most vulnerable: the aging, the infirm, the disabled, and the unborn,” he added. “I believe it with all my heart.”

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