Indiana Governor Mike Pence used a question about his faith in Tuesday evening's debate to bash the Democratic vice presidential nominee, Tim Kaine, over partial birth abortion.

Pence acknowledged that Kaine, a devout Catholic, is personally pro-life but said he cannot understand how Hillary Clinton, with the Virginia senator at her side, can stand for partial birth abortion.

'The very idea that a child that is almost-born into the world could still have their life taken from them,' is unacceptable, said Pence, who was raised Catholic and now identifies as an 'evangelical Catholic.'

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Indiana Governor Mike Pence used a question about his faith in Tuesday evening's debate to bash the Democratic vice presidential nominee, Tim Kaine, over partial birth abortion

Pence acknowledged that Kaine, a devout Catholic, is personally pro-life but said he cannot understand how Hillary Clinton, with the Virginia senator at her side, can stand for partial birth abortion

I really do respect you - it's a principle that you embrace,' Pence told him during the discussion on abortion, 'but that's not Hillary Clinton's view'

He said, 'I can't conscience about, about a party that supports that.'

'For me, my faith informs my life,' Pence stated, and 'it begins with cherishing the dignity, the worth, the value of every human life.'

Partial birth abortion is a procedure that involves the dilating of a pregnant woman's cervix and extracting the fetus. Most procedures considered to be partial birth abortions were banned by a 2003 law.

Kaine said that he and Clinton, who has talked more openly on the campaign trail about her Methodist faith recently, feel that 'you should live fully and with enthusiasm the commands of your faith.

'But it is not the role of the public servant to mandate that for everybody else,' he stated.

The Democratic ticket supports the Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal, Roe v. Wade, Kaine said. 'We support the constitutional right of American women to consult their own conscience, their own supportive partner, their own minister, but then make their own decision about pregnancy.'

Kaine said he and Clinton 'trust' American women to make that judgement call.

He hit Pence with Trump's charge that he would punish women who have abortions - a statement he's since walked back. Before Roe v. Wade, Kaine pointed out, state's could do exactly that.

'I think you should live your moral values but the last thing, the very last thing the government should do, is have laws that would punish women who make reproductive choices.'

Pence said that he and Trump 'would never support legislation that punished women who made the heartbreaking choice to end a pregnancy.'

Trump said he would only because 'he's not a polished politician like you and Hillary Clinton,' Pence asserted as he was questioned about the statement.

Kaine said that he and Clinton, who has talked more openly on the campaign trail about her Methodist faith recently, feel public servants shouldn't push their faith on others

Kaine rattled off some of Trump's other controversial statements - like the fact that Mexicans are rapists and criminals - and said they are revealing.

Pence briefly responded to sideswipe, telling him there are violent 'criminal aliens' in the country, before stating that he 'couldn't be more proud to be standing with Donald Trump, who's standing for the right to life.'

'It's a principle that Senator Kaine - and I'm very gentle about this because I really do respect you - it's a principle that you embrace....but that's not Hillary Clinton's view,' he said, bringing up the legislation that prevents federal funds from going toward abortions.

Pence endorsed the adoption process as Kaine asked him to explain why he and Trump don't 'trust women to make this choice for themselves.'

'A society can be judged by how it deals with it's most vulnerable,' Pence told him, and that includes the 'unborn.'

After the debate, Clinton's campaign manager, Robby Mook, defended Kaine's handling of the issue.

Asked if Kaine is a 'hypocrite,' Mook said, 'Not at all, I actually think he very eloquently described how as a devout and practicing Catholic he's faced the challenge throughout his career of enforcing the laws as they are passed and protecting people's constitutional rights and not imposing his private religious views as a public servant.

'I think his explanation spoke very well for himself.'

The candidates were asked near the end of the debate by moderator Elaine Quijano to 'discuss in detail a time when you struggled to balance your personal faith and a public policy position.'

Kaine, whose parents were in the audience told her, 'That's an easy one for me.'

The U.S. senator noted that he went to a Jesuit high school and worked with Jesuit missionaries in Honduras and is against the death penalty.

'But I don't believe in this nation, a First Amendment nation where we don't raise any religion over the other and we allow people to worship as they please that the doctrines of any one religion should be mandated for everyone,' he stated.

A former governor of Virginia, Kaine said it 'was very, very difficult to allow executions to go forward.'

Pence said in the Tuesday debate that his 'Christian faith is at the very heart of who I am.'