Vivek Ramaswamy hasn’t been too vocal when it comes to talking about his opinion on Jesus Christ but that changed on Saturday in Nevada.
Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy who is a practicing Hindu was recently asked “What is your opinion of Jesus Christ?” at a campaign stop in Nevada.
Ramaswamy answered the voter by explaining “that in his Hindu faith, Jesus is “a” son of God and not “the” son of God”.
He later told NBC News “I think it’s legitimate to gain comfort with somebody who is of a different faith — I am a Hindu — occupying that office. But we share the same values in common.”
When questioned by evangelicals in Iowa, Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) calls Jesus “a” son of God, but not “the” son of God.
The Hindu presidential hopeful has frequently quoted the Bible in an effort to court Christian voters on the campaign trail.
Follow: @AFpost pic.twitter.com/G7E7UwB10D
— AF Post (@AFpost) September 13, 2023
Watch the moment he said it here:
TRUTH: God is real. That shouldn’t be a taboo thing to say. Believing in something higher than ourselves is unifying, in fact we hunger for it. We all come from different walks but we are bound by a common creed. pic.twitter.com/4shvRo55o3
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) September 10, 2023
Here’s what NBC reported:
Republican voters eager to learn more about Vivek Ramaswamy are especially curious about one thing: his religion.
“What is your opinion of Jesus Christ?” an Iowan asked Ramaswamy at a campaign stop in Nevada on Saturday. When Ramaswamy explained that in his Hindu faith, Jesus is “a” son of God and not “the” son of God, the potential caucusgoer followed up with another question about “the fact that the only way to heaven is Jesus Christ.”
It’s a common occurrence as Ramaswamy hits the trail in Iowa. It was the second time he had been questioned about his faith that day and the sixth time in his last two visits to the state. It’s not just Iowa, either. In New Hampshire over Labor Day weekend, a voter asked about Ramaswamy’s religion, prompting an answer about the importance of religious liberty in the U.S.: “I’m Hindu, and I’m proud of that. I stand for that without apology. I think I’m going to be able to be more ardent as a defender of religious liberty.”
Ramaswamy, a first-time candidate, drew new attention after his debate performance last month — against a demographic backdrop that has been an obstacle for other Republican presidential hopefuls.
About two-thirds of Republicans in the 2016 Iowa caucuses identified as evangelical or born-again Christians, according to NBC News’ exit poll. And the evangelical constituency tends to reward Republican candidates who reflect their religious values, including past caucus winners like Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas in 2016 and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in 2008. Sandwiched in between: 2012 winner Rick Santorum, the former senator from Pennsylvania and practicing Catholic — who won praise from influential Republican evangelicals as “an evangelical at heart” who spoke to their values.
On Aug. 31, a day packed with campaign stops throughout Iowa, Ramaswamy was quizzed about his relationship with God so many times that by the end of the day, he was weaving Bible stories into his campaign speech unprompted.
“Remember the Book of Exodus,” Ramaswamy told a crowd of voters in Boone. “The Israelites escaped the pharaoh; they’re lost in the desert,” he continued, analogizing the story to the feeling of being lost that he says many Americans feel today.
We don’t believe the same God.
We are not all filled with God AKA The Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ is THE Son of God NOT a son of God.
While I appreciate the openness Vivek has on this topic, I really do, this idea that we’re on the same mission with God is false. https://t.co/YI0YQBsLjZ
— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) August 5, 2023
Nothing about Vivek says he’s trustworthy.
Hashtag slithering shapeshifter. pic.twitter.com/8A5AL5UrJ7
— Hotep Jesus (@HotepJesus) September 7, 2023
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