Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy says he entered the presidential race due to his Hindu faith and a desire to uphold traditional values. Ramaswamy spoke passionately about his religious beliefs at the ‘The Family Leader’ forum, drawing parallels between Hinduism and Christianity, per Wion .
Ramaswamy, a 38-year-old biotech entrepreneur from Ohio, spoke about how his Hindu faith drives his presidential campaign. He expressed his belief that every individual has a purpose bestowed upon them by God, emphasizing the concept of a single divine entity. Ramaswamy stated in a religiously charged speech, “My faith is what gives me my freedom. My faith is what led me to this presidential campaign…I am a Hindu. I believe there is one true God. I believe God put each of us here for a purpose.”
Ramaswamy was raised by Indian parents who instilled in him the traditional values. His upbringing emphasized family as the foundation of his life. He advocated for parental respect, the sanctity of marriage, abstinence prior to marriage, and a firm stance against adultery.
While the entrepreneur acknowledged the similarities between Hindu and Christian faiths, he stated that as president, he would not promote any particular religion. Ramaswamy stated, “Can I be a President who can promote Christianity across the country? I can’t…I don’t think that’s what we should want a US President to do either…but will I stand for those shared values? Will I promote them in the examples that we set for the next generations? You are damn right, I will! Because that’s my duty.”
Ramaswamy’s parallels between Hindu and Christian teachings reflect his vision of promoting the “shared values” of God. “I went to Christian High School. What do we learn? We learned the 10 commandments. We read the Bible. Scriptures class. God is real. There is one true God. Don’t take his name in vain. Respect your parents. Don’t lie. Don’t steal. Don’t commit adultery. What I learned at that time, is that these values are familiar to me. They don’t belong to Hindus. But, they don’t belong to Christians either. They belong to God actually. And I think these are the values that undergird this country,” Ramaswamy said.
I think maximum US citizens are secular and not a Bigots like you, Mr Vivek Ramaswamy. If you do politics on the US soil don’t mix religion and politics.
— Samanta Kr. Majumder (@SamantaMajumder) November 19, 2023
“One of the teachings is that we don’t choose who God chooses to work through. That’s not our choice, that belongs to God…so yes are founded on Judai-Christian values and these are values that I deeply share….as a president, it is my duty to make faith and family and hard work and patriotism, but faith includes, cool again in this country for the next generation.” Ramaswamy stated.
Ramaswamy’s presidential campaign has gotten a lot of attention, with rising support in Republican primary polls. Although, he is trailing figures such as Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Ramaswamy’s parents were Indian immigrants who moved from Kerala, India, to the United States.