How could a Hindu President lead the US? Here’s Ramaswamy’s viral reply
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New York: Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on Thursday told the CNN Townhall that Hinduism and Christianity ‘share the same value set in common’.
He was taking a question from a voter in Iowa who asked how Ramaswamy’s Hindu faith could align with ‘what our founding fathers based our country on?’
Ramaswamy previously discussed this point in another speech describing the similarities between both faiths.
This, however, could be the first time the question about his faith’s compatibility in American politics was put to him.
‘How do you respond to those who assert that you cannot be our president because your religion does not align with what our founding fathers based our country on?’ voter Gunny Mitchell reportedly asked.
Ramaswamy candidly said he is a Hindu, adding ‘I won't fake my identity. Hinduism and Christianity share the same value set in common.’
He added that God lives within each of us, but works through individuals in various ways and ‘ we are all equal’, adding he understands based on his religious beliefs that every person is here a for a reason and ‘it is our moral obligation to fulfil that reason’.
The Ohio-born entrepreneur turned politician said ‘My upbringing was quite conventional. My parents taught me that marriages are sacred, families are the cornerstone of society, abstinence before marriage is a viable option when things don't work out, adultery is wrong. that enjoying life's pleasures requires giving something up. Are those values not from elsewhere?’
The 38-year-old Vivek Ramaswamy, a native of southwest Ohio, has roots in Kerala with his parents migrating to the US from the south Indian state.