My Faith Led Me To..: US Presidential Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy On Being A Hindu

US Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has opened up about being a Hindu and what his faith taught him. He also shared his views on God and Christianity.

Vivek Ramaswamy at 'The Family Leader' forum in Des Moines, Iowa.

Source : Getty

Indian-origin US Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on Saturday opened up about his Hindu faith highlighting the teachings he received and the values that he believes in. Speaking at 'The Family Leader' forum organised by The Daily Signal platform in Des Moines, Iowa, Ramaswamy said it was his faith that gave him his freedom and led to his presidential campaign.

"May 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. My faith teaches us that we have a duty, a moral duty to realise that purpose. Those are God's instruments that work through us in different ways, but we are still equal because God resides in each of us. That's the core of my faith," Ramaswamy said.

He shared the 5-minute long video of his response on X, formerly Twitter and said, "Last night I was asked about my Hindu faith. I answered honestly."

Last night I was asked about my Hindu faith. I answered honestly. pic.twitter.com/5SwXfoCY5J

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) November 18, 2023

Vivek Ramaswamy, an Indian-American entrepreneur, drew parallels between the teachings of Hinduism and Christianity, sharing his intention to promote shared values for the benefit of the next generation.

Elaborating on his upbringing, he said, "I grew up in a traditional household. My parents taught me family is the foundation. Respect your parents. Marriage is sacred. Abstinence before marriage is the way to go. Adultery is wrong. Marriage is between a man and a woman. Divorce is not just some preference you opt for...you get married before God and you make an oath to God and your family."

The Republican candidate also drew a parallel between the Hindu and Christian faiths, saying that he believed the values they teach are of God and he would stand by to protect them if elected as the US President.

"I went to Christian High School. What do we learn? We learnt 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 further said.

"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," the Ohio-based bio-tech entrepreneur said.