HAF commentary on Vice President JD Vance’s statement on converting his wife

In response to recent statements made by Vice President JD Vance, at a Turning Point USA event, where he said he hoped his wife, a Hindu, “may one day see things as I do” on religion, HAF issued the following statement:



“With respect to the Vice President, if your wife encouraged you to re-engage with your faith, why not reciprocate that and engage with Hinduism too?



If you did you may well learn that Hinduism doesn’t share the need to wish your spouse comes around to see things as you do in terms of religion. Hinduism is inherently inclusive and pluralistic in this way. We do not seek to convert anyone. Yet, there remains a compulsion to convert us to another way of thinking, that goes beyond mere dialog and sharing of differing opinions.



There is also a history of Christians denigrating Hindus, attempting to convert Hindus through sometimes unethical means. In recent months we’ve seen an outpouring of anti-Hindu sentiment online, often coming from explicitly Christian sources.



Both of these underpin the sentiment that your statements re your wife’s religious heritage are reflective of a belief that there is only one true path to salvation — a concept that Hinduism simply doesn’t have — and that path is through Christ.



Some of the most vocal voices in your base seem to not actually believe religious freedom, one of the core concepts this nation was founded upon, as you well know, should extend to Hindus.



You are the VP. It’s more than reasonable (and well within precedent) for a Christian public figure such as yourself to acknowledge the positive impact of Hinduism on Hindus and the rights of Hindus to practice.”