Indian-American Republican presidential aspirant Vivek Ramaswamy has said that his Hindu faith gives him freedom and has inspired him to launch his bid for the White House.
He also said that if elected, he would promote values that are not exclusive to one religion and make faith, family, hard work, patriotism 'cool' again in the United States.
Ramaswamy's remarks came during The Family Leader Forum event organised on Saturday.
During the event, the 38-year-old tech entrepreneur opened up to the Christian audience about his Hindu faith and spoke about how it has instilled values in him that are similar to Christianity.
"My faith is what gives me my freedom...my faith is what led me to this presidential campaign actually," he said.
"I am a Hindu. I believe that God is true. God has sent us here for a purpose. It is our duty to realise the purpose of God. It is our moral duty. The core of our religion is that God resides in all of us," he said.
"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, who launched his 2024 presidential bid in February, said that it is because of his upbringing that he has developed a respect for family, marriage and parents.
"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," Ramaswamy said.
Ramaswamy also drew parallels between Hinduism and Christianity.
"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." he said.
He said these values don't belong to Hindus and 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.
"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".
"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 Judeo-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."
