JD Vance defends conversion remark, hopes wife may 'see things as I do'

Washington, Nov 1 (IANS) US Vice President JD Vance defended his earlier statement that he hoped his wife, Usha Vance, a Hindu, would become a Christian like him, saying that she “encouraged” him to “reengage” with his faith many years ago.

In a post on X, Vance said that though his wife has “no plans to convert,” but hoped that she “may one day see things as I do.”

“My Christian faith tells me the Gospel is true and is good for human beings. My wife--as I said at the TPUSA--is the most amazing blessing I have in my life. She herself encouraged me to re-engage with my faith many years ago. She is not a Christian and has no plans to convert, but like many people in an interfaith marriage--or any interfaith relationship--I hope she may one day see things as I do,” Vance wrote.

On Wednesday, while responding to an audience question at Turning Point USA rally in Oxford, Mississippi, Vance said he believed in the Christian Gospel and hoped that eventually his wife “comes to see it the same way.”

He also asserted that Usha Vance “grew up in a Hindu family, but not a particularly religious family in either direction,” and she comes to church on Sundays with the rest of the family, and they’re raising their kids as Christians.

“Usha is closer to the priests who baptised me than maybe I am,” Vance added.

Usha Vance, in an interview with Meghan McCain in June, had ruled out religious conversion for herself.

“I'm not Catholic, and I'm not intending to convert or anything like that,” she said.

She also added her kids had a choice to choose their faith and “access to the Hindu tradition.”

“We send our kids to Catholic school, and we had given them each the choice. They can choose whether they want to be baptised Catholic, and then go through the whole step-by-step process… so far, our oldest child has done that. We'll see what our second child does.

“The kids know that I'm not Catholic, and they have plenty of access to the Hindu tradition, from books that we give them to things that we show them to the visit recently to India and some of the religious elements of that visit. So it is a part of their lives, and they know many practising Hindus as a part of their lives,” she revealed.

JD Vance, along with Usha Vance and their three children, travelled to India in April on a four-day visit.

The Hindu American Foundation, an advocacy group, responded to JD Vance’s clarification on Friday in a post on X.

“With respect @JDVance, 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.”

It added that as Vice President, Vance should “acknowledge the positive impact of Hinduism on Hindus and the rights of Hindus to practice.”

--IANS

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