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US Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi slammed Vice President JD Vance for his recent comments about his wife's Hindu background, saying they add to an already growing atmosphere of prejudice and anti-Hindu sentiment in the country.
"At a time when Hindu and Indian-American communities are confronting a climate of rising prejudice, talk of mass deportations, and growing anti-Hindu sentiment even against members of his own party, it's deeply disappointing that the Vice President would add to that climate through his recent comments while remaining silent in the face of hate," Krishnamoorthi said in a post on X. https://x.com/CongressmanRaja/status/1985127113318453249 Vance, who is married to Usha Vance, an Indian-American, sparked criticism after remarks made during a public event at the University of Mississippi. Responding to a question about his interfaith marriage, he said, "Now, most Sundays, Usha will come with me to church. As I've told her, and as I've said publicly, and as I'll say now in front of 10,000 of my closest friends, do I hope, eventually, that she is somehow moved by the same thing that I was moved by in church? Yeah, I honestly do wish that because I believe in the Christian gospel and I hope eventually my wife comes to see it the same way." He further added, "But if she doesn't, then God says everybody has free will, and so that doesn't cause a problem for me. That's something you work out with your friends, with your family, with the person that you love." Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, described Usha's upbringing, saying, "My wife did not grow up Christian. I think it's fair to say that she grew up in a Hindu family, but not a particularly religious family in either direction." The Vice President went on to explain that his family has found a balance in their interfaith marriage. "Everybody has to come to their own arrangement here. The way we arrived at our arrangement is that she's my best friend. We discuss this topic with each other. We've decided to raise our kids Christian. Our two oldest children, who attend school, attend a Christian school. Our 8-year-old had his First Communion about a year ago. That's the way that we have come to our arrangement," he said. The remarks drew sharp reactions online. Canadian journalist Ezra Levant called his comments "disgusting," accusing him of being disrespectful toward his wife's faith. "It's weird to throw your wife's religion under the bus, in public, for a moment's acceptance by groypers," Levant wrote on X. Responding to Levant, Vance defended his position and said his marriage was built on "mutual respect, trust, and communication." He posted on X, saying, "What a disgusting comment, and it's hardly been the only one along these lines. First off, the question was from a person seemingly to my left, about my interfaith marriage. I'm a public figure, and people are curious, and I wasn't going to avoid the question. Second, 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 reengage 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. Regardless, I'll continue to love and support her and talk to her about faith and life and everything else, because she's my wife. Third, posts like this wreak of anti-Christian bigotry. Yes, Christians have beliefs. And yes, those beliefs have many consequences, one of which is that we want to share them with other people. That is a completely normal thing, and anyone who's telling you otherwise has an agenda." (ANI)
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