When J.D. Vance told thousands of people in a stadium that he hoped his wife would one day be “touched by the Gospel of Christ” in the same way it touched him, he unintentionally sparked a fierce dialogue in India and among the diaspora about religious freedom, and for some, brought back memories of the country’s complicated past with Christian proselytizing. Vance was speaking at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi last month when an audience member asked him about Christianity and American patriotism. “Why do we make Christianity one of the main things we have to have in common to be considered ‘one of you’? To show that I love America as much as you do?” the audience member asked. In a forceful and extended response that began with immigration, Vance then touched on his interfaith marriage: “My wife was not raised as a Christian. I think it’s fair to say she was raised in a Hindu household, though not a particularly religious one.” Vance, who was raised in an evangelical household, converted to Catholicism in 2019. His wife, Usha Vance, who grew up in Southern California and has Indian heritage, was raised in a Hindu home. “Do I hope that eventually she will be touched by the same thing that touched me in church? I sincerely hope so, because I believe in the Christian Gospel, and I hope that my wife will eventually see it the same way,” Vance continued. As controversy around the comments began to flare online among some Indians and the Indian diaspora, Vance responded to a now-deleted comment on X, writing that “like many people in interfaith marriages,” he hopes his wife will eventually see things as he does, but will continue to support her regardless. Speaking on October 30th at a Turning Point USA event honoring his longtime friend and the late conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, Vance clarified that he and his wife were “agnostics or atheists” when they met. “We decided to raise our children as Christians,” said the vice-presidential candidate, adding that the couple’s eight-year-old son, Vivek, had received his first communion a year prior—a remark that drew loud applause. Pope Leo XIV meets with Vice President J.D. Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance at the Vatican, May 19. Simone Risoluti/Vatican Media/Reuters Usha Vance spoke about the challenges of raising children in an interfaith marriage in an interview with Meghan McCain in June, noting that she and her husband had discussed it extensively during his transition to Catholicism. “I am not a Catholic and I am not going to convert or anything like that,” Usha Vance said. She added that while their children attend a Catholic school, “they can choose for themselves if they want to be baptized in the Catholic rite.” They are also being introduced to Hindu faith and traditions through family, she noted. “My grandmother is a very devout Hindu. She prays every day. She goes to the temple regularly. She performs her pujas (prayer rituals).” During last month’s event, the vice-presidential candidate said, “One of the most fundamental Christian principles is respect for free will… You figure all this out as a family and trust God that He has a plan, and try to follow it as best as you can.” But despite Vance invoking free will, his remarks struck a nerve—some called the vice-presidential candidate’s words derogatory towards Hindus—and South Asians in general—amid growing hostility toward immigrants in the US. “It is ridiculous and completely inappropriate,” Kush Mehta, 25, from New Delhi, told CNN about Vance’s comments expressing hope for his wife’s conversion. “I am for everyone having their own identity, their own values and their own spiritual path. No one should be coerced or pressured into accepting any religion.” “Vance felt the need to state that his wife was indeed raised as a Hindu, but not that she *is* a Hindu,” wrote Shubhangi Sharma, an editor at CNN affiliate CNN-News18, in an opinion column. “In such a politically charged climate against Indian immigrants, this is not just personal. It is political. It is a presidential call for conversion.” “When an elected leader considers his faith the highest ideal for everyone, including his wife, it ceases to be personal,” wrote Arina Arora, a journalist with The Hindu, in an opinion column, noting that at the time of his baptism six years ago, Vance told The American Conservative, “My views on public policy and what the optimal state ought to look like largely align with Catholic social teaching.” Vice President J.D. Vance speaks at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Miss., on October 29. Jonathan Ernst/Reuters A Reminder of India’s Colonial Past For some, Vance’s comments served as a reminder of India’s painful past, when the arrival of Europeans in the late 15th century marked the beginning of Christian proselytizing, prejudice, and, at times, forced conversion—especially under British colonial rule. “The belief that the Christian religion should shape the social order is the same civilizational justification that fueled Europe’s conquest of the world,” wrote Arora, a journalist with The Hindu. “Because of the differences in how Hindus and Christians view religion, and because of the colonial history of Christian evangelism, many Hindus today still view Christianity as a kind of indigestible ‘foreign faith’,” said Chad Bauman, professor of religious studies at Butler University in Indiana, whose research focuses on interactions and conflicts between Hindus and Christians. “This view is particularly common among supporters of the ruling party,” added Bauman, referring to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its brand of Hindu nationalism. India has seen ethnic and religious clashes for centuries—but tensions have increased in recent decades amid rising violence against Christian and Muslim minorities, and most visibly, since the BJP came to power in 2014. India’s Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, although some critics argue that under the BJP, religious freedoms have been undermined to the detriment of non-Muslim minorities. The issue of religious conversion remains deeply controversial, with a number of states enacting laws restricting religious conversions for all faiths. Bauman said Vance’s remarks also confirmed a common stereotype held by many Hindus about Trump-era America regarding religion: “America is not a nation of religious tolerance and pluralism, but rather one that prioritizes Christianity over all other religions.” Several social media users called Vance’s comments contradictory to American values. One X user criticized Vance for what they saw as framing Usha’s Hindu faith as “a problem to be fixed,” writing, “This is not American values; this is weak leadership and bad politics, caving to MAGA pressure rather than defending her dignity.” Another user wrote on X, “When J.D. Vance was at his lowest, it was his ‘Hindu’ wife and her Hindu upbringing that helped him through hard times. Now that he is in power, her religion has become an impediment. What a fall from grace.” “She should embrace her roots” For some in India, Usha Vance’s position in the administration as a Hindu woman has been a source of pride. “It is amazing… to see someone with Indian roots and Hindu background in such a prominent, influential space in the US. It shows how far the community has come and how diverse leadership is becoming,” said Mehta from Mumbai. If the Second Lady does convert, “it will cause a lot of backlash from people who are very firm in their beliefs,” said Vanessa Almeida, a business owner in Goa. “She should embrace her roots as much as possible,” said Almeida. “That is what the community was hoping for.” CNN reached out to the offices of the Vice President and Second Lady for comment. Then-Republican Vice Presidential candidate, J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, arrive at a campaign rally on July 27, 2024, in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Adam Bettcher/AP Vance was quick to defend himself on social media against criticism, writing in an X post that the criticism “smacks of anti-Christian xenophobia.” “She is not a Christian and is not planning on converting,” Vance clarified, adding that Usha Vance was the one who encouraged him to “re-engage” with his faith many years ago. “But, like many people in interfaith marriages—or any interfaith relationship—I hope that one day she can see things the way I do,” he continued. “Regardless, I will continue to love and support her, talk to her about faith and life and everything else, because she is my wife.” “This completely contradicts Vance’s previous statements that her Hindu upbringing and values inspired his own turn back to faith,” said Priyanka Deo, a US correspondent for the Indian network NDTV, on Instagram, adding that his latest remarks suggest that acceptance in the United States is conditional on and dependent upon the acceptance of Christianity.
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