Last month, Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy appeared on the Christian nationalist program “FlashPoint,” where he assured the audience that even though he is Hindu, he shares their “Judeo-Christian values.”
Ramaswamy’s appearance apparently did not sit well with “FlashPoint’s” audience, prompting host Gene Bailey to reassure viewers that “neither I nor anyone else on this team has or will ever embrace another religion” and “FlashPoint” panelist pastor Hank Kunneman to deliver a Sunday sermon attacking Ramaswamy’s faith and warning anyone who supports his campaign that they “will have a fight with God.”
“FlashPoint” continues to grapple with the fallout from Ramaswamy appearance, as far-right anti-choice activist Abby Johnson used the program Tuesday night to launch yet another attack on Ramaswamy’s faith.
“Satan is the author of confusion,” Johnson said. “Right now, the battle is coming for the presidential nomination and there is a man who is gaining traction right now as the presidential nominee and his name is Vivek Ramaswamy and he is Hindu. Those who are Hindu believe in many gods.”
“He speaks well, and he is very charismatic, and he says the right things,” she continued. “He says so many right things [that] sometimes I’m like, ‘Maybe he is the right guy.’ But he’s not, because our God will not be mocked.”
“Do not be fooled,” Johnson warned. “Do not be a victim of Satan’s confusion right now. This is an important time for us to have clarity of mind as we are going into an election cycle. So please discern. Please use discernment right now because God hates those who are willing to put up idols over him, and he will not be mocked.”
Ramaswamy and his campaign have targeted evangelical voters, as he has spoken recently at right-wing political events like the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Road to Majority conference, the Moms for Liberty’s national “joyful warriors” summit, and TPUSA’s conference, where he promoted the “ten truths”—a set of short slogans meant to quickly affirm his embrace of right-wing political priorities—which begins with “God is real.”
While Ramaswamy is eager to assure right-wing Christian audiences that he shares their values, some religious-right gatekeepers are becoming alarmed by his campaign and therefore increasingly bold about reminding conservative Christian voters that he does not share their faith and therefore does not deserve their vote.
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