Episode 142

Vivek Ramaswamy is a riveting presidential candidate for the 2024 elections with great ideas to stymie America’s precipitous decline (provided he gets past Donald Trump). A sticking point for some conservative Christians is this: he is a practicing Hindu. What is Hinduism, and what will it mean for the country if a practicing Hindu wins the White House? Will America be irredeemable? Will it all come crashing down? Or will we adjust and find new ways to embrace pluralism? Does it even matter at all? Join us as we discuss this on this episode of the Removing Barriers podcast.

[MCG]

Well, I have two perfect candidates that I would vote for if these two persons would run

[Jay]

OK, let’s hear it.

[MCG]

two of them.

[Jay]

Who are they?

[MCG]

two of them. The first one is.

[Jay]

Thank you for tuning in to the Removing Barriers podcast. I’m Jay and I’m MCG, and we’re attempting to remove barriers so we can all have a clear view of the cross.

[MCG]

This is episode 142 of the Removing Barriers Podcast, and in this episode we will be talking about GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and whether American Christian voters should be voting for Hindu candidate. Let me add this. This episode is in no way an endorsement of Vivek or his campaign.

[Jay]

Hi, this is Jay MCG and I would like for you to help us remove barriers by going to removingbarriers.net and subscribing to receive all things, removing barriers. If you’d like to take your efforts a bit further and help us keep the mics. On considereddonating@removingbarriers.net/donate removing barriers, a clearview of the cross.

[MCG]

Alright, so Jay, who is the Vic? Rhymes with cake? Ramaswamy.

[Jay]

I’m glad you said Vivek. Rhymes with cake because the mispronunciations of his name are so anyway, I’m glad you said, Vivek, like cake because his name is frequently mispronounced. It is Vivae Ramaswami Vivak Ramaswami is a 38 year old American entrepreneur who is running for the presidency of the United States. In the 2024 elections, he was born in Cincinnati, OH, to immigrant parents from India. Vivek Ramaswami graduated from Harvard with a bachelor’s degree in biology and then he graduated from Harvard Law with a JD before he established his biotech company, he had worked. As a hedge fund manager, he decided to run for the presidency after first hand run INS with woke culture in the form of DEI&ESG requirements and as well as cancel. Culture. He wrote books about it, denouncing their effect on both the country and business, the flourishing of business. He is married to a poor VO Ramaswami and a poor VA is a practicing surgeon. So she’s a medical doctor and they have two very small children. I don’t know their. Ages, but I know that the older. There’s not, I’m pretty sure not older than four years old, if I’m not mistaken, but we could probably Fact Check that and go back and figure that one out. But two very small children, he’s a practicing Hindu, which may be a sticking point for some voters, and that is the focus of our discussion today.

[MCG]

Well, I don’t have anything after that. That’s definitely who is vivic. At least what we know publicly from public about him.

[Jay]

About them. So we know these few facts about Vivek, where he’s from. What his occupation is, why he’s running, what caused him to decide to run? So the next question would be, what is his campaign message? Because the GOP candidate list is actually quite deep. There are many people running for president on the GOP side. This election season, and what makes his message so different? What is his campaign message?

[MCG]

Well, to be honest, I’m not quite sure his campaign message is that different than Donald Trump’s, except he believes that he’s a younger. More fit version of Italian Trump, and he believes he can accomplish or build upon what Donald Trump has done in the four years he was president and do even more so technically follow Donald Trump’s blueprint that he has laid down and build upon it and believe he can accomplish more. But in Vivek’s own words, he’s running on 10 troops. And here is Vivek at the first GOP presidential debate when he talked about those things.

[Debate host]

Mr. Ramaswamy.

[Vivek Ramaswamy]

I was born in 1985 and I grew up into a generation where we were taught to celebrate our diversity and our differences so much that we forgot all of the ways. We are really just the same as Americans bound by a common set of ideals that set this nation into motion in 1776. And this is our moment to revive those common ideals. God is real. There are two genders. Fossil fuels are a requirement for human prosperity. Reverse racism is racism, and open border is not AB. Parents determine the education of their children. The nuclear family is the greatest form of governance known to man. Capitalism lifts us up from poverty. There are three branches of government, not four, and the US Constitution. It is the strongest guarantor of freedom in human history. That is what won us the American Revolution. That is what will win us the revolution of 2024.

[MCG]

You know, I can’t say I disagree with his ten points, except I have questions. OK, so when he says God is real, being a Hindu, the obvious question is. To God. Which God are we talking about? What’s the name of this God being a Hindu? That’s. The obvious questions Christians going to have because? You know a God by any other name is God. No, the Bible teaches about one true God, so that’s the obvious question we have for Vivek. If I ever should talk to him. But I can’t say necessarily disagree on the surface of what he said. I’m glad there’s a candidate who’s bold enough to say that the only two genders and of course, Vivek being a biologist, would know and should know. But you don’t have to be a biologist.

[Jay]

Biology major, yeah.

[MCG]

You don’t have to be a biologist, justice Jackson to know that there are two genders. His Third Point, human flourishing, required fossil fuel prove him wrong. Otherwise, the reason why the US and the West is prosperous is because of fossil fuel. Reverse racism is racism. That’s something that we shout from this podcast all the time. You know, BLM is not looking to stop racism, they’re trying to acquire black supremacy and that’s racism and everybody is no bought at all. Can’t blame him on that one. That’s true. And I’m going to grant myself. So that’s true. Parents determined education of their children. Of course, the nuclear family is the greatest form of governance known to man. The nuclear family was instituted by God all the way back in the beginning, capitalism lifts people up from poverty. Prove them wrong. Otherwise compare Cuba to the US. Can’t say he’s wrong there. There are three branches of the US government not full. When he says not full, he’s talking about all these government agencies that actually have power to do all other things that they shouldn’t have to do. Can’t blame him there. And he’s right. the US Constitution is the strongest guarantee of freedom in history in the US. Yes. However, I think that’s one of the thing that a lot of Americans get wrong.

[Jay]

What’s that?

[MCG]

The motto. Power. They believe the president has. He doesn’t have that much power, right? To prove my point, compare the President of Russia to the President of the United States, the President of Russia has way more power over that country. Than the President of the United States. Of course we can argue about freedom and all these other things. Yes, I will agree with that. But I’m just talking about just the power that one person has compared to other with the same title. You know, we have 3 branches of government equal but separate powers. So. Technically, Congress has the same amount of power as the president, but the power is separated. They have they think that they have power over the president, have they think they have power over even compare the President of the United States to a Prime Minister of a country. A Prime Minister still have more power over the country that he rules than the President of the United States because. At least from my experience, and I think this is true for most countries that have a parliamentary system. I don’t see candidates or. Members of parliament. Breaking away from their party and vote otherwise. At least I’ve never seen it happen in the Caribbean. So if you’re the Prime Minister, that means you have the most vote in Parliament because you have most of the Members of Parliament are of the same party like you. They usually don’t. I’ve never seen it happen that they vote against a proposal from the Prime Minister or whatever. I’m sure they disagree in private, but when they come to Parliament to vote, they don’t disagree. But in the US you have people like. Mansion and whoever else vote in one way, this way and vote in another way, and I’m glad for that, because it kind of prevent them from doing anything. But I’m just simply saying if you just comparing powers, the President view, that it doesn’t. Have that much power. What? Is the bedrock and what really is the power of the United States. I would agree with him is the Constitution. The constitution. That’s the bedrock right there because as some people say, the Constitution is actually the true king of the land. So I do agree with his campaign message in a sense, as he encapsulated in those ten points. The other stuff that he has said that of course I disagree with and something that is something that. Care about. But of course you want to drain the swamp if you want to put it that way. He’s planning to cut the federal workers by.

[Jay]

I think you said 75.

[MCG]

Percent or something like that. I’m a federal contractor. I know the waste that’s in the federal government. I’ve seen it like every September, October time. Usually, if you’re working under federal contract, either your employer or someone from the federal government might say, hey, we have X amount of dollars left in the budget and if we don’t use it, we got to lose it. So they might actually to work extra hours. I’ve experienced that where my employer asked me to work extra hours so they can consume the rest of the money that the government have allotted to. Because they want the next fiscal year that the government either give them the same or more rather than cutting the budget. To me that’s waste. There’s many times that you join a federal contract and you’re there for a month or two being paid full salary before the government organize themselves and tell you exactly what they want you to do. I’m a soft engineer. So sometimes you don’t have any guidance from the government as to what to do and what to bail on what direction their project is going because they take two months to give you a project manager. There’s a lot of ways in the federal government. Sure. And we’re talking about agencies that may or may not be necessary. So I don’t think he could accomplish 75% seventy or 75%. But I do agree with cutting the waste. So I agree with these 10 truths. Have questions, especially for the first one. Which God are you talking about? But it can’t be a message. Said if you want to encapsulate it in those ten troops, I can’t say it. Agree with them.

[Jay]

Yeah, I agree with you. The first one is a real sticking point. It’s a very empty statement to say God is real. The reason I say it’s empty is because it could mean whatever you want it to mean. In the Hindu faith, their concept of God is quite. Than what the Christian God is. And so if you say that God is real. Then you absolutely need to define what you mean by God, because what you believe about God influences or determines what you believe about yourself. What you believe about others, what you believe about the world, what you believe about how you should behave, and how others should behave. And so if you are running for the highest office in the land. That would be, I think, a very important question to hash out.

[MCG]

Yeah, but I think he.

[Jay]

Purposefully vague, he has to to yeah to appeal to as many people as possible, but as a Christian, for me that would be a sticking point. I agree with that the two genders, I don’t have a problem with human flourishing requiring fossil fuels. I understand what he’s saying there. I don’t think that’s necessarily true, but I do understand what he’s saying there. And I do. I think that if we go the very radical way of abolishing fossil fuels, as some activists would want us to, you’re going to kill a lot of people practically overnight and it’s just not a wise or feasible thing to do so. I understand what he’s saying there, though I don’t agree that it’s like, patently true, if that makes any sense. I don’t know how to further explain that. Reverse racism being racism, I agree with that. An open border is no border at all. I agree with that. One of the most important things that I think needs to be addressed in the next presidential candidate or in the presidential elections in 2024 is the border. It’s a significant problem. So I agree with that parents determining the education of their children. No qualms there. My question is, why does a presidential candidate need to say that, but we can discuss that later about the role of the Presidency and what we’re expecting from.

[MCG]

Well, look at the other side, that’s why.

[Jay]

Right. Let’s see here. The nuclear family being the greatest form of governance. Yes, I will say yes with an asterisk. Because the nuclear family is made-up of individuals and the individual and their right relationship with God is provides the foundation and the bedrock for the form of governance, that family is so, yes, I agree. But with a little asterisk there we could go ahead and hash that out. Leader capitalism lifting people up out of poverty, yes, but also with an asterisk. Capitalism, as with anything in the world that is good, let’s say. Needs to be. Subject to something, because if it’s allowed free. Rain. It will destroy. Let’s hit creating capitalism, for example. So capitalism unfettered, unrestrained, not subject to Christ, is what I’m trying. To say will. Destroy lives. And so let’s just say I agree, but with a little asterisk there as well.

[MCG]

Yeah, but crony capitalism is not capitalism. But I do agree with you that capitalism of course wouldn’t need a safety net.

[Jay]

Right.

[MCG]

Because they’re going to be some folks that. Not as smart as Vivek. Let’s put it that.

[Jay]

Way the guy is absolutely brilliant, there’s no doubt about that. But capitalism lifts people out of poverty, but it can also generate poverty and leave people behind. And I’m not saying that we absolutely have to save those people in an economic sense. I’m not saying that necessarily. But suffice it to say, for this particular moment in the podcast, I agree, but with a little bit of an asterisk, I think that needs to be flushed out a little bit more. 3 branches of the government. I agree with that, not four. Now he’s talking about the alphabet soup agency. These, but I think the media can also be lobbed into that as well. The incredible influence that the media has to influence people and to influence policy or to meddle in government affairs, or how things are run, is a a significant problem. And the fact that we can’t even trust our media anymore. I think many people since the pandemic have realized that we can’t really trust our. Media we don’t have a free and fair media presence in the country. Well, I would agree with that statement. Absolutely. And that the US Constitution is the strongest guarantor of freedoms in history. I can’t really argue with that, I think. An actual fact. So I have a few more asterisks than you, MCG, but I do like what he’s saying and I think it needs to be said. I think there’s a lot of kneeling to the woke and progressive culture and platform. So I like what he’s saying. I just have a few questions and. A few asterisks as well.

[MCG]

Yeah. Well, we can go ahead and discuss those because as I said, capitalism, I believe lift more people out of poverty than people that he might have driven into poverty. Of course we know if capitalism may have his free reign just. Like any other form of any other system, as you said, it might be good. You can see the dangers of it because of course we are humans, we have fallen, we have a sinful nature and greed can be a big problem in capitalism, sure as well. So I do agree with you to some extent, but that doesn’t change the fact that. If you want to get out of poverty, capitalism is the best. I agree that can lift you out.

[Jay]

I agree, but corrupted go.

[MCG]

Especially right corrected, no, but especially in a country like the US, I can’t think of any other country, or maybe just a few where you can migrate to with $20 in your pocket at 20 years old. And when you’re 60, you’re a millionaire. There’s not much countries in the world that can allow you to do that. Sure. And I remember when I was in college, and I think this is true. I had a self engineering teacher. And he always says that if you’re just willing to work hard in. This country you can come out. Ahead and of course I follow Dave Ramsey as well. Well, and I remember something Dave Ramsey said. Dave Ramsey said that if you make minimum wage in this country from 16 or 18 until you retire at 65 and you save $100 per month from that minimum wage salary. You can retire a millionaire, so there’s opportunities in this country and that’s probably one of the great aspects of America in terms of when it comes to that is opportunities. The freedom you have to start a business to run a business, to work, to save, to invest. It rivals practically any other country in the world, maybe except for a few. So yes, I believe that there should be a social safety net at the Christian we probably should say the Bible, so that that job for the widows is a church.

[Jay]

Right. The family. I would say the family 1st and. Then the church.

[MCG]

Yeah, the home and then the church. In terms of, you know, taking care of people who can’t help themselves so that you can argue it should be the social safety net. Of course we live in a fallen world, right? Everyone is not going to be. A member of a church, so should the government have a social set in that? I guess you can say yes to that in a sense. Understanding that. If Christians are not doing the job, they should be to get everybody safe, and we’re not gonna get everybody safe. So sure. But yes, let’s just put it there. Should be some sort of safety net for those who fall on hard times. Those who are mentally challenged or who are sick, those who are elderly and stuff like that. But if you’re young, working age. Woman, you shouldn’t have any excuse in this country where education is basically free up to 12 grade and you can buy a loan more for 100,000 or more on one yard and stuff. There’s opportunities here. So I do believe that capitalism more than any other. You can lift yourself out of poverty. So yeah, again, we’re looking at encapsulation of his. Message. I’m sure he would agree to some degree that capitalism, pure on his own. Needs some checks and balances. Of course we’re talking about someone here who’s a multi millionaire as well. So billionaire.

[Jay]

Billionaire, I’m sure. So when we look at the 10 points of his campaign message, he calls them the 10 commandments of the 2024 elections. One would have to assume that this is coming from. The world view. Of Hinduism because he from his own words, he is a practicing Hindu. Now what that actually means? I don’t really know because Hinduism is such a vast and complicated religion and some people only follow it along philosophical lines and not necessarily religious or spiritual lines. So perhaps it’ll be good for us to try to define. The difference between Hinduism and biblical Christianity?

[MCG]

Yeah, definitely. The I’m no expert in. Same here. I’ve met one or two Hindus at the door. I tried to go regularly to knock on doors and share my faith, and I’ve met a number of Hindus in my area. I actually meet more Muslims than Hindus, so I can’t say that I’m an expert, but from what I understand, Hinduism is not. A single religion, but a compilation of many traditions and philosophies. They are both four major sets of Hindu. Rhythm. They worship many gods. Even though some sets do worship only one God, they believe is something called Atman or a belief in a soul, and that your life goal is to achieve Moksha. And here is someone that know a lot more about Hinduism explaining what Moksha is.

[Unknown]

The cycle of birth and life is infinite. There are as many lives ahead of you as there are behind you. A soul travels the length of eternity using many lives, many bodies and many identity. Is Karma or the cycle of action and reaction dictates the course of the soul’s journey? The soul commits, deeds and bears the consequences of its actions. These consequences drive the soul through many lives, each full of many different experiences. With time, the soul learns to shed karmic weight and escapes the cycle of life. Death. It becomes one with the universe which is eternal and infinite. Chieves. Moksha.

[MCG]

No, that couldn’t be more opposite of biblical Christianity. They’re talking about their reincarnation. They’re talking about living multiple lives coming back and all this. Of things which are not taught in Scripture, nothing they’re taught in Scripture is just.

[Jay]

Well, from the outset, their idea of this universal God that they’re talking about what the soul returns to when it attains moksha is called the Brahman. And that’s everything in the universe as well as the universe itself all encompassed in. In one it is in everything, and yet outside of everything, it is pervasive. It can be defined as their principal God, and yet this God is very what’s the word in not elusive. But there is no concrete definition of this particular God. It’s very vague, very nebulous, and yet it’s pervasive. It’s in everything around everything. It is everything. That’s how they define Brahman and this is coming from. Someone who is not in any way educated in the things of Hinduism, I’m sure practicing Hindu would be able to explain it a lot better, but they believe that this immortal soul, the Atman, achieves Moksha which is breaking from the cycle of birth and rebirth by combining not just karma. Which are the things that the soul does and the body that it has good works. But in addition to good works, they believe you must also practice your Dharma. Dharma. Mm-hmm. It’s defined very loosely and also quite inadequately as proper behave.

[MCG]

That basically good works.

[Jay]

Behavior every single being has its own Dharma.

[MCG]

It’s basically morality.

[Jay]

Yeah, the morality that it’s supposed to do, but not just morality, it’s morality specific to what you are. So a person has different Dharma from a dog, from a lion, from a tree, from a so. Each being has its own. Dharma, when you don’t follow your Dharma, terrible things happen. You can’t achieve moksha and society and life itself can’t function properly. So in order to achieve Moksha you have to have good karma and combine it with Dharma in order to achieve Moksha. And there’s also one other aspect to this. Four goals in life are Dharma. Artha and comma, all these things come together to achieve Moksha. So artha is the one that we haven’t quite described yet. It’s basically prosperity and your reputation. So if you pursue these things and you will avoid the six temptations which are comma which is lust cruda which is anger loha which is greed. Mohaa, which is an unrealistic attachment to people or to power mada, which is pride and massaria, which is jealousy. If you can achieve those four things, I’m sorry. Those three things Dharma, artha and Kama and avoid those six temptations that I just mentioned. Then the soul can break the cycle of rebirth and achieve Moksha. They also require. They’re a belief in the Vedas. Those are their sacred writings. There are 4 Vedas and I can’t even begin to explain them. These are very ancient texts and what they mean and what they’re about. It’s beyond the scope of this particular podcast. But these thetas are not just descriptions of their spiritual and religious gods, but also how. You are to live there. Are elements of worship in those Vedas to those deities and Hinduism has literally thousands of different gods. And in addition to the Vedas, you have the Upanishads which are like philosophical musings, if you will, or thoughts about how to practically live out the Vedas. All of these texts and including many more are essential to at least having a basic understanding of the Hindu faith. And even though there are many different. Sects of Hinduism. There are many different philosophical routes of Hinduism. Some there are certain things that you actually have to believe in to be considered Hindu.

[MCG]

Yeah, of course. I think it boils down to this, you know, like all religions, Hinduism except for biblical Christianity emphasize, you know, good work. So basically, you’re working your way towards Moksha. Basically right, and of course because of what they believe most Hindus, of course they don’t eat cows and most of them don’t eat. Meat at all.

[Jay]

Yes, most of them are vegetarian for sure.

[MCG]

Anyway here. There is Vivek talking to Glenn Beck and Glenn Beck asked him a similar question.

[Glenn Beck]

Say you believe in the same one God, but that’s not Hindu. So gun, what I’ve said is we share the same value set in common. My faith is there is one true God and yes, that is Hindu. There’s many branches of. Realism, Catholicism to evangelism, evangelical Christians in the Christian tradition. There are many branches of Hinduism. The one I’ve been raised in and is the widespread mainstream view is one true God. That’s my worldview. But more importantly, this is a judeo-christian nation founded in judeo-christian principle. This is. The fact of history. I think we need a commander in chief who shares those values in common and as somebody who has been educated in Christian High School has, if I may say it, Glenn, myself, read the Bible most more closely than most of my Christian. Friends, I can say with certitude that we share the same value set in common of sacrifice of duty, of a belief that God put each of us here for a reason, that we’re here for a purpose, that there’s more to life than just the aimless passage of time. Think about the common thread from the Old Testament. To the new God told Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. He didn’t make him follow through with it in the New Testament, God sacrificed his own son. That value of sacrifice that is woven into the fabric of this country. It is woven into my own upbringing and value, set the same values. We raised our two. And then and I think Glenn, especially because I’m a little bit different, I’m a little younger. I’m the youngest candidate to run, I’m of a different generation. Yes, I’m of a different faith. Nominally, I think I’m in a better position to defend religious liberty, to actually make concepts like faith and patriotism and hard work. And family cool again. Actually, for the next generation of Americans, I take that responsibility seriously. So no, I’m not qualified to run for Pastor. I can’t. That wouldn’t make any. But when I’m running for Commander in chief, the question is do we share the same value set that this nation was founded on? In my case, the answer is yes. We live our life accordingly and the standard I want everyone, including every Christian in this country, to hold me to is do I want my two sons to grow up and be like him? Whoever that is in the White House, I think that’s a standard we should apply if we’re being really honest. It’s been a long time. At least I’ll speak for myself, where we had a president where I could, without holding my nose, tell my kids the same two things. And I think a lot of Christians across this country would say the same thing.

[MCG]

Yeah. You know, on a high level, I may agree with a lot of things that Vivek just said. He got so much things wrong, especially about Christianity and stuff like that. I’ll start here and this is not the attack on Vivek. This is just me, personally. Mm-hmm. I don’t want any my sons to grow up to be like any of the US presidents. And I’m talking about all short history. I can’t think of any one of them that I will say. Yeah, I wish my son will grow up and be like that now, the only person to be honest, I want to be a role model for my kids. And this is probably a dangerous statement to make. Is myself. I don’t think that my sons. And that’s true for you as the parent too. I don’t think your kids need to have a role model. Outside of you and maybe their grandparents or whatever the case may be, this thing that we are looking outside to presidential candidates and present. And and sports figures and famous people and billionaires and all these people to be our role models for our kids, no fathers, mothers be role mothers to your kids. You be their hero in a sense. I grew up in a home where I didn’t have a dad and my dad would never my hero, you know. So if there’s something I can leave for my kids. I prefer that they look at me and say, hey, you know what? One day they can look and say, hey, you know what? There goes my hero. I don’t want a president candidate and billionaires and millionaires and sports figures. Whoever to be my kids. Grandmother. So that’s that’s a pet peeve there. I just want to pick on also he mentioned that Hinduism has different branches and he talked about evangelicals and Catholics. That’s why I like the term biblical Christianity because quite honestly, Catholics are not a member of Biblical Christianity. Sorry. Many of these denominations. There do not hold to the fundamentals of the fate and therefore I don’t consider them to be biblical Christianity. If you disagree, you can contact us and let us know. But hey, well, what he says on our overhaul level, because I remember when a lot of and we could probably talk about this a little bit later. The problem a lot of Christians and I when I saw to Christian I’m talking about. Small secrets than at this point had with Trump and even Big C Christians. Well, was his lack of moral background where he say things and do things and we probably had liver, promiscuous life and stuff like that. And a lot of Christians would say something similar to what Vivek just said, is that he’s running for president, not to be the pastor. And while I wish we could hold our President to that. Same standard. We do understand that we can’t, but to me it’s a cop out on Christian part when they say. I’m voting for a president and that’s the past. The like. Somehow the moral standard should be different. I don’t agree that the moral standard should be different. I understand by nature of the world we live in, it will be different. But that doesn’t mean that we should go in. I guess with that expectation that yes, I’m not going to have a. Outstanding moral guy to vote for that. Maybe share our values, but at the end of the day, he has to come down to what Vivek says. Who is the person who will allow us, as Christians to flourish, who will create an environment in the country? We we we are not being persecuted, we are free to do certain things. Of course the Constitution will prevent people like President Biden and future President Harris or whatever from instituting certain things. But if they ever get control of the courts. And they ever get control of Congress and the Constitution. Taken into choose some laws that will definitely hinder or make practice in your faith a little bit harder so I can agree on some level that you can look for candidate who allow you to flourish in that space even though that candidate might not hold quote UN quote to the fundamental of the biblical faith. Or biblical Christianity. I don’t necessarily agree with Vivek, just. Said. Well, I disagree, but I do understand what he’s saying. And on a high level, I do understand, but since we’re comparing, you know, biblical Christianity to Hinduism and we talk about what Hinduism is, what is biblical Christianity, though that is the important question here. And the first thing I want to make very clear is that biblical Christianity and know what I’m saying. I’m not saying. Christianity, Small C I’m saying biblical Christianity is not a religion, and that’s the most important thing that people missed. Because when Vivek was comparing Hinduism to Christianity, he talked about the different sets of Christianity. Of course, trying to get them back to understand but understand this. Biblical Christianity is not a religion. Religion says. How can I find favor with? God, what can I do to find favor with God? That is religion. So I’m doing something just like Hinduism have all these rules and regulation and these things that you have to do to achieve moksha. What can I do to find favor with God, biblical Christianity? Says that you can’t do. Only thing to find favorite God, that’s the complete opposite and biblical Christian is the only set of beliefs that teaches that you can’t do anything whatsoever to find favor of God. Of course, Vivek said that sacrifice is the thread that links the Old Testament to the New Testament. That’s not true, and that’s what you trying to say there.

[Jay]

To the.

[MCG]

But that’s not necessarily true, because but he got close to the truth. He got very close to the truth. When you talk about Abraham’s sacrifice, son, and God didn’t allow him to. But then God sacrificed his son in the New Testament. But Vivek, what they left out is that when God stopped Abraham from sacrificing his son, what did he provide? The Bible said he provide himself a lamb, the central truth, or the thread that links the old. The new vet. Is Jesus Christ not sacrifice? So that’s important. That’s important, right?

[Jay]

Yeah, if it were sacrificed, we would be able to achieve it. We would be able. To work for. It work for.

[MCG]

It exactly. And of course, Biblical Christianity teaches that we cannot do anything or work to find favor with God. So the only way we achieve favor with God. Is when we trust in what Jesus Christ did on. The cross for. Us it’s turning to that unrepentant faith and trust in what Christ has done on the cross for us. It’s not based on works, but it’s Christ centered and that’s very important there because we cannot do anything to be safe. We cannot do anything to find favor with God. Is when we trust in what Christ has done for us. Then we can find favor with God. Of course, the Bible says in. 2nd Corinthians 522 for he had made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin that we might be made the righteous of God in him. So how do we be made the righteousness of God in him? The Bible tells us, of course, in Ephesians, Chapter 2, verse 8-9 and 10, for by Grace. Grace is God giving you something that you do not deserve? So for by grace he saved true fate and that not of yourself. It is the gift of God. You cannot earn a gift. Else is not a gift. It is the gift of God not of work. Works lest any man should boast for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus. Unto good works, baby didn’t say buy good works. But he says unto good works, that’s important, because after we are safe, after we are find favorite God, the Bible don’t command us to live a life pleasing to the Lord, but we are not living that life. To achieve favour. We achieve that favour. If we are trusting in what Jesus Christ did on the cross for us, for the Bible says we are creating Christ Jesus unto Good Works which God had before ordained, that we should walk in them. Of course you have Romans, chapter 4, verse four and five. What shall we say then, that Abraham or Father, as pertaining to the flesh had found? For if Abraham? Were justified by works. Let me read that again, for if Abraham were justified by works. He had whereof to glory, but not before God, for he has said the scripture. Abraham believed God, and it counted unto him for righteousness. No to him that Worketh is a reward, not reckon of grace, but of death. But to him that worketh. Not, but to him that worketh not, but believe it on him that justify it the ungodly, his fate is counted for righteousness. So the Bible saying he even Abraham. All the work. And did did not counter to him for righteousness, but to the person who did not work but believe in him, that trusting in Jesus Christ, his faith is called for righteousness. That’s biblical Christianity, not what the Catholics teach and what in many denominations out there teach about morality. Christianity, biblical Christianity is not a religion. If the.

[Jay]

Relationship Christianity comes with is very exclusive is a very exclusive faith. It demands as a goal that we overcome our alienation. From God, due to our sin on the basis of the atonement of Christ that is completely antithetical to the Hindu faith that says that you can achieve right standing with or reunification with or pleasing of God via good works. Which is one of the essential tenets of Hinduism. And so that’s going to be a problem if you believe that you can do something to earn God’s favor. You’ve put yourself in a position that the Bible doesn’t really put you in. You’ve put yourself in a situation or you think you have more power than you actually do, and that pride, I don’t think. Will bode well. In such a strong and powerful position like the Presidency now, I’m not saying that he can’t be a good president. That’s not what I’m saying at all. I’m just saying that that’s something for us to look at the fact that he doesn’t know what biblical Christianity is, and he counts his Catholic school education as Christian education. Demonstrates that he doesn’t know what biblical Christianity is #1 and #2 on some level, he thinks that the biblical principles as they exist in his head, are compatible with and reconcilable with his Hindu faith. Now he made a point to stress that he has the same values as Christianity. And the reason I think that’s a little bit deceptive is because. We both say that we believe in, let’s say, patriotism. For example, we can both say that America is great. We can both say that we love America, but we would have fundamentally different ideas of what America is. His family immigrated to the US, and I wish we had more information on why they came to the US. I would imagine is to pursue opportunities that they could not pursue in India as a result of perhaps the caste system, which actually is a part of the Hindu faith holding the caste system. So perhaps he’s not a spiritually practicing Hindu as he says he is. Because he and his entire family fled India to escape the limitations that that society places on its people in terms of how far you can reach.

[MCG]

Well, we don’t know that, but.

[Jay]

We don’t know that. I wish we could hear him talk more about his Hindu faith as well as his background as to why his parents fled India and all that sort of thing. But anyway, I digress. I’m going down the rabbit trail here, so Christianity requires that you abandon whatever faith that you came from before you came to Christ as a part of. Being genuinely saved, you can’t hold on to your Hindu faith and be Christian at the same time. The flip side is actually not true of Hinduism. When you talk to a Hindu and I found that for the few Hindus that I’ve spoken to, they have no problem with adding one more God to their pantheon of gods and they see the Lord Jesus Christ. As one of their many other gods, so the Lord Jesus Christ, being a little G God. And there’s no problem with just adding one more sort of. Superficially, they’re OK with receiving him, but what they don’t realize are the exclusive claims. As I said before, that Christianity makes there is only one God. There are not millions of God, and there’s only one way to the father, which is through the Lord Jesus Christ. So that’s something that we absolutely need to consider, because what you believe. Will influence what you do, how you govern, and what you say and how you interact with other countries in the world.

[MCG]

Yeah. So let me offer this because I think when he talk about the values that we may share. Again, looking at his life from the outside, I don’t know this man, right, but he seemed like he values family, he values being there for his kids and raising his kids. He values basically the 10 things that we.

[Jay]

Talk about he values entrepreneurship. He’s done it himself.

[MCG]

Right. So I don’t think he’s necessarily wrong in saying that he shares some of the values. I just think he does not understand what true biblical Christianity is. But that’s true for Donald Trump. That’s true for Joe Biden. That’s true. For maybe everybody on the debate stage for the first presidential debate, maybe except for. Mike Pence. That’s not something I would necessarily hold against him. I do understand he’s trying to say when he’s talk about the value system because of course he said that the nation was found on a judeo-christian heritage. We can argue, you know, what does that really mean? Is that biblical Christianity? And to some extent, no. As is a biblical Christianity, it’s exclusive. But I also want to read Galatians 2, verse 16, because talking about the works as well. He says here knowing that a man is not justified. By by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. And that’s clear as they clear as day. So as I said, Biblical Christianity is the only fate that says you cannot do anything favorable. God, you cannot work your way through it. It’s all about what you request have done on the cross. For you and you’re listening to the Moving Virus podcast, we are talking about Vivek Ramaswamy and whether as Christians, if we should be voting for Hindu, we’ll be right back.

[Jay]

Hi, this is Jay MCG and I would like for you to help us remove barriers by going to removingbarriers.net and subscribing to receive all things, removing barriers. If you’d like to take your efforts a bit further and help us keep the mics on, consider donating at removing barriers.net/donate, removing barriers. A clearview of the cross. Thank you so much for listening to the Removing Barriers podcast. Make sure to rate US everywhere you listen to podcasts, including Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, or Stitcher. Removing barriers, a clear view of the cross.

[MCG]

Alright, Jay, so we have discussed Vivek Ramaswamy and his beliefs and comparing Hinduism with Christianity. How does our relationship with Christ affect how we vote, or how should it affect how we vote?

[Jay]

Our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ should be the foundation from which we vote. It should permeate everything. If the Lord has indeed saved us and made us his own. He’s changed everything about us. The scriptures say that we are a new creature in. Him. Then there are certain things that we absolutely can’t vote for, and there are certain things that we should vote for. Now I have trouble answering this question. On the one hand, I would say that it depends. If you have an eschatological view that is, say, post millennial, you’re probably going to put a lot more weight on your vote as a Christian than someone who is not post millennial. If you believe that your job as a Christian is to. Christianize the world as much as possible before the Lord returns and he takes over him and finishes. The job, obviously you’re going to use whatever economic, social, political, cultural means that you have in order to bring that about, whereas someone who is, say, believes in the rapture, for example, and doesn’t believe that we’re going to be here through the tribulation and that the Lord Jesus Christ will return and set the world in order. Well, someone like that may not have as much of A heavy emphasis on the vote as the post millennial would. So in one sense it absolutely. Permeates, even down to how you vote your relationship with Christ does, and on the other sense it’s more important if your eschatological view is 1 or the.

[MCG]

Other well, I do agree 100% than that. I think that you probably agree with this. I think that only just with Christ should affect every area of our life, including how we vote. Yes, of course. We live in a world where we’re not going to have perfect candidates. We’re going to have imperfect human beings running, you know. So unfortunately in the last general presidential election, we were faced with two very flawed and imperfect candidates, and it seems like in the 2024 election that we’re going to be faced with again with two very flawed and imperfect candidates, whether it’s Kamala Harris versus Donald Trump or it’s Biden.

[Jay]

Right.

[MCG]

Versus Donald Trump, let’s face it, it’s most likely going to be at this point, Donald Trump coming out of the GOP. So our friend forwarded me something that I would like to read about how we should vote as Christians. It reads. How will I vote this November? I will vote for the most pro-life candidate. Because God hates the shedding of innocent blood, proverbs 6 and verse 17, a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood. Those are things that God hates. I will vote for the most Pro Israel candidate because God blesses those who bless Israel and curses those who don’t geneses. 12 and verse 3 and I will bless them that bless thee and curse them that curse at thee. And in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. I will vote for the most pro debt reduction candidate, because the borrower is servant to the lender, and as per verse 22 verse 7, the rich ruler of the poor and the borrower is servant to the lender. And of course goes on to say I will vote for the most pro work candidate because. God says if a man won’t work, let him not eat, and that second cephalonia’s 310 for even when he were with you. This will come. I knew that if any would not work either, should he? And they said I will vote for the most pro marriage candidate because God is for marriage as defined in the Bible, and that’s Genesis Chapter 2 and verse 27. Therefore, shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be both one flesh. So in short, our Christian life should affect. In every way, how we vote if this is not something separate? Of course I know I said I hate the statement, but there’s some truth behind of it. At the end of the day, when I voting for our pastor so we can look for the candidate that will make the flourishing of our Christian faith more palatable. And again, this is not an endorsement of Vivek, but based on what he said, if I had to choose, I would choose him over. Biden, of course. So and I will choose him. Probably over a lot of the candidates that are running in the GOP primary as well. So we may disagree on a lot of things, but if it comes to a point where. Someone who at least condemns abortion, someone who at least would not prevent me from my freedom to exercise my faith and stuff like that. I would have zero problem. Voting for Vivek here is a clip and this is kind of long of vivek’s talking to Al Sharpton about how to vote and just to give a background of it. When Vivek was 18 years old, how Sharpton was one for President, and Vivek asked him a similar question. But anyway, here’s the clip.

[Al Sharpton]

I need to show you this tape. Yeah, back in 2003, when I ran for President. And you were there to ask me a question at a forum. But I was doing that Harvard University. So 20 years later. Now my turn to ask. Yeah, let me. Let me first play you the the tape of you and I 20 years ago, yeah. Let’s get the question here good.

[Vivek Ramaswamy]

Reverend shapton. Hello. I’m Vivek. And I want to ask you last week on the show we had Senator Kerry and this week and then the week before we had Senator Edwards and my question for you is. Of all the Democratic candidates out there, why should I vote for the one with the least political experience?

[Al Sharpton]

Because I have the most. Clinical experience. I got involved in the political movement when I was 12 years old and I’ve been involved in social policy for the last 30 years, so don’t confuse people that have a job with political experience. So, 20 years later, now my turn to ask. You of all the. There, why should someone vote for you? The one with the least political experience, and I might add, you’ve never held office. You’ve only voted twice in the last few elections. You don’t even vote regularly. Yes. And you support Donald Trump, who never held office until he was president. What you put in a different standard on me, but I won’t even make the racial application there. We vote for you.

[Vivek Ramaswamy]

Listen at the age of 18. At the age of 18, I. Think you persuaded me on that one? That political experience is not the same as holding? Office to tell the truth, the reason I came.

[Al Sharpton]

Oh, so can I put out a right wing treat? I might put out right wing press that Sharpton converted to young. Well, I I don’t want to.

[Vivek Ramaswamy]

Out there and I was intrigued. Take credit for you. Leave outside of political experience and I’m gonna tell you the truth. One of the things I’ll even give you one more for you. OK? You are the only anti war candidate. Back then. I was against the Iraq war. As I recall, you were the only anti war. Candidate in either party? Well, guess what? Tables turn now. I’m the only true anti war candidate in either political party. Now, when it comes to Ukraine. I believe in America first policies. I think this Ukraine war does not advance American interests. I was the only. Person with the. Courage to say that on the Republican debate stage last week, the the real war I would take on is the war against the administrative state, the shadow government here at home. I think the people who we elect to run the government once again. Ought to be the people who actually run the government, not the cancerous bureaucrats in Washington, DC. I’ll have a 75% headcount reduction for all of the people who weren’t elected in Washington, DC so this is a very different vision than you hear amongst traditional Democrats for sure. But even amongst traditional Republicans, I want to shut down the administrative state. I want to declare independence from China. I want to grow our economy by drilling and fracking and embracing. Energy and I want to revive national pride in this country. That’s not a Republican idea or a Democrat. Vision. It is a pro American vision. That’s what I stand for. It’s.

[Al Sharpton]

But would take.

[Vivek Ramaswamy]

Live in this.

[Al Sharpton]

Race we take issue that when I opposed the war in Iraq and going for weapons of mass destruction that wasn’t there, so ended up being right. You can’t compare that to the United States supporting Ukraine, defending itself against Russia said that that’s not.

[Vivek Ramaswamy]

Look, I think there’s a myth that Ukraine’s actually, I think I was against the Iraq war then, but I’m consistent now. Ukraine is not some democracy that we’ve now painted it to be. I think this is a regime that is really has some serious flaws.

[Al Sharpton]

The same thing. Ukraine finished with Jesus praise for the unit. As well, Ukraine is in the.

[Vivek Ramaswamy]

So I think I respectfully disagree with you.

[Al Sharpton]

Strategic place where we have allies in.

[Vivek Ramaswamy]

Well, respectfully disagree that I.

[Al Sharpton]

Do not think around it, but alright, alright. We can agree to disagree Ukraine.

[Vivek Ramaswamy]

Is not a NATO ally and and Ukraine does advance US interests. So that’s one of the things that’s distinctive about my views.

[Al Sharpton]

To this issue that that we disagree. We disagree respectfully on that. We disagree respectfully.

[MCG]

Yeah. So they have it, Vivek. And why you should vote for him and some of the stuff he believes. But yeah, at the end of the day, you know as their. Message my friend sent to me. It says I will vote for the candidate who most closely believes government’s purpose is to reward good and punish evil. That’s Romans, chapter 13. I will vote as close to God’s words as possible. But as I said, you know a it’s going to be two imperfect candidates. And we’re going to have to choose one. So or maybe do a writing, but I’m sure whoever you’re writing might be imperfect as well, so.

[Jay]

Right. I just want to add on to that. I do agree with voting for the candidate that most closely aligns with biblical. But there needs to be a little bit of a caveat there too. At the opening of the podcast MCG, you mentioned how the American people, for whatever reason, attribute more power to the presidency than he actually has. And so I think there’s something that the American people need to hash out in their minds first, like, for example, one of the 10 commandments of the 2024 elections. According to Vivek Ramaswamy, is the fact that parents determine the education of their. The fact that a presidential candidate has to even address the issue of education and who gets to educate who, how demonstrates how much power, whether actual or perceived, that we’ve ceded to the executive branch of the government that we’ve ceded to the federal government.

[MCG]

Well, I think he’s saying that because if you look at what’s going on, there have been a number of teachers. Coming out on TikTok and other social media platform saying that parents have a right to know how their children identify teachers can keep secret from them right? Parents need to stay out of education. I’ve seen all these posts on social media and so it’s refreshing to see a candidate that say hey, parents are not going to.

[Jay]

Right.

The wolf infiltration. Right.

[MCG]

Take that power away from you. Yeah, we home school. Our boys. I’m not gonna send them to government school. That’s really what public schools are government schools. So I’m not gonna send them to, at least in the US. I’m not gonna send them to the government school. So I don’t know if you send that statement should not even be said, which in a sense, I agree. But with the politics is going in this country. It’s good to see a candidate that we have and I think most of the candidates on the GOP and maybe RFK, Junior might agree with that that parents should, unless the RFK junior on the democratic. That should be the ones who determine the education of their.

[Jay]

Kids, then Christian should be looking at that statement and being reassured that as the leader and the wielder, if you would of federal power, then he is not of the belief that the government should be involved in the educational choices that parents are making for their children.

[MCG]

So yeah, I think he’s saying that the government should.

[Jay]

Stay out of it. OK. I suppose that’s a comfort. So in light of all of these things, do you think that a Christian should vote for a Hindu? Now if you ask me, I remember watching this particular video and of a Christian woman saying to Vivek Ohh. You behave more like a Christian than some Christians I know. And I thought, goodness, well, you might be right on those certain terms on some particular terms, but that should never be the case that a Hindu is behaving more like a Christian than. A Christian is.

[MCG]

Well, let me say this. That’s the problem. As I said before, Christianity is not about a behavior. It’s not about work. Yes, should your faith affect your behavior? Yes, we are save unto good works not by good works.

[Jay]

Right, Christianity is looking to change the person from the inside out and not just washing the outside of the cup. The scripture is clear about people being whited, sepulchres looking beautiful on the outside, but inside you’re filled with dead man’s bones. The scripture is clear about the person who is not inwardly clean, but portraying themselves to be cleaned outwardly. So anyway, all that to say should a Christian vote for a Hindu? We’ve talked about how Hinduism. Has their pantheon of gods, and they don’t mind adding one more how what you believe affects how you govern and how you behave. His misunderstanding of the Christian faith and not understanding that it’s a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and not necessarily a list of behaviors or attitudes. Should a Christian vote for Hindu.

[MCG]

Well, if a Christian did not have a problem voting for Donald Trump, who was a warmonger, if a Christian didn’t have problem voting for Biden, who’s a Catholic AKA and non biblical Christian faith, and one who sells the country for personal gain. And Christians do not have problem voting for Obama, who many argue was Muslim. I do not think they should have a. Problem voting for Hindu facts. Right. So in short, yes, a Christian can vote for Hindu and Vivek is better than most of the ones running and more closely aligned in what I am personally looking for more so than Obama, who at time profess to be Christian and even Biden. As a matter of fact, I will say this for sure. The 2024 presidential election is over a year away. As to this recording, but I know for a fact I’m not voting for Biden. I don’t know who I’m voting for, but I know for a fact I’m not voting for Biden, who I ultimately vote for, is still out there on the GOP side. I like Vivek. I like Mike Pence. I like DeSantis. And I like Scott. And that’s in no particular order of those four men that I just mentioned from the GOP side, two of them I know have a testimony of salvation. But are they truly safe or not? I don’t know. But I don’t like. That’s. I’ve heard you have a testimony of salvation. I heard Tim Scott gave a clear testimony of salvation, but other than that, and most likely, Tim Scott and Mike Pence are not going to be the candidate coming out based on. The current polls. Vivek and dissent is ahead of him and Trump is way above them, right? So what are we going to do, you know? And the democratic side, I do like. RFK Junior to some extent, he seemed very centrist and trying to balance his stuff. He’s not abiding in any way so, but I don’t even think the Democrats are gonna have a primary. And they already crowned Biden to run so. Who knows? Most likely, if Biden can’t, they’re gonna probably come out in place, or even that guy from knew some from California. So Gavin Newsome. So in short, I don’t see that they’re the problem. If a Christian vote for Hindu because Christians that have a problem of voting for Donald Trump and look at his past, they didn’t have a problem voting for Biden. And look at what he’s doing to the country. They have problems. But if Obama or Bush or any of these people so.

[Jay]

Reagan, with the no fault. Divorce. And you’re right, yeah.

[MCG]

Right. I don’t. I don’t think they have a problem with this one.

[Jay]

Yeah, it would be inconsistent for Christians to raise an issue with his Hindu faith when we’ve historically been voting for some really non Christian folks.

[MCG]

If I should choose what I choose, a Hindu most likely not.

[Jay]

Right, so this is causing a lot of people, particularly some Christians, a little bit of an issue or maybe not. Maybe I’m just reading the room wrong. But I would like to remind all of us that the scriptures say the heart of the king is in the Lord’s hand. He turns it like water wherever he wants to. God is sovereign, and that is independent of who is in the way. It is not dependent at all on who’s in the White House. So Christians shouldn’t fret is what.

[MCG]

Ohh yeah.

[Jay]

I’m trying to get across to. And there are biblical examples of men who didn’t fear God that rule. Old in such a way that Jews were allowed to flourish. The Jewish people were allowed to flourish. I’m thinking of King Cyrus and Daniel’s time or King Arthur Sixes and Nehemiah’s time completely different. I get that. But the heart of the king is in the Lord’s hand, and so Christians shouldn’t fret like the world is not going to end if a Hindu named.

[MCG]

Yeah, but you’re talking about a different, right?

[Jay]

Vivek Ramaswamy becomes president. However, I do wonder and hope, and this is probably just a side conversation. Should Christians really take this opportunity to evaluate what they really believe about how they should be living and interacting and behaving in a pluralistic world? What does that mean? Is our Christianity pervasive to the point that it affects how we vote? Are we one issue voters? Or are we looking at the entirety of the situation and appealing and praying to the Lord for Wisdom on who to vote for, surprisingly. Depending on how the country is going, there may be times where voting for someone that is not in your political party is more biblically sound than voting for the person in your political party. I guess what I’m saying is I’m trying to encourage people not to just think voting Republican or voting Democrat, but to actually think through the issues. If you’re president, for example. Shamelessly wields the incredible power that is the United States military. To wreak havoc, ungodly and unjust havoc in other parts of the world is that worth whatever other biblical tenants that you’re holding to over here, it’s not black and white is what I’m saying. You can’t just walk into the voting booth and just check, or for Republican or die for Democrat just blindly. Although it’s also true that the parties. Have become so incredibly polarized over certain issues, IE say abortion for example. Where that might just be the situation that we find ourselves in as a country.

[MCG]

Yeah, but we know the president doesn’t have the power to just declare war. I know you’re making an example, but that’s something that because, again, the President, U.S. President doesn’t have as much power.

[Jay]

As no, no, he doesn’t have that kind of power. But you could pull something like an Obama where you’re running on a platform of anti war. No more war. And then your entire presidency. You’re bombing other people in other countries via drones, which.

[MCG]

Well, all of them do that. All of them did that. Trump did that all.

[Jay]

Of them did that? Yes. What I’m saying is that. Everything needs to be evaluated. Don’t just walk into the booth and just check our for Republican or die for Democrat well.

[MCG]

I think the most important thing here is that firstly, I don’t think as Biblical Christians we should be having a political party. I’m not a Democrat, I’m not the Republican. I don’t want to be identified, labeled by any of these things. I look at both sides. I consider both parties. I’m looking at this. The our scheduler I look at the GOP, the Democrats, and I really have in primary, so they don’t have a lot of candidates to look at. I look at everybody and I also strongly consider writing. I don’t just vote Republican or just vote. I think that’s very foolish. I grew up in a home where, you know, my mom was one party. Of course, not in the US, but she always vote at one party. I don’t think my mom. I’ve ever voted for the other party and no matter what, the party is always wrong and I have her aunt. She was the opposite of my mum. She was the other party from my mum. And quite honestly, June election cycle, they don’t talk to each other for like a couple of months just because for the tension of the election. That’s foolish, right? Yeah. So I don’t think Christians should be.

[Jay]

Politically affiliated like that, right. And yet some of them are, which is wrong, that’s what. I was trying to get at well.

[MCG]

I don’t know if it’s wrong, but is my.

[Jay]

Do you think that a practicing Hindu in the White House will affect the religious makeup of the country? Do you think it will affect?

[MCG]

It one way or the other right? Actually another whole lot. If it does affect it, it’s not going to be a whole lot. You know, I think a lot of the issues that people have in. Civic it’s not Even so much the fact that he’s, well, I guess because he’s Hindu. But I think it’s pride.

[Jay]

Pride, on whose part of it’s part of?

[MCG]

No. Right on the people’s part in terms of that, they say this country was formed and built on the foundation of Judeo-Christian heritage and it is appalling to them to think that Hindu will be occupying the Oval Office.

[Jay]

The people’s part, OK. Oh, I considered that.

[MCG]

I may be bringing in whatever gods that they may have or whatever. Should it? Shrines or whatever? I think that’s the issue with a lot of Christian.

[Jay]

There is one pastor that’s saying exactly that. Keep your Hinduism and your many false gods out of our White House because America is a Christian nation and et cetera.

[MCG]

That’s the issue. That’s one of the big issue I believe, but they fail to recognize that, hey, quite honestly, being a Catholic, there’s no difference. And being a Hindu, both of them are false. Mm-hmm. Being a Muslim and being. Hindu there’s no difference. Both of them are false. So if Obama again, I don’t have any proof that Obama ever said that he’s Muslim. I think his father was that a lot of accusations say he was Muslim, but Obama claimed at least one point that he’s Christian. None of these men were biblical Christian. They were nominal Christian. And Vivek himself, that he is the nominee. You know Hindu, so I think the problem is more pride that ohh, we don’t want this, but they’ll overlook all the other evils that were in the White House. What about President Clinton? What did he do in the Oval Office? Monica Lewinsky. Come on. What are we trying to keep out of the Oval Office? In decency? Sin. I’m sorry. I think even though I can prove it, probably every presidential candidate in the past, the Oval Office, is not a sacred sanctified area. You know, at least in my opinion so.

[Jay]

Right. Think about it in terms of influence though, we have people who are, say, for example, woke that are in the White House and their influence. Goodness, there’s a market influence throughout the entire nation. So in that particular sense, we’ll having a Hindu in the white. House affect the.

[MCG]

No, because as the saying goes, what happened in your house is more important now. I’m in the White House again. We are putting too much emphasis on this. Quite unusually, while who is the president affect us to some extent, AKA inflation by dynamics may be affecting us and our family, or if growth rate Bill has gone up our electric bill.

[Jay]

I see.

[MCG]

Is up a lot of bills are up. That’s a fact. Over the past couple of years. Since by then took office or you can say maybe if you don’t want people to buy, they can be in a COVID. But yes, the President does affect you in some degree, but the degree to which it affects you is a lot smaller than what the mainstream media and people would actually say and agree to. There is not a lot of difference in my household between Trump. And Baidu, actually, the major difference is. Much our budget for groceries per month, that’s the major. And the Lord has blessed us with enough so we can at least cover that difference to some degree. Of course we can go there and buy a Tesla for cash or whatever, but at least we can live a comfortable life bidding. It will come in and change my life so drastically that I still go out and tell people about. Jesus, without hinderance. I didn’t change that. I still have my gas car, but I didn’t change that. Even though he’s trying. So I’m just simply saying yes, the religion of the candidate may affect the country, but he’s not gonna affect individual families that heavily. As we’ve been making a big deal.

[Jay]

And that’s the strength of the United States. If the individual family is.

[MCG]

Is the strength of the United States Constitution that caused that. But again, I think the big thing here is this. They just don’t want the Hindu in their Oval Office because they look at it as being sacred. And I don’t could be because I’m an immigrant and I don’t understand the American exceptionalism. But at the end of the day, as I said, I don’t agree with that. Would I prefer for him not to be Hindu?

[Jay]

Yes, right.

[MCG]

Or do I prefer for the person who’s president not to be Hindu? Yes. But I also prefer the person’s president not to be Catholic, and I also prefer them not to believe the same thing Donald Trump believes as well, at least. Mutually mm-hmm. To me, there’s no difference here. If you’re OK with a Catholic, then you should be OK with a Hindu. If you’re OK with the Muslim, then you should be OK with, quite honestly, a Mormon. Both of them are false.

[Jay]

Right. Yeah. I don’t think a practicing Hindu will affect the makeup of the nation altogether. Although I do wonder about the influence it could have in terms of how people think about the true biblical Christian faith. I would hate for someone to see a Hindu in the White House and see because he has. As Republican talking points that somehow this is the same as biblical Christianity and then they assume that ohh OK well, Christianity is an ecumenical faith. Everybody just come together and get along and everybody’s gonna be safe and everybody’s gonna be OK and you would think that no one would think that, but the reality is during Trump’s term, we saw a lot of people confusing their Christianity with their conservatism. And we saw a lot of that happening. And so my concern is that with the Hindu in the White House, that this misunderstanding of what biblical Christianity is will contain. And you and then we as a people don’t have a clear understanding of what biblical Christianity is. Granted, I understand that the battle shouldn’t be fought on that particular front because Christians, Bible believing Christians, should be at the forefront of preaching the gospel and influencing the culture for Christ. That the people know what biblical Christianity is. But in the absence of that. I do think that perhaps it will have a detrimental effect in terms of what people think biblical Christianity is. So who do you think is the perfect candidate? We’ve got a Hindu with a lot of good talking points that we would most likely agree with at the 30,000 foot view level. We’ve got a rampaging bull out for revenge. That is Donald Trump. Maybe he’s the right one for the White House, even though he doesn’t have a faith that most Christians. Would say is completely biblical. Well then who is the perfect candidate?

[MCG]

Well, I have two perfect candidates. That I would vote for. If these two persons would run OK, two of them.

[Jay]

It’s here. Who are they?

[MCG]

The first one is tall, dark and handsome. He has a near perfect wife. He has four rambunctious boys. Ohh, he has an amazing Caribbean accent. He has a testimony of salvation. But unfortunately I am not planning on running.

[Jay]

You would definitely have my vote.

[MCG]

But also, I’m not qualified constitutionally. I wasn’t born in the US, so I’m not qualifying to run, so I’m not running. So that’s the first perfect candidate.

[Jay]

That’s funny.

[MCG]

The second one, of course, is our Lord and Savior, Jesus. Christ, yes. But he too is not running. He was born in Bethlehem, so he’s not constitutionally not qualified. So my 2 perfect candidates not only are they not qualified to run. I’m sure they don’t have any desire to. Run. But here’s the truth. God is suffering, and whoever wins the general election will be the person who God wants there, even if it is Biden. Some leaders are put in place for punishment, and some are put in place for blessing. Now. Whether or not Biden was put in place for punishment or bless. That’s not for me to determine that for the Lord. What the Trump was put in for blessing or punishment, that for the Lord to determine Isaiah for thee. 5 verse one and two said thus said the Lord to his anointed, to Cyprus, whose right hand I have Holden to subdue the nations before him, and I will loose. The lines of kings to open before him, the two labored gates and the gates shall not be shut. I will go before thee and make the crooked places straight. I will break in pieces the gates of brass and cut in Sunder the bars of iron. The universe God calls a Pagan king. Cyprus anointed a Pagan king. God put him in place for his purpose. Think about Daniel, Chapter 2, verse 21, and he changed it at times and the season he remove it kings and set it up. Kings. He give it wisdom unto the wise and knowledge to them that no. Understanding Isaiah 40 in verse 23, God that bringeth the Princess to nothing. He maketh the judges of the Earth as vanity leaders have no power without God allowing it isn’t that comforting that our God is suffering? John 19, verse 11. Jesus answered thou couldst have no power at all against me, except it were given D from above. Therefore he that delivered me unto thee had the greatest sin, and I just like the quote. Ken, I’m here. The Prophet Hawbaker was dismayed at Pagan King being used by God to judge. Own people for the wicked surrounded the righteous, therefore perverse judgment proceed about a one verse four. And how did God answer the Prophet? Look among the nations and watch. Be utterly astounded, for I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you, for indeed I am raising up the claudians, A bitter and hasty nation. So regardless of the outcome of the election, even if we are dismayed or discouraged like orbaker, we have to recognize that. God is in control, but does that mean we should not be doing anything? Then no responsibility and sovereignty go hand in hand, but only God can bring these together in ways we cannot understand and can have continues for. As an example, I often use the parable of the 10 miners, a noble man representing Jesus, left for another country to become king, and he entrusts. Resources to servants representing followers of Jesus. They were told to do business till I come Luke 1913, but more importantly than us. Chin is, are we sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ? This is what will change hearts and minds, not the President. As important as that is, Christians should be more concerned about the sharing of their precious gospel of Jesus Christ, and in First Corinthians one verse 18 to 24 for the preaching of the gospel is the gender. Our foolishness but unto us, which I save it, is a power of God, for it is written. I will destroy the wisdom of the wise. And will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent, where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Had that God made foolish the wisdom of this world for after that, in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God? It pleaseth God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom. But we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto their Greeks foolishness but unto them, which are called both Jews and Greeks. Christ the power of God and the wisdom. Of God. They will say, hey, if you come down to Vivek and we have to vote for him, I will have a problem vote for him. I haven’t made-up my mind yet and I probably won’t make up my mind until very close to the election. But hey, I’m trusting in God as being sovereign. And whosoever God put there, I will accept. But I will also do my responsibility and my civic duty and go out there and.

[Jay]

Thank you so much for listening to the Removing Barriers podcast. Make sure to rate US everywhere you listen to podcasts, including Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, or Stitcher, or moving Barriers, a clearview of the cross.

[MCG]

Thank you for listening. To get ahold of us to support this podcast or to learn more about removing barriers. Go to removingbarriers.net. This has been the removing barriers podcast. We attempted to remove barriers so that we all can have a clear view of the cross.