He wasn’t baptised, but as a teenager attended Pentecostal services after reconnecting with his biological father, who had become devout in the faith. After a phase as an “angry atheist” when he attended Yale Law School, Vance reconnected with religion and eventually, as an adult, converted to Catholicism.
The Vice President seems to take an esoteric approach to his new faith. Earlier this year, Vance said it was “very, very important for the Pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology” – a bizarre stance for a Catholic convert to take, given that regarding the Pope as the supreme authority on religious matters is very much a requirement of the religion.
This week, Vance has once again brought the spotlight on to his religious beliefs after giving an extended interview to an evangelical podcast. At one stage, he was asked by the host if he’d ever been in a room that was “spiritually dark”, where “you feel like Satan is presently here or there’s blatant evil” around.
Vance confirmed he had, “in meetings with world leaders”, where he would “feel a certain darkness about it” – a unique form of diplomacy for a politician currently charged with trying to negotiate a peace deal with the new leaders of Iran, for example.
But it is Vance’s comments about the Antichrist that have garnered the most attention. Vance insisted that he is “doing as much of God’s work as possible… and that if that leads to the end times, okay”, adding that he would be “not shocked if the Antichrist was walking among us”.
A fixation that we might be thousands of years or no more than “a few months” from the Biblical end times – and on wondering who might be the literal Antichrist – is something more suited to the Pentecostal faith of Vance’s youth, rather than the Catholicism he discovered as an adult, and recently published a book about.
Tech mogul Peter Thiel, who previously employed Vance as a venture capitalist, and who then funded his initial run for Senate, is known for his public obsession with the Antichrist – having even suggested it might have taken the form of Swedish eco-activist Greta Thunberg. Similarly, many of the Republican primary voters Vance will need to court for the 2028 presidential nomination are focused on the politics of the end times.
White evangelical Protestants are Maga’s most loyal foot soldiers, and so securing their support is vital to whoever would look to take on his mantle in 2028. Only 23 per cent of US adults are evangelical Protestants, but they make up 31 per cent of the Republicans who still view Donald Trump favourably in 2026. They also broke for Republicans in huge numbers: in 2024, 85 per cent of white evangelical Protestants voted for Trump over Kamala Harris.
More mainstream Christians lean right, but not nearly so hard: 59 per cent of white Catholics voted Trump, as did 57 per cent of mainstream Protestants (by contrast, 83 per cent of Black Protestants voted Harris). It seems Vance has decided his political future lies with the evangelicals – but he might not be going about things in quite the right way. Many Americans will look at Vance’s religiosity with bafflement, if not alarm.
Say what you want about Trump – a president not exactly known for his life-long religious devotion, nor for his moral rectitude – but one thing he has been mostly successful at is toeing the line with his religious supporters. Evangelical Maga voters were well aware that Trump was not one of them when they voted for him: his trick was convincing them that despite that, he’s got their best interest at heart, as well as Americans of other faiths.
Crucially, he’s delivered on at least a few of their priorities. It was thanks to Trump’s appointments, after all, that the Supreme Court overturned the decades-old Roe v Wade ruling, which guaranteed abortion rights across the USA – something the Christian right had pursued for decades.
Vance isn’t copying the playbook that has worked so well for his current boss. He seems determined to convince the evangelicals that he’s one of them – belief in the Antichrist and satanic influence, and all. It’s a risky change of tactic, and one that might leave him wishing he’d stuck to Trump’s approach.
Thats what he is talking about. Vance with his catholic teaching is well aware that Trump is a anti-christ, but without a anti-christ Jesus won't rise again. This is why trump is so popular with certain churches.
I always thought worshipping the anti christ meant people were duped into worshipping the devil when they thought they were worshipping God/Jesus whatever
There’s a really good YouTube channel called “Antichrist45” (might be going by “brother Paul” now) where he talks all the way back in 2016 when his channel first started and Trump got elected that all the similarities between antiChrist and Trump and what the prophecy’s were and about how to spot them. I think he said something about once the antichrist is in place it will take three years a.k.a. “tribulation” before the second coming.
If you or anyone else reading this have not seen David Cronenberg's film of Stephen King's Dead Zone (1983), I won't spoil it for you. Just find it online or at your local library.
He briefly mentioned that if God is using him to usher in the end times that he’s okay with it. Which…okay? Most of what he says actually tracks theologically and if anyone believes in God, they know that God is in control and already knows when the end times is coming and how it will play out. What is more chilling is that he claimed to be only 80% certain of his salvation, signifying weak faith. If he knew the true love of God, he would be 100% sure
I would not be surprised if Vance is an ‘accelerationist’ - in Christianity, it’s like a sub-belief of certain groups that they have a sort of calling to actively create the conditions that ‘speed up’ the universal timeframe of the book of revelations coming to pass.
The post right below this on my feed was “Which couch do you like best?” from an interior decorating sub. I thought it was a Vance quote and clicked the link to get the dirt lol
I see. So the reason you shouldn't vote for him is some religious identity politics? How about associating himself with white supremacists and other criminals, engaging in class warfare, approving murdering people in international waters and abroad.
Oddly enough, it might also be the sentence that secures him at least being the nominee. Imagine Peter Thiel being president. That's the line that should stop Vance.
If you think this you haven't been paying attention. Evangelicals in the US have way too much political power and way too much money. As long as they side with corporate interests, which they are more than happy to do, they will be very difficult to defeat.
The weakness against this coalition isn't the evangelical side. The weakness is the corporate side. Focus on working class issues, like the DSA does, and you chip people away. Right now Americans are simply too "godly" to vote against someone for their Christian beliefs, as wackadoo as they are. But they will vote against Peter Thiel's puppet.
[OP] theipaper | 11 hours ago
Vice President JD Vance has made faith a huge part of his political identity.
He wasn’t baptised, but as a teenager attended Pentecostal services after reconnecting with his biological father, who had become devout in the faith. After a phase as an “angry atheist” when he attended Yale Law School, Vance reconnected with religion and eventually, as an adult, converted to Catholicism.
The Vice President seems to take an esoteric approach to his new faith. Earlier this year, Vance said it was “very, very important for the Pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology” – a bizarre stance for a Catholic convert to take, given that regarding the Pope as the supreme authority on religious matters is very much a requirement of the religion.
This week, Vance has once again brought the spotlight on to his religious beliefs after giving an extended interview to an evangelical podcast. At one stage, he was asked by the host if he’d ever been in a room that was “spiritually dark”, where “you feel like Satan is presently here or there’s blatant evil” around.
Vance confirmed he had, “in meetings with world leaders”, where he would “feel a certain darkness about it” – a unique form of diplomacy for a politician currently charged with trying to negotiate a peace deal with the new leaders of Iran, for example.
But it is Vance’s comments about the Antichrist that have garnered the most attention. Vance insisted that he is “doing as much of God’s work as possible… and that if that leads to the end times, okay”, adding that he would be “not shocked if the Antichrist was walking among us”.
A fixation that we might be thousands of years or no more than “a few months” from the Biblical end times – and on wondering who might be the literal Antichrist – is something more suited to the Pentecostal faith of Vance’s youth, rather than the Catholicism he discovered as an adult, and recently published a book about.
Tech mogul Peter Thiel, who previously employed Vance as a venture capitalist, and who then funded his initial run for Senate, is known for his public obsession with the Antichrist – having even suggested it might have taken the form of Swedish eco-activist Greta Thunberg. Similarly, many of the Republican primary voters Vance will need to court for the 2028 presidential nomination are focused on the politics of the end times.
White evangelical Protestants are Maga’s most loyal foot soldiers, and so securing their support is vital to whoever would look to take on his mantle in 2028. Only 23 per cent of US adults are evangelical Protestants, but they make up 31 per cent of the Republicans who still view Donald Trump favourably in 2026. They also broke for Republicans in huge numbers: in 2024, 85 per cent of white evangelical Protestants voted for Trump over Kamala Harris.
More mainstream Christians lean right, but not nearly so hard: 59 per cent of white Catholics voted Trump, as did 57 per cent of mainstream Protestants (by contrast, 83 per cent of Black Protestants voted Harris). It seems Vance has decided his political future lies with the evangelicals – but he might not be going about things in quite the right way. Many Americans will look at Vance’s religiosity with bafflement, if not alarm.
Say what you want about Trump – a president not exactly known for his life-long religious devotion, nor for his moral rectitude – but one thing he has been mostly successful at is toeing the line with his religious supporters. Evangelical Maga voters were well aware that Trump was not one of them when they voted for him: his trick was convincing them that despite that, he’s got their best interest at heart, as well as Americans of other faiths.
Crucially, he’s delivered on at least a few of their priorities. It was thanks to Trump’s appointments, after all, that the Supreme Court overturned the decades-old Roe v Wade ruling, which guaranteed abortion rights across the USA – something the Christian right had pursued for decades.
Vance isn’t copying the playbook that has worked so well for his current boss. He seems determined to convince the evangelicals that he’s one of them – belief in the Antichrist and satanic influence, and all. It’s a risky change of tactic, and one that might leave him wishing he’d stuck to Trump’s approach.
GlowGreen1835 | 11 hours ago
I might be dumb? What was the chilling sentence?
45and290 | 10 hours ago
The one about there being an Antichrist and it’s possible they are already here, tied with ‘end times’ it’s a very defeatist stance.
Very unusual for a high ranking politician to make such statements.
limache | 8 hours ago
I wish I could tell him “the Antichrist IS here. You work for him. Donald Antichrist Trump.”
Barneysparky | 6 hours ago
Thats what he is talking about. Vance with his catholic teaching is well aware that Trump is a anti-christ, but without a anti-christ Jesus won't rise again. This is why trump is so popular with certain churches.
DaisyHotCakes | 5 hours ago
Yeah dominionists LOVE the antichrist. The ideology is gross. This is why we supposedly had separation of church and state…
limache | 5 hours ago
Oh interesting so they’re actively rooting for Trump AS the anti christ to bring Jesus back ?
That’s like rooting for the joker hoping Batman shows up
Barneysparky | 5 hours ago
YES. Vance has called trump the antichrist. His brand of Christian is waiting for the antichrist.
limache | 5 hours ago
Wow interesting.
I always thought worshipping the anti christ meant people were duped into worshipping the devil when they thought they were worshipping God/Jesus whatever
Barneysparky | 5 hours ago
Depends on the sect. This is also true today, as it was for Hitler, and numerous others.
Jesus comes back to defect the antichrist. Jesus won't come back until one rises to power. Want Jesus to come back? Back the antichrist.
Judea.
bobhdus | 52 minutes ago
There’s a really good YouTube channel called “Antichrist45” (might be going by “brother Paul” now) where he talks all the way back in 2016 when his channel first started and Trump got elected that all the similarities between antiChrist and Trump and what the prophecy’s were and about how to spot them. I think he said something about once the antichrist is in place it will take three years a.k.a. “tribulation” before the second coming.
wildtabeast | 5 hours ago
Isn't this pretty typical Republican stuff?
jazzcigarettes | 9 hours ago
“Doing as much of gods work as possible, and if that brings about the end times, ok” not exactly a comforting stance from a world leader.
dust4ngel | 5 hours ago
"what will you do about these insane gas prices?"
"nobody's going to have to worry about gas prices once i bring about the end of the world."
AwTomorrow | 10 hours ago
Saying he’s fine bringing about the end times
coleman57 | 6 hours ago
If you or anyone else reading this have not seen David Cronenberg's film of Stephen King's Dead Zone (1983), I won't spoil it for you. Just find it online or at your local library.
javtherav | 6 hours ago
He briefly mentioned that if God is using him to usher in the end times that he’s okay with it. Which…okay? Most of what he says actually tracks theologically and if anyone believes in God, they know that God is in control and already knows when the end times is coming and how it will play out. What is more chilling is that he claimed to be only 80% certain of his salvation, signifying weak faith. If he knew the true love of God, he would be 100% sure
aelysium | an hour ago
I would not be surprised if Vance is an ‘accelerationist’ - in Christianity, it’s like a sub-belief of certain groups that they have a sort of calling to actively create the conditions that ‘speed up’ the universal timeframe of the book of revelations coming to pass.
American Protestant accelerationists are NUTS.
MrRabinowitz | 11 hours ago
The post right below this on my feed was “Which couch do you like best?” from an interior decorating sub. I thought it was a Vance quote and clicked the link to get the dirt lol
jamaicanadiens | 10 hours ago
I heard he was bi-sectional.
He is simultaneously attracted to Laurel sofas and ottomans.
Foofity | 11 hours ago
What age is the couch
DaGoodBoy | 9 hours ago
I would like every reporter to ask every politician if they are Dispensationalists.
Get them on the record if they believe the Revelation of John describes a literal antichrist and the end of the world.
And if they do, hound them out of all public offices just like you would a fucking psychopath who believes aliens are controlling us using mind rays.
Stormdancer | 6 hours ago
[ Removed by Reddit ]
jawdirk | 9 hours ago
I see. So the reason you shouldn't vote for him is some religious identity politics? How about associating himself with white supremacists and other criminals, engaging in class warfare, approving murdering people in international waters and abroad.
denisebuttrey | 9 hours ago
And pdf defender.
--MichaelScott-- | 7 hours ago
That too
pipthecatt | 9 hours ago
He is such a fucking freak. Disingenuous piece of shit
ProBonoEschatologist | 5 hours ago
Would not be shocked if the antichrist was here walking among us? Holy moly, who does this guy hang out with on the daily?
Oh.
airbagsavedme | 11 hours ago
“Can I fuck your couch?”
cortez1663 | 10 hours ago
Silly rabbit, Maga don't ask.
Septopuss7 | 10 hours ago
Just put in one of every the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, whatever makes sense
yrotsihfoedisgnorw | 6 hours ago
Oddly enough, it might also be the sentence that secures him at least being the nominee. Imagine Peter Thiel being president. That's the line that should stop Vance.
ImAGiantSpider | 10 hours ago
These headlines sound a lot like the ones that played constantly during trumps first run, his second, his third, and all during each presidency.
Phantomsplit | 4 hours ago
If "grab em by the pussy" didn't stop Trump, nothing is a political career ender any mroe
gaoshan | 8 hours ago
“He would not be shocked that the anti-Christ was walking amongst us”
-Clayburn | 6 hours ago
If you think this you haven't been paying attention. Evangelicals in the US have way too much political power and way too much money. As long as they side with corporate interests, which they are more than happy to do, they will be very difficult to defeat.
The weakness against this coalition isn't the evangelical side. The weakness is the corporate side. Focus on working class issues, like the DSA does, and you chip people away. Right now Americans are simply too "godly" to vote against someone for their Christian beliefs, as wackadoo as they are. But they will vote against Peter Thiel's puppet.
BonCourageAmis | 4 hours ago
Evangelicals are not thrilled with Roman Catholics
TheHamAndTheGuap | 4 hours ago
This guy fuck a couch. Is that the sentence??
temblors | an hour ago
"No seriously guys, I'm really NOT gay!"