JD Vance, candidate for vice president, recently held a student event in Mesa, Arizona, at Generation Church, a venue known for its conservative views. The event was part of Turning Point Action’s “Chase the Vote” campaign.
Vance was introduced by Generation Church pastor Ryan Visconti, a US Army veteran whose views on various social issues align closely with Vance’s.
Violence in Marriage
Both Vance and Visconti have made controversial statements about domestic violence and marriage. They argue that physical abuse should not be a reason for divorce, suggesting that it’s better for children to stay in a home with married, even if abusive, parents.
“Although it is heartbreaking, ‘abuse’ is not a biblical justification for divorce,” Visconti posted on Instagram. “This is the most used and abused (pun intended) argument. It is grounds for separation, but not divorce.”
Vance shared a similar view during a 2022 discussion at Pacifica Christian High School in Orange County.
“These marriages were fundamentally—you know, they were maybe even violent, but certainly they were unhappy,” Vance said. “And so getting rid of [the marriage] and making it easier for people to shift spouses like they change their underwear.”
Disdain for Abortion Care
Vance and Visconti also share strong anti-abortion views. Visconti has called abortion “the murder of children” and celebrated the Arizona Supreme Court ruling that reinstated an 1864 law banning abortions without exceptions for victims of sexual assault.
Visconti has called the procedure an “abomination” and believes it is a Christian duty to oppose abortion in any form.
Vance has also supported restrictive abortion policies, opposing an amendment in Ohio that would make abortion access a constitutional right. He considers abortion a form of murder and backed a proposal by US Sen. Lindsay Graham to establish a nationwide 15-week abortion ban.
Before the US Supreme Court’s 2022 decision removing nationwide protections for abortion access, Vance argued for a federal ban, using a hypothetical scenario involving George Soros to illustrate his point.
“I certainly would like abortion to be illegal nationally. Let’s say Roe v. Wade is overruled, Ohio bans abortion,” Vance said in 2022. “And then, every day, George Soros sends a 747 to Columbus to load up disproportionately Black women to get them to go have abortions in California. And, of course, the left will celebrate this as a victory for diversity.”
Erasing the LGBTQ Community
Visconti has expressed strong anti-LGBTQ views, incorporating them into his church’s teachings. Generation Church does not recognize transgender individuals and only acknowledges marriages between men and women.
Visconti has openly stated that same-sex couples should not exist and advises against associating with LGBTQ individuals.
“There’s absolutely no way a Christian can attend a ‘gay wedding’ without signaling shared celebration, approval, or affirmation to at least some extent,” Visconti posted on Twitter. “Should God’s people participate in a celebration of detestable sin? No!”
On another occasion, Visconti posted that, “if you think Jesus would have winked at gay people getting married and serving in church unrepentant, then you’ve got another Jesus than I do.”
Vance has had the opportunity to turn his anti-LGBTQ views into legislation. In the US Senate, he sponsored a bill to prohibit gender-affirming medical care for minors and stated he would vote against any bill offering nationwide protections for same-sex marriage. He has also falsely accused LGBTQ individuals and their allies of being sexual abusers.
“I’ll stop calling people ‘groomers’ when they stop freaking out about bills that prevent the sexualization of my children,” Vance posted on Twitter.
