Nalin Haley on his conversion

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Nalin Haley opens up about his conversion to Catholicism: 'This is home'

Nalin Haley, son of former presidential candidate Nikki Haley, said a search for God and truth that began as a small child led him to convert to Catholicism earlier this year.

"When I was Protestant, obviously God is all you need. But I did feel some unexplained void in my faith. I didn't know what it was at the time," Haley recently told Tucker Carlson on his podcast.

Haley graduated from Villanova University, a Catholic institution where Pope Leo, the first American pontiff, also went. But it wasn't until after he graduated in 2024 that he attended a Catholic Mass for the first time.

"God doesn't write in straight lines, I guess," he said.

But the 24-year-old South Carolina resident said joining the Catholic Church has exceeded his expectations.

"It's the best decision I've ever made in my life," Haley said.

Nalin and his sister Rena, 27, are the children of Michael and Nikki Haley, former ambassador to the United Nations during the first Trump administration and South Carolina governor, and the last challenger to drop out during the 2024 Republican primary against Donald Trump. Nikki is a vocal critic of President Trump.

Nalin Haley's faith journey

Nalin said he grew up in a household with two religions.

"So I had my parents, who were Protestant, and my grandparents have always lived with me growing up, my mom's parents, and they were Sikh. As a result, I was very confused," he said.

That confusion led Nalin on an unusual journey: research and questions about whether God existed and, if so, who He is.

"I just remember that as young as third grade, when my friends would check out their books on dinosaurs and cars … I was reading on every single world religion and trying to absorb as much as I can," he said. "I was obsessed with it."

After years of research, around 7th grade, Nalin had an experience that he's been reluctant to describe until now. He says he's opening up now because it may help someone on their faith journey.

"It was as if in an instant I heard, 'I am the way, the truth and the life.' And as if the knowledge, the truth of God was placed instantly, after that was said, in my mind and in my heart," he recounted.

Nalin credits his epiphany to the Holy Spirit.

"I was very much a skeptic of Christianity prior to the second before that happened," he said. "It was an instant realization that was not of any of my own work. And what made it so beautiful was that not long after that, I was reading the Gospel and I found where Jesus said to Peter, then Simon, 'Blessed are you, Simon, for flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven.'"

That experience placed Nalin firmly on the path of Christianity.

"It's just a beautiful thing when you realize that God is true to His word. Every single time. And it has never left me," he said.

How did Nalin Haley find Catholicism?

Nalin began to think hard about his Christian faith in his young adult years. He kept reflecting on one incisive question.

"How can I be the best Christian I can be? How can I best serve God and serve others?" Nalin said he asked himself.

His intellectual curiosity and research led him to study the Catholic faith.

"When I did study Catholicism, and I read the early Church Fathers and the history … I felt, you know what, this may be for me," Nalin said.

Once he became a Catholic, he said he realized what filled the void.

"When I started to partake in the sacraments, the Eucharist, confession, that's when I was like, oh, that's that void. That's when I felt like, okay, I feel fulfilled now," he described. "And that's where I was like, this feels like not just speaking about faith, not just having it, but living it, not just a feeling, but action. When that happened, I was like, this is home."

Is religious conversion a trend?

Nalin Haley said he is not sure why it's happening, but men his age are definitely attracted to faith right now.

"I think when you speak about men becoming more religious, it's more the traditional churches, Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and I think it's because in our society we are so fed up with modernity and the phones and the technology," he said. "And we're longing for something that is lasting."

Technology and modernism are a source of fatigue and anxiety for young adults, Nalin said. But he said young people should be motivated by a genuine desire for God and to develop a spirit of service.

"I'm not saying you should join a church just because it's based and trad, and all that. No. You should do it because you actually believe in truth and you want to live out that faith and serve others," he said.

Nalin Haley on dating

"If you're a Christian, yeah, it's very hard," Nalin said. "It's hard to find someone who prioritizes that in their life."

But he said he thinks it's been difficult for every generation to find a life partner.

What Nalin is convinced of is the complementarity of men and women. He said women need men, and men need women. So, according to the 24-year-old, any ideology that tells young people otherwise is a fraud.

"The whole point is that it brings their best characteristics together to build something amazing. They complement each other with their traits. They rely on each other. The result of that is … a beautiful family," Haley said.

"Studies have shown that people in these traditional marriages, where they pray together, they have less divorce, they're more happy," he continued.

Nalin said it's not about men dominating women.

"It's not the view that a man is better than a woman. It's that they have different traits, they combine them to make something beautiful. It's partnership," he said.

Miss Universe Fatima Bosch open about her faith

Newly crowned Miss Universe Fatima Bosch of Mexico is a devout Catholic who is not shy about expressing her faith.

Immediately after her coronation on November 20 in Thailand, Bosch made the sign of the cross and pointed to the sky.

"Today I confirmed once again that what God has destined for you – neither envy can stop it, nor fate can abort it, nor luck can change it. Long live Christ the King," Bosch said on social media after her win.

The Mexican beauty queen has expressed her devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, often posting images on her social media of the Virgin who, according to Catholic tradition, appeared as an Indigenous woman to Juan Diego, also Indigenous, and spoke to him in the Nahuatl language.

Miss Universe contest marred by controversy

The Miss Universe contest was marred by controversy, including a sharp-tongued scolding of the Mexican contestant, Bosch, which sparked a walkout and a melodramatic apology from the local organizer who set it all off.

"In the midst of persecution, suffering, struggles and oppression in our personal lives and in society, God does not abandon us," the pope said.

At the sashing ceremony on November 4, Thai national director Nawat Itsaragrisil scolded Bosch for allegedly not following his guidelines. He called security when she spoke up to defend herself.

Bosch walked out of the room, joined by several others in a show of solidarity, including Miss Universe 2024, Victoria Kjaer Theilvig of Denmark.

Who is Fatima Bosch?

Bosch, who was Miss Mexico, was born in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico, according to the Miss Universe organization. The 25-year-old studied fashion and design at Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico and battled dyslexia and ADHD during her school years, according to the Latin Times.

On social media, Bosch explained her purpose for competing for Miss Universe.

"My purpose in this life is to serve. That is the reason I am in Miss Universe, to let my voice bring light to every corner where there has only been darkness. Beyond the crown, I seek to inspire, to heal, and to transform lives. Because if I can touch one heart, ignite one voice, or plant faith where there was once silence, then I will have fulfilled my true purpose," she wrote.

AI Christian 'singer' Solomon Ray tops the charts, stirs ethical debate

Solomon Ray became the top artist on the iTunes Top 100 Christian and gospel albums chart last week. But there's something that may bother you about the Christian artist. He is not human.

According to Christianity Today, Ray was entirely created by artificial intelligence. That includes his voice, performance style, lyrics and persona.

His most recent album is called "A Soulful Christmas," and it features tracks with titles like "Soul to the World" and "Jingle Bell Soul."

Solomon Ray is not unique. AI-generated music is a new frontier in the entertainment world, and artists, industry insiders, and consumers are trying to adapt.

Some platforms are taking actions. In September, Spotify announced protections against the impersonation of artists and deceptive content. The company acknowledged both the positive and negative sides of AI in music.

Earlier this month, Xania Monet became the first AI-powered virtual artist to debut on a Billboard airplay chart. That sparked debate about the role of technology in the music industry.

"At its best, AI is unlocking incredible new ways for artists to create music and for listeners to discover it," Spotify said. "At its worst, AI can be used by bad actors and content farms to confuse or deceive listeners, push 'slop' into the ecosystem, and interfere with authentic artists working to build their careers.

Christian singer Forrest Frank addressed the ethical pitfalls of AI in a social media post where he warned consumers.

"At minimum, AI does not have the Holy Spirit inside of it," Frank said. "So I think that it's really weird to be opening up your spirit to something that has no spirit."

How is AI-generated music made?

AI-generated music is produced using algorithms that learn patterns from huge amounts of musical data. From this training, the AI can create new melodies, harmonies, rhythms, lyrics, or even full songs on its own.

Some AI tools make music from scratch, others help musicians co-compose, and others allow people with no musical background to create professional-quality tracks.

This newsletter is written by Susie Pinto.

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