The Religion and Political Views of Ray J

Ray J, whose full name is William Ray Norwood, Jr., was born in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Carson, California.

From all that I can tell, Ray appears to be a deeply religious man. God seems to fit into his life like a cell phone fits into the hand of modern man: ubiquitous, constantly being consulted, and occasionally even used for a phone call.

I would guess that he's Baptist, but it seems that his dedication to God transcends any denominational grouping. He attends church[1] and prays for those who need prayers.[2] And he's all over Twitter, hashtagging #God next to pictures of waterfalls,[3] thanking God for his parents' existence,[4] and exclaiming that "God is so good!"[5]

And after his close friend Whitney Houston died in 2012, it seemed to bring him deeper into his faith, prompting some to speculate that he might change career paths and become a preacher.[6] He said in a press conference after her death,

The most important thing of all is that God is talking to me. God is talking to me right now and now is the time for me to listen, and my ears are open.[7]

No word yet on what God said, but he's listening. Next time He calls, I'm sure Ray J won't let it go to voicemail.

Ray J for Mayor!

Ray J is a Democrat and is really excited about Barack Obama. He campaigned for the president during his reelection bid in 2012[8] and he said "one of the biggest highlights of my life" was meeting the nation's first black president.[9] In all his victory tweets on the night of the election, he made sure to include the "whole Democratic Party"[10] and Nevada Senator Aaron Ford,[11] so it seems that his interest in the Democrats goes beyond the president.

And apparently his interest in politics goes beyond the 2012 election. He told one interviewer in 2010 that he'd like to run for mayor of his hometown, Carson, California. He aspires to be a role model for black youths in that city and thinks politics would be a good way to affect change:

I mean, I'm from Carson and I see the struggles that we going through in the community and I know what I can do and I know what kinda help I can be to that community.[12]

It doesn't look like that's panned out yet, but he's got time. I couldn't find anything about his opinions on specific issues, but until we hear otherwise, I'd say it's a safe bet that they're mostly in sync with the Democratic party line.