Some interesting stats about the religious make-up of the new Congress from CNN’s Belief Blog.
- 87% of Congresspesons are categorized as “Christian,” compared to 70% of the general population.
- Among members of Congress, 69% of Republicans are Protestant, compared to 43% of Democrats.
- Protestants are over-represented in Congress. They make up 48% of the general population, but account for 56% of Congress.
- 36% of Democratic Congressmen are Catholics, compared to 25% of Republicans.
- 20% of Americans claim no religious affiliation, but only one Congressman (Krysten Sinema, a Democrat from Arizona) is a “none.” So the religiously unaffiliated are extremely under-represented
- 15 members are Mormons–12 Republicans and 3 Democrats.
- 31 of the 32 Jewish members of Congress are Democrats
- All of the Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist members of Congress are Democrats.
- Compared to the general population, Democrats have a disproportionately high number of women and members of minority religions.
- Compared to the general population, Republicans are disproportionately Protestant and male.
