To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE


SHARE THIS ARTICLE Printer friendly version of this page

Pew Research Finds: Congress Looks a Lot Like It Did in 1961-Many Christians

Bob Eschliman : Jan 6, 2017  Charisma News

Among the 293 Republicans elected to serve in the new, 115th Congress, all but two identify as Christians…

[Charisma News] In 1961, John F. Kennedy had just been sworn in as the 35th president of the United States, the Cold War was becoming increasingly warm, the civil rights movement was launched, and the Space Race between the U.S. and Soviet Union was about to aim for the moon and beyond. (Photo Credit: Reuters)

Many things have changed in the nearly six decades that have followed, but one aspect of America really hasn't. According to a new report from Pew Research, the percentage of members of the 115th Congress is nearly the same as it was at the start of the 87th.

The report's narrative states:

The share of U.S. adults who describe themselves as Christians has been declining for decades, but the U.S. Congress is about as Christian today as it was in the early 1960s, according to a new analysis by Pew Research Center. Indeed, among members of the new, 115th Congress, 91 percent describe themselves as Christians. This is nearly the same percentage as in the 87th Congress (1961 to 1962, the earliest years for which comparable data are available), when 95 percent of members were Christian.

Among the 293 Republicans elected to serve in the new, 115th Congress, all but two identify as Christians; there are two Jewish Republicans—Lee Zeldin of New York and David Kustoff of Tennessee—who both serve in the House. Democrats in Congress also are overwhelmingly Christian (80 percent), but there is more religious diversity on this side of the aisle. The 242 Democrats in Congress include 28 Jews, three Buddhists, three Hindus, two Muslims and one Unitarian Universalist—as well as the only member of Congress to describe herself as religiously unaffiliated, Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-AZ. In addition, all 10 members of Congress who decline to state their religious affiliation are Democrats.

Here's the actual breakdown of religious affiliations of all 536 members of Congress:

Christian—485

Mainline Protestant Christian—150

Evangelical Protestant Christian—149

Roman Catholic—168

Orthodox Christian—5

Mormon—13

Jewish—30

Buddhist—3

Hindu—3

Muslim—2

Unitarian-Universalist—1

No Religious Affiliation—1

Refused to Answer—10

While there is a difference in terms of the Christianity and religious diversity of the two major parties, both are overwhelmingly dominated by professing Christians. Nearly all Republicans (99.3 percent) claim to be Christian, while more than three-fourths of Democrats (80.2 percent) make the same profession of faith. (Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Pew's analysis of the report seems to lament the lack of representation of "religious nones"—atheists and agnostics—in Congress:

The analysis finds that some religious groups, including Protestants, Catholics and Jews, have greater representation in Congress than in the general population. Jews, for example, make up 2 percent of the U.S. adult population but account for 6 percent of Congress. Other groups—including Buddhists, Mormons, Muslims and Orthodox Christians—are represented in Congress in roughly equal proportion to their share of the U.S. public

The group that is most notably under-represented is the religiously unaffiliated. This group—also known as religious "nones"—now accounts for 23 percent of the general public but just 0.2 percent of Congress. As noted above, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona is the only member who describes herself as religiously unaffiliated.

Particularly with everything that is going on in the world today, it's not difficult to see that God certainly has His hand on what is happening on Capitol Hill. But the dominance of professing Christians in Congress certainly begs a question for the church itself to ponder:

With so many Christians in the House and Senate, why doesn't our government and our culture reflect a more Biblical society?

Charisma News







SHARE THIS ARTICLE Printer friendly version of this page

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

Other Recent Articles from Breaking Christian News

Illegals Using Fake Skimmers at Self-Checkouts to Drain Consumers' Bank Accounts; Here's How to Guard Yourself

Elon Musk to Pay Embattled Doctor's Legal Fees after Speaking Out against COVID Lockdowns

Safety of Women Hangs in Balance after Oral Arguments on Abortion Pill Regulation

New Federal Gun Grab Law Would Criminalize Shooting Ranges, and Even Private Security

Treasury Sec. Yellen: Biden Has NO Plan to Save Social Security

Maryland Governor Says 'Keep on Praying' for Families of Missing Workers after Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Chick-fil-A Abandons Long-Held 'No Antibiotics' Pledge on Chicken

The War in Myanmar: Karenni Resistance Fighters Ask for Prayer and Practical Help

The World Is Facing a Major Population Crisis by 2075 If Birth Rates Keep Falling

FDA Admits COVID Vaccines Cause Seizures in Toddlers

'Hamas Is Celebrating' after US Abstains from UN Security Council Ceasefire Vote: Netanyahu Cancels Visit

Kamala Harris Won't Disclose Why Biden Campaign Is Active on TikTok Despite Security Worries

Special Counsel Report Reveals University of Delaware Misled Courts to Hide Biden's Senate Records That Likely Hold Sexual Assault Complaint Filed by Tara Reade

'Unthinkable Tragedy': Baltimore Bridge Collapses after Being Struck by Cargo Ship

Jews, Christians Celebrate Purim, Palm Sunday as Israel Fights for Victory over Hamas

Dan Bongino Emotionally Recounts Supernatural Experience the Morning His Mom Died: 'I've Never Believed More in the Power of Jesus'

Married People More Likely to Be 'Thriving': Gallup Survey

Planet Fitness Is Having a 'Bud Light' Moment

The Shocking Untold History of the Man Who Designed the 'Transgender Flag'

Moscow Concert Massacre: US Border Chief Very Concerned a Similar Attack Could Happen Here



Search the Articles Archives

Keyword:  
Author:  
Words Posted On:  
Day Month Year



BCN Plus

Follow BCN on Twitter
Are You Praying for Our Government Leaders?
BCN Staff

Steve Shultz
Steve Shultz, Managing Editor
Founder and Owner


Aimee Herd
Aimee Herd, Editor


BCN Plus
Are You Praying for President Trump?
 
 

All articles on this site and emails from BCN are copyrighted property of Breaking Christian News. Permission is given to link to, or share a BCN story if proper attribution is given to both the original writer and summarizer of the story. Breaking Christian News 2005-2019. All Rights Reserved.


Breaking Christian News is a division of Elijah List Publications, Inc. All Rights Reserved


Disclaimer: Articles and links, as well as the source articles linked to; do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Breaking Christian News.

editor@breakingchristiannews.com