Pew: Episcopalians most overrepresented denomination in Congress

[Indy Texas]

And Pentecostals are the most underrepresented.

http://www.pewforum.org/Government/Faith-on-the-Hill--The-Religious-Composition-of-the-113th-Congress.aspx#_ftn1

Episcopalians: 7.3% of Congress; 2% of Americans (3.65x)
Jews: 6.2% of Congress; 2% of Americans (3.1x)
Presbyterians: 8.1% of Congress; 3% of Americans (2.7x)
Catholics: 30.6% of Congress; 22% of Americans (1.39x)
Baptists: 13.7% of Congress; 17% of Americans (0.81x)
Pentecostals: 0.2% of Congress; 4% of Americans (0.05x)

I'm not surprised, but I'm a little unsettled that 4% of Americans are Pentecostals.

[DC Al Fine]

Congress is disproportionately older and white so naturally you get old/white groups over represented.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

And Pentecostals are the most underrepresented.

http://www.pewforum.org/Government/Faith-on-the-Hill--The-Religious-Composition-of-the-113th-Congress.aspx#_ftn1

Episcopalians: 7.3% of Congress; 2% of Americans (3.65x)
Jews: 6.2% of Congress; 2% of Americans (3.1x)
Presbyterians: 8.1% of Congress; 3% of Americans (2.7x)
Catholics: 30.6% of Congress; 22% of Americans (1.39x)
Baptists: 13.7% of Congress; 17% of Americans (0.81x)
Pentecostals: 0.2% of Congress; 4% of Americans (0.05x)

I'm not surprised, but I'm a little unsettled that 4% of Americans are Pentecostals.

Some Pentecostals are liberal. A Pentecostal church here let's us rent the space and have shows with some decidedly non-Christian bands and they don't have a problem with it. And note this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affirming_Pentecostal_Church_International

[Miles]

In the Senate, Catholic Democrats outnumber Catholic Republicans 2:1 but in the House, Catholic Democrats only have a 55-45 advantage.

[BigSkyBob]

And Pentecostals are the most underrepresented.

http://www.pewforum.org/Government/Faith-on-the-Hill--The-Religious-Composition-of-the-113th-Congress.aspx#_ftn1

Episcopalians: 7.3% of Congress; 2% of Americans (3.65x)
Jews: 6.2% of Congress; 2% of Americans (3.1x)
Presbyterians: 8.1% of Congress; 3% of Americans (2.7x)
Catholics: 30.6% of Congress; 22% of Americans (1.39x)
Baptists: 13.7% of Congress; 17% of Americans (0.81x)
Pentecostals: 0.2% of Congress; 4% of Americans (0.05x)

I'm not surprised, but I'm a little unsettled that 4% of Americans are Pentecostals.

This is an apples and oranges comparison. While slightly less than 2% of the American people consider themselves "Jewish," whatever that means, nowhere near 2% of Americans practise Judaism.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

And Pentecostals are the most underrepresented.

http://www.pewforum.org/Government/Faith-on-the-Hill--The-Religious-Composition-of-the-113th-Congress.aspx#_ftn1

Episcopalians: 7.3% of Congress; 2% of Americans (3.65x)
Jews: 6.2% of Congress; 2% of Americans (3.1x)
Presbyterians: 8.1% of Congress; 3% of Americans (2.7x)
Catholics: 30.6% of Congress; 22% of Americans (1.39x)
Baptists: 13.7% of Congress; 17% of Americans (0.81x)
Pentecostals: 0.2% of Congress; 4% of Americans (0.05x)

I'm not surprised, but I'm a little unsettled that 4% of Americans are Pentecostals.

This is an apples and oranges comparison. While slightly less than 2% of the American people consider themselves "Jewish," whatever that means, nowhere near 2% of Americans practise Judaism.

Leaving aside the many issues inherent in making this assertion, do you think 6.2% of Congress does?

[BigSkyBob]

And Pentecostals are the most underrepresented.

http://www.pewforum.org/Government/Faith-on-the-Hill--The-Religious-Composition-of-the-113th-Congress.aspx#_ftn1

Episcopalians: 7.3% of Congress; 2% of Americans (3.65x)
Jews: 6.2% of Congress; 2% of Americans (3.1x)
Presbyterians: 8.1% of Congress; 3% of Americans (2.7x)
Catholics: 30.6% of Congress; 22% of Americans (1.39x)
Baptists: 13.7% of Congress; 17% of Americans (0.81x)
Pentecostals: 0.2% of Congress; 4% of Americans (0.05x)

I'm not surprised, but I'm a little unsettled that 4% of Americans are Pentecostals.

This is an apples and oranges comparison. While slightly less than 2% of the American people consider themselves "Jewish," whatever that means, nowhere near 2% of Americans practise Judaism.

Leaving aside the many issues inherent in making this assertion, do you think 6.2% of Congress does?

Do I believe that there are a number of members of Congress that are in fact atheists but hesitate to state their true religious preference on surveys? Yes, I do. Do I think that that there are some atheists in Congress who enter "Jewish" as their religion? Yes, I do, just as I believe the actual number of Episcopalians in Congress is lower than the reported number. But, as I stated, we are dealing with an apples to oranges comparison. If every individual in a general population survey were forced to declare a religion in the same way that Congressmen do so for reasons of expediency, the number of "Episcopalians" would rise significantly more than the number of "Jews."