# Hindu to Congress! **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 7, 2012, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199 "2012-11-07T12:09:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/1 "2012-11-07T12:09:32Z")
Gabbard Tulsi just got elected [the first Hindu member of Congress](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsi_Gabbard). ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/2 "2012-11-07T12:29:07Z")
Nice. What’s the over/under on Zoroastrianism? More seriously, which religion / denomination is next? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/3 "2012-11-07T12:39:48Z")
Are there any Unitarian Universalist politicians? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/4 "2012-11-07T12:57:59Z")
[Kent Conrad](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_Conrad) is Unitarian Universalist. He’s the senior Senator from North Dakota. [Here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_affiliation_in_the_United_States_Senate) is the religious demographics of the 112th Congress. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/5 "2012-11-07T12:59:00Z")
> [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > Are there any Unitarian Universalist politicians? There have been Unitarian Presidents, my friend. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/6 "2012-11-07T13:03:20Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > There have been Unitarian Presidents, my friend. I meant currently… ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/7 "2012-11-07T13:04:37Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > [Kent Conrad](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_Conrad) is Unitarian Universalist. He’s the senior Senator from North Dakota. > > [Here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_affiliation_in_the_United_States_Senate) is the religious demographics of the 112th Congress. “On January 18, 2011, Conrad announced that he would not run for re-election in 2012, but will instead retire.” So much for that! ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/8 "2012-11-07T13:04:40Z")
> [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > I meant currently… [Ahem](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=15671368&postcount=4). He’s still a member of the Senate at the moment, is he not? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/9 "2012-11-07T13:05:56Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > [Ahem](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=15671368&postcount=4). He’s still a member of the Senate at the moment, is he not? If his seat was up for vote in 2012, he is a lame duck. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/10 "2012-11-07T13:09:59Z")
Lame duck or not, he is currently a member of the Senate. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/11 "2012-11-07T13:11:03Z")
Yeah, but only a lame duck. When he goes, UUs are gone. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/12 "2012-11-07T13:32:14Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Gabbard Tulsi just got elected [the first Hindu member of Congress](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsi_Gabbard). Yeah. But its Hawaii ---
**Author:** ![My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f14d63/32.png) [@My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/My_Darn_Snake_Legs)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/13 "2012-11-07T14:30:48Z")
Are there any agnostics or atheists in the House or Senate? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/14 "2012-11-07T14:39:28Z")
Very probably, but none who would feel safe admitting it. There’s only a downside to that, electorally. In the US, you still do have to be a regular churchgoer to get elected, whether or not you swallow what they feed you there. ---
**Author:** ![My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f14d63/32.png) [@My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/My_Darn_Snake_Legs)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/15 "2012-11-07T14:40:57Z")
Yeah, that was what I suspected. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/16 "2012-11-07T15:24:21Z")
Dammit, while we keeping an eye on the Buddhists, the Hindus snuck in and took over the country. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/17 "2012-11-07T15:26:56Z")
Mark Udall’s religious affiliation is indicated in the link above as “unspecified.” ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/18 "2012-11-07T15:27:52Z")
> [@My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](#): > > Are there any agnostics or atheists in the House or Senate? Pete Stark of California is the only openly serving atheist in Congress. He lost to another Democrat last night. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/19 "2012-11-07T15:29:43Z")
> [@My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](#): > > Are there any agnostics or atheists in the House or Senate? I believe [this](http://elections.msnbc.msn.com/ns/politics/2012/arizona/house/9/#.UJp-OkLvZ8E)Arizona candidate just elected is an atheist (although she isn’t “open” about it she did attend the opening of the Secular Coalition for Arizona). She’s also apparently openly bisexual. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/20 "2012-11-07T15:30:44Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Gabbard Tulsi just got elected [the first Hindu member of Congress](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsi_Gabbard). [shallow]She is quite attractive[/shallow] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199.md?page=2)