# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/21 "2012-11-07T15:38:40Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > [shallow]She is quite attractive[/shallow] Hey, so is the bisexual woman. “How you ladies doin’?” ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/22 "2012-11-07T15:39:24Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Mark Udall’s religious affiliation is indicated in the link above as “unspecified.” The Udalls are Mormons, aren’t they? ---
**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, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/23 "2012-11-07T16:14:17Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > The Udalls are Mormons, aren’t they? I personally don’t know any, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some were. The Udall in question, though, was raised Presbyterian, IIRC. ---
**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, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/24 "2012-11-07T16:17:49Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > 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. I think it’s amusing that Arizona would rather pick a (semi)open atheist bisexual woman than a black dude. In fact, my head assploded. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/25 "2012-11-07T16:23:51Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > I personally don’t know any, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some were. The Udall in question, though, was raised Presbyterian, IIRC. I meant, of course, that I believed that the Udall political family was Mormon. I guess I was mistaken. Ah, [here we go](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udall_family): > [@](#): > > Mark is the first non-Mormon politician in the family ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/26 "2012-11-07T16:33:08Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > Nice. What is it you like about Hindus? Their belief in many gods, the caste system, or what? ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/27 "2012-11-07T16:35:28Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > 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. That’s my kind of candidate! Wow, quick Google does show conservative Arizonans going batshit nutso over her 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![NetTrekker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nettrekker/32/2909_2.png) [@NetTrekker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NetTrekker)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/28 "2012-11-07T16:54:49Z")
She must not be too strongly Hindu if she wants to go work in a Christian establishment like the U.S. Congress. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/29 "2012-11-07T17:33:53Z")
> [@Hyperelastic](#): > > What is it you like about Hindus? Their belief in many gods, the caste system, or what? I imagine what he likes is that in this country people can be elected to political office regardless of their religious beliefs–that “the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mahometan, the Hindoo, and Infidel of every denomination” are all equally American and equally free. (The quote is from [Thomas Jefferson in 1821](http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/amendI_religions45.html), referring to his [Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Statute_for_Religious_Freedom).) > [@NetTrekker](#): > > She must not be too strongly Hindu if she wants to go work in a Christian establishment like the U.S. Congress. The U.S. Congress is not a [Christian](http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/tocs/a6_3.html) [establishment](http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/tocs/amendI_religion.html). ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/30 "2012-11-07T17:50:31Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > That’s my kind of candidate! Wow, quick Google does show conservative Arizonans going batshit nutso over her 🆒 She was raised Mormon and has a degree from BYU. Heh, Mormons will be indirectly responsible for getting some atheists in Congress. ---
**Author:** ![UTejas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UTejas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UTejas)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/31 "2012-11-07T18:23:47Z")
Also, Mazie Hirono is now the first Buddhist senator. ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/32 "2012-11-07T18:51:15Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > I imagine what he likes is that in this country people can be elected to political office regardless of their religious beliefs–that “the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mahometan, the Hindoo, and Infidel of every denomination” are all equally American and equally free. . I think you are correct, and he’s confusing tolerance with endorsement. One need not endorse a Hindu candidate in order to support his right to run for office. ---
**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, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/33 "2012-11-07T18:55:19Z")
Also one can believe that even beyond tolerance is it a good thing that our representative body have a representative religious background. Since Hindus are about 0.5% of the population, having at least one Representative is a good thing. Same with Buddhists (about 0.7% of the population). The really underrepresented group, as mentioned above, is atheist/agnostic - who are 4% (16% if you include “not affiliated”) and yet only have one or two representatives. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/34 "2012-11-07T19:04:59Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > I imagine what he likes is that in this country people can be elected to political office regardless of their religious beliefs–that “the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mahometan, the Hindoo, and Infidel of every denomination” are all equally American and equally free. (The quote is from [Thomas Jefferson in 1821](http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/amendI_religions45.html), referring to his [Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Statute_for_Religious_Freedom).) How many members of Congress are Infidels? ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/35 "2012-11-07T22:22:37Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > Also one can believe that even beyond tolerance is it a good thing that our representative body have a representative religious background. Since Hindus are about 0.5% of the population, having at least one Representative is a good thing. Same with Buddhists (about 0.7% of the population). Jews are more than 3X overrepresented in Congress. Must something be done about that? ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/36 "2012-11-07T22:29:30Z")
"Lutherans are represented by 3% of the Senate for 4.6% of the population. " Maybe they’re still trying to work out the Red Hymnal v Blue Hymnal thing. ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/37 "2012-11-07T22:37:31Z")
Just to freak you guys out properly, she is actually a Hare Krsna. I cant attach a link on my ipod. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/38 "2012-11-07T22:48:43Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > How many members of Congress are Infidels? Since Pete Stark in California apparently got redistricted out of office (he lost to another Democrat), there aren’t any who will admit it. If I lived in a majority Hindu country, I would be worried about the caste system and “Hindutva”. If I lived in a majority Jewish country, I would be worried about ultra-Orthodox Judaism being imposed on me. If I lived in a majority Muslim country, I would be worried about Islam being imposed on me. Since I live in the United States, where adherents of those religions still make up pretty small portions of the electorate, I am not too worried about Hindus or Jews or Muslims “taking over”. I think there is value in having more members of religious minorities in office because, as [James Madison said](http://www.constitution.org/fed/federa51.htm) > [@](#): > > In a free government the security for civil rights must be the same as that for religious rights. It consists in the one case in the multiplicity of interests, and in the other in the multiplicity of sects. The degree of security in both cases will depend on the number of interests and sects; and this may be presumed to depend on the extent of country and number of people comprehended under the same government. A Hindu in Congress (or a Buddhist in Congress or a Muslim in Congress) is a valuable reminder that Congress–and the country itself–is _not_ a Christians-only club. (Of course I’m not going to vote for someone for office if I don’t basically agree with their political views and respect their character.) ---
**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, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/39 "2012-11-07T22:53:16Z")
> [@Hyperelastic](#): > > Jews are more than 3X overrepresented in Congress. Must something be done about that? Why would we? ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/40 "2012-11-07T23:01:03Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > Since Pete Stark in California apparently got redistricted out of office (he lost to another Democrat), there aren’t any who will admit it. Why “redistricted”? It seems like that term should apply to Representatives who have to go up against other Representatives after the districts change, not an incumbent going against a 31 year old political novice. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199.md?page=3)