Statistics are complicated.
Untangling the jumble of religious preference percentages is a daunting task, especially when many prefer to keep tight-lipped on the subject. But understanding these numbers and comparing them to the religious identification of our representatives can help us understand which religious groups are being represented and which are not.
The CIA Factbook claims that 52 percent of the U.S. population identifies as Protestant and 10 percent say they have no religious affiliation. The latter percentage is greater than those identifying as Muslim, Jewish and Mormon - combined.
This means that out of the 300 million U.S. residents, about 30 million are not religious. This number does not strictly represent atheists, agnostics and nontheists. It can also include those who do not practice religion but still believe in a diety or dieties.
In addition, a 2001 graduate study survey hosted by the University of New York using a sample of 50,000 respondents found that the number of people identifying with the major religions seems to be stagnating. Conversely, the study found an increase in the number of adults not identifying with any religion. This number has increased from 8 percent in 1990 to 14 percent in 2001, a number many believe has increased since then.
There is a distinct separation between percentages of people with no religious identification and those who, more specifically, do not believe in a god. A 2004 study commissioned by the BBC found that 9 percent of Americans do not believe in God, yet this demography, second-largest to Christians and Catholics, garner arguably low political representation.
The United States likes to tout its constitutionally celebrated "separation of church and state" doctrine, but the reality of the government and the demography of voters electing representatives shows a sharp departure from it.
The Associated Press reported on March 13 that Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., was the first Congressman and the highest ranking official to publicly announce he does not believe in a supreme being. Stark is described as a nontheist.
It is clear the political representation of those who do not believe in a god is lacking. This is significant, because religious beliefs are taken into account when considering issues such as the death penalty, abortion, stem cell research and same-sex marriage.
In May 2005, Stark voted to repeal a bill putting restrictions on federal spending for embryonic stem cell research, and his Web site posits him as a staunch opponent of constitutional ame-ndments banning same-sex marriage. It is clear that other religions outside the major Christian and Catholic sects share many of the same conservative values, which shows they are still politically represented.
Under the umbrella of non-religious folk, those identifying as atheist are not only under-represented, but also subjected to the most bigotry. In a 1987 news conference, then-Vice President George H.W. Bush stated "No, I don't know atheists should be considered as [U.S.] citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God."
According to recent polls, atheists are the most distrusted minority in the United States, and according to Gallup polls, people are least likely to vote for them.
And while national law is supposed to protect against religious-based discrimination, many states have de-legitimized this right. The Texas Bill of Rights prohibits the use of religious tests so long as the government official acknowledges "the existence of a Supreme Being," which by way of any rational thought is inherently discriminatory.
As non-believers have historically argued, "freedom of religion means freedom from religion," a right which should be both protected and fairly represented. The social and political climate today highlights this nation's unwillingness to accept those without a god-based faith, because God forbid, they believe without.
Cesar is a journalism junior.
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