Has there ever been a Taoist, Jain, Sikh, Baha'i, or Shinto member of Congress?

[Mexican Wolf]

I was looking at the religious breakdown of the 116th Congress, and I noticed that there didn't seem to be any members of Congress affiliated with any of the above religious traditions.

I realize that members of these religions make up a pretty small percentage of the nation's population, but I was wondering if anyone knew whether adherents to these religions have been elected to Congress before, and if so, who?

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

It's possible that one of the early Japanese-American Hawaii Congresscritters was vaguely Shinto in the way that most Japanese people are vaguely Shinto--not self-identifying that way, but having other personal and cultural affinities with it. Other than that, I can't think of any.

[PSOL]

I don’t think we’ve ever had anyone professing beliefs outside of Western traditions—mainly the three Abrahamic traditions—one Hindu, one Buddhist, and various irreligious categories. We have had, however, one Scientologist member of Congress named Salvador “Sonny” Bono, so we have had at least one occultist.

In all honesty, I’m more interested in when the first open believer of a New Age tradition, European pagan, or Native American animist gets into noticeable office. I believe the only major candidate that ran recently from those categories is interfaith spiritualist Marianne Williamson for a House seat and President as of late. It’s kind of surprising to me that a major nonchristian person of an indigenous faith hasn’t ran yet in the Southwest already.

We probably will never have a Baha’i politician, as the faith bars people from getting involved in government and politics.

[Mexican Wolf]

In all honesty, I’m more interested in when the first open believer of a New Age tradition, European pagan, or Native American animist gets into noticeable office. I believe the only major candidate that ran recently from those categories is interfaith spiritualist Marianne Williamson for a House seat and President as of late. It’s kind of surprising to me that a major nonchristian person of an indigenous faith hasn’t ran yet in the Southwest already.

We probably will never have a Baha’i politician, as the faith bars people from getting involved in government and politics.

Interesting, I didn't know that about Baha'i.

I imagine that there could be members of state houses and senates in the Southwest that follow indigenous faiths. But I don't know if any of them have run for higher offices.

I think Faith Spotted Eagle follows indigenous Lakota beliefs, and she got an electoral vote for President, although she wasn't actually running for office.

[PSOL]

In all honesty, I’m more interested in when the first open believer of a New Age tradition, European pagan, or Native American animist gets into noticeable office. I believe the only major candidate that ran recently from those categories is interfaith spiritualist Marianne Williamson for a House seat and President as of late. It’s kind of surprising to me that a major nonchristian person of an indigenous faith hasn’t ran yet in the Southwest already.

We probably will never have a Baha’i politician, as the faith bars people from getting involved in government and politics.

Interesting, I didn't know that about Baha'i.

I imagine that there could be members of state houses and senates in the Southwest that follow indigenous faiths. But I don't know if any of them have run for higher offices.

I think Faith Spotted Eagle follows indigenous Lakota beliefs, and she got an electoral vote for President, although she wasn't actually running for office.

Probably, but I don’t know of these politicians in my readings on this stuff. If anyone has any examples in more local offices, that be a nice thing to inform us all in this thread.

[RINO Tom]

Not an answer to your question ... but what source were you using?  Having recently compiled a list of the US Presidents by religion, I wouldn't mind reformatting my own list of Congress by religion.

[PSOL]

Not an answer to your question ... but what source were you using?  Having recently compiled a list of the US Presidents by religion, I wouldn't mind reformatting my own list of Congress by religion.

Wikipedia and this site.

[Mexican Wolf]

Not an answer to your question ... but what source were you using?  Having recently compiled a list of the US Presidents by religion, I wouldn't mind reformatting my own list of Congress by religion.

I was mainly looking at the Wikipedia pages for the religious affiliations of House and Senate members and for "Sikhism in the United States," "Jainism in the United States," etc. I also did a few Google searches and found religious affiliation data for the U.S. on Pew Research Group and some other sites.

[jimrtex]

I was looking at the religious breakdown of the 116th Congress, and I noticed that there didn't seem to be any members of Congress affiliated with any of the above religious traditions.

I realize that members of these religions make up a pretty small percentage of the nation's population, but I was wondering if anyone knew whether adherents to these religions have been elected to Congress before, and if so, who?

Dalip Singh Saund

[PSOL]

Still, can we all say that it’s surprising we don’t have one person easily findable online that is a local officeholder from a new age, European pagan, or Indigenous spiritual background? Like that’s whack.

[Kingpoleon]

Still, can we all say that it’s surprising we don’t have one person easily findable online that is a local officeholder from a new age, European pagan, or Indigenous spiritual background? Like that’s whack.

Not really. Especially because local office holders often don’t openly discuss their faith, and those that do... there’s not a whole lot of record of it.

[danny]

I don’t think we’ve ever had anyone professing beliefs outside of Western traditions—mainly the three Abrahamic traditions—one Hindu, one Buddhist, and various irreligious categories. We have had, however, one Scientologist member of Congress named Salvador “Sonny” Bono, so we have had at least one occultist.

In all honesty, I’m more interested in when the first open believer of a New Age tradition, European pagan, or Native American animist gets into noticeable office. I believe the only major candidate that ran recently from those categories is interfaith spiritualist Marianne Williamson for a House seat and President as of late. It’s kind of surprising to me that a major nonchristian person of an indigenous faith hasn’t ran yet in the Southwest already.

We probably will never have a Baha’i politician, as the faith bars people from getting involved in government and politics.

Former New York City council member Dan Holloran was a heathen (Germanic neopaganism).