More Muslims in Congress than Atheists

Andre Carson just was elected to Congress in a special election for Indiana's 7th district. The Democrat will fill the vacancy left by the death of his grandmother, the late Rep. Julia Carson.

Carson will be the second Muslim serving in the U.S. Congress, joining Minnesota's 5th district Rep. Keith Ellison, who was elected in 2006. Now there are more Muslims in Congress than atheists. The only known atheist in Congress is the ever-entertaining Pete Stark of California's 13th district.

As of the beginning of 2007, according to the Washington Post, Congress had two Buddhists, two Unitarians (one of which is also the atheist, Rep. Stark), five Christian Scientists, six "unaffiliated," six UCC (United Church of Christ), 15 Mormons, 17 Lutherans, and 43 Jews. The remainder of Congress are from the Christian denominations listed in order from largest to smallest: Roman Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Episcopalians.

According to one survey of Americans, Atheists, Agnostics, Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus all have roughly the same number of adherents, each being between 0.4% and 0.5% of the population. Jews and Mormons are both about 1.3%. A full 13.2% in this survey, however, claim "No Religion"--whatever that means.

DC can't get no respect

Inserted among a million other things in Congress' giant omnibus spending bill is a measure that will add minted quarters to feature Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands and the District of Columbia. By next year, all 50 states will have a special quarter with their state featured minted. The District of Columbia and U.S. territories were not included in the original program passed by Congress in the 1990s.

Locals in the District of Columbia are excited to get a little bit of respect. Often people in western states complain about being pushed around by the federal government. But truly, the people living in our nation's capital are the ones with a darn good reason to complain. Congress foists itself on every local issue (school vouchers, needle exchange programs, the public hospital, gun control). Their budget can be tampered by Congress and they don't have a single vote in Congress. More people live in the District than in Wyoming, which incidentally has one Representative and two Senators serving their interests. An effort to grant the District a single Representative in the House (but not the Senate) narrowly missed out this year.

So, before the bill is signed, locals are apparently talking about what should go on the quarter. Several in a Washington Post article echew placing any federal landmarks like the Capitol or Washington Monument. But then what should they put on it? Those who have spent time in DC will probably find humor in the suggestions to put Ben's Chili Bowl (a great place near the U Street Metro stop) or the motto "Taxation Without Representation." The quarter would be issued in 2009.

So congratulations to Washington, DC for getting a little overdue respect. Now if only we could get off our butts and give them statehood.