Religious Diversity in Congress

Source: "111th Congress reflects greatest religious diversity in the U.S."
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jan/05/local/me-beliefs5

Constitutional Connection:
Article I, Section II
The House of Representatives shall be composed of members chosen every second year by the people of the several states, and the electors in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislature.
No person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty five years, and been seven years a citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that state in which he shall be chosen.


Analysis of Connection:

     There is no direct connection between this article and the constitution, but it applies to Congress and its new diversity. In this article reporters talk about the religious diversity of the 111th Congress. In 1961 John F. Kennedy, a Catholic, took presidency, during that time only 18.8% of Congress were Catholic. As of January 12, 2009 30% of Congress that was sworn in were Catholic. It may not seem like such a big deal just talking about it, but looking into the religious background of Congress over the past years you will see that the diversity is a good thing. "The shift reflects greater religious diversity both across the nation and on Capitol Hill".
      This shift shows a lot more acceptance to people of different religious backgrounds on a national level. Not only has there been a decrease in the number of Protestant Congressmen, but an increase in Mormons and Jews. Not much, if any increase in the Buddhist and Muslim population in Congress. ABout 1% of Congress did not mention their religious orientation, but from the gathered information we can see a significant shift.
The House of Representatives shall be composed of members chosen every second year by the people of the several states, and the electors in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislature.
No person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty five years, and been seven years a citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that state in which he shall be chosen.

     This picture shows the make up of the 111th Congress. You can clearly see the percentage make-up of the different religions in Congress. Without knowing the numbers from previous congresses you cannot see the shift, but once looked into the shift of religious diversity is very significant.

     I am personally happy about the new religious diversity in Congress. It is a step in the right direction to a more accepting nation. It starts at the top and will trickle down to the rest of the country, hopefully for a positive outcome.