>>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Stark
>>http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jan/05/local/me-beliefs5
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>"Only five members of the incoming Congress -- about 1% -- declined to specify their beliefs for the survey. But because of how the question was worded, it was unclear whether the lawmakers were atheist or agnostic or simply didn't want to answer the question."
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>Nice - so agnosticism/atheism aren't even an option, they're thrown in together with "refused to answer". IIRC, there are anywhere between 11 and 18% of nonbelievers in the US. They are the most underrepresented group, then the aliens come next (they probably all live in DC, where the license plates say "taxation without representation").
>
>"Nearly 60 members of Congress were nominated. The coalition sent them surveys, and Kaplan said that when he interviewed the lawmakers, 22 confided that they did not believe in a god. Fearful of exposure, all but Stark told the group to keep quiet."
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>A sex scandal can do less damage to a politician than atheism? Tsk, tsk...

Oh, by far. Sex scandals are often viewed as "Oh, that rascal." Not professing to be a Christian, OTOH, is the third rail of American politics.

I had not heard the 11-18% statistic. I have read that the U.S. is about 75% Christian. To listen to some you would think it's 99.9%.