How could gerrymandering relate to the religious breakdown of Congress. There is no data to I.D. religious affiliation (or lack thereof) by ZIP code.

@Alienbeing Gerrymandering leads to election of extremists, including religious nut jobs. Also, Christian nationalists are perhaps the most important single faction within the Republican Party. Around 85% of white Evangelical Christians voted for Trump in 2016; 80% in 2020. There is a very strong correlation between voting Republican and being Christian. And were it not for gerrymandering, Republicans probably would not have the majority in the House of Representatives.

@Flyingsaucesir Your reply alleges a connection between Republicans and religion. It does nothing to show a connection between gerryadering and religion. As I previously noted there is no data to even hint that your initial allegation holds water.

Last your assumption that there is a "strong" correlation between voting Republican & Christian lacks meaning. Since Christians are the largest religious block in the USA, I am sure an equally "strong" correlation exists for Democrat voters.

@Alienbeing If 85% of Christians vote Republican, that doesn't leave very many to vote Democratic, does it? The "equally strong correlation" with Democrats you are so sure of does not, can not exist.

Again, if it were not for gerrymandering, Republicans probably would not have majorities in Congress and in so many state legislatures. I'm not saying that Republicans are the only ones who gerrymander; just that they do it more vigorously. Blue states ate more likely to leave the drawing of redistricting maps up to non-partisan boards.

[brennancenter.org]

If gerrymandering puts more Republicans in office, and the number of Republicans who identify as Christian is far greater than the number of Democrats who do so, then gerrymandering puts more Christians in office than would otherwise be there.

I agree with your ideals, but we live in a plutocracy, and have been for decades, where what the peasants want and think, doesn't matter a damned bit, to the corrupt, bought off pols..

Michelle Obama is/was a Xian. I read both of their autobiographies. I don't "know" that Barack is, but he realized the usefulness of religion to reach his prime demographic.

Yeah, he seems above the Buybull bs…..

Are you sure he isn’t a Muslim!?

@HippieChick58 I've read a couple of his books and he almost seems to consciously avoid referencing religion. But i agree that he doubtless didn't want to upset his appeal to the religious ... and I have to agree with him in that our country seems even less likely to elect an atheist than they do a woman.

Remember how well his "clinging to guns and religion" comment was received? It torpedoed his presidency, and almost sank it.

@Lauren It's also been obvious to me for years, that Bernie Sanders too is an atheist, but culturally Jewish. But he would never admit he was an atheist, as he already has the negative label of socialist to deal with..

The news that smaller Catholic and Protestant churches are closing sounds like a positive development, but, unfortunately, Evangelical megachurches are expanding.

[npr.org]