In Congress, there is only one member of the Senate “suspected” of being an atheist by many religious groups — although he denies the claims — and only a handful of atheists in the 435-member House of Representatives.

Having no religious conviction is a larger taboo in politics than divorce, secret lovers or believing in witchcraft. People want their leaders to believe in something greater than themselves.

This does not imply the U.S. is a “Christian Nation,” as many would have us believe. It merely shows the nation is cognizant of religion and ensuring that we have it. Placing such an importance on religion would cause one to think the U.S. also must have a great competency in the area. But a recent Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life poll proves the opposite.

The new U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey, released by Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, showed that Americans surprisingly are ignorant when it comes to religion, despite placing great value on it in their daily lives and expecting it from their leaders.

In an even more interesting twist, it was the atheists and agnostics who scored highest on the 32-question test, with the Mormons and followers of Judaism coming in a close second and third place, respectively.

Although the test only had 32 questions and cannot serve as a litmus test for the national character or of people in America, it is shocking and sobering that, in a nation where 86 percent of people consider themselves religious, competency can be so low. Religion has shaped policy and leaders throughout U.S. history, and in general, the American public scored slightly better than a 50 percent on a multiple-choice test.

Many might attack the legitimacy of the test, stating that it is world religion that was tested and that to prescribe to a certain faith is to specialize in that. It’s a good point.

I mean, why should Christians have to know that the Dalai Lama, a global symbol of peace, is a Buddhist (a sample question)? This logic would seem foolproof if Christians would have scored highest in the 12-question Bible-related area, but they did not.

The Mormons actually knew more about the Bible than Protestants, Catholics and Evangelicals, according to the survey. The questions answered by a mere 3,412 Americans might not be substantial, but it still should be a point we can build upon to ensure we pass this test next time.

It might not be important to know the random trivia of other faiths, but it is crucial for a nation where religion plays such a pivotal role to understand other faiths. Without cross-cultural understanding, we cannot promote any kind of exchange.

Knowing the faith of the Dalai Lama won’t land someone a job, but it might make them a better citizen of this country and this world. In a time where cultural stratification continues to consume our world, cultural and religious empathy must stand at the forefront of our national agenda.

America is not solely a Christian nation, but it is certainly a very religious country — one that ironically doesn’t know much about religion itself. Policy, leaders and the direction of the country all are affected by religion. Whether we like it or not, the nation is sailing forward on a sea of religious dogma.

The least we could do is make sure we hold a little background knowledge or else risk drowning in our own rhetoric.

Matthew Manning is a State News guest columnis. Reach him at mannin84@msu.edu.