▁of ▁the ▁general ▁public ▁( as ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 4 ). ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁while ▁ 2 3 % ▁of ▁U . S . ▁adult s ▁are ▁religious ly ▁una ff ili ated , ▁only ▁one ▁member ▁of ▁Congress ▁( K yr sten ▁Sin ema , ▁D - A rizona ), ▁or ▁ 0 . 2 % ▁of ▁that ▁body , ▁claims ▁no ▁religious ▁affili ation . ▁In ▁most ▁European ▁countries , ▁however , ▁religion ▁has ▁a ▁much ▁smaller ▁influence ▁on ▁politics ▁although ▁it ▁used ▁to ▁be ▁much ▁more ▁important . ▁For ▁instance , ▁same - sex ▁marriage ▁and ▁abort ion ▁were ▁illegal ▁in ▁many ▁European ▁countries ▁until ▁recently , ▁following ▁Christian ▁( us ually ▁Catholic ) ▁doctrine . ▁Several ▁European ▁leaders ▁are ▁at he ists ▁( e . g . ▁France ’ s ▁former ▁president ▁Franco is ▁H oll ande ▁or ▁Greece ' s ▁prime ▁minister ▁Alex is ▁T si pr as ). ▁In ▁Asia , ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁religion ▁diff ers ▁widely ▁between ▁countries . ▁For ▁instance , ▁India ▁is ▁still ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁religious ▁countries ▁and ▁religion ▁still ▁has ▁a ▁strong ▁impact ▁on ▁politics , ▁given ▁that ▁H indu ▁national ists ▁have ▁been ▁target ing ▁minor ities ▁like ▁the ▁Muslim s ▁and ▁the ▁Christians , ▁who ▁histor ically ▁belonged ▁to ▁the ▁lower ▁cast es . ▁By ▁contrast , ▁countries ▁such ▁as ▁China ▁or ▁Japan ▁are ▁largely ▁sec ular ▁and ▁thus ▁religion ▁has ▁a ▁much ▁smaller ▁impact ▁on ▁politics . ▁ ▁Sec ular ism ▁ ▁Sec