Ryan Burge

So that's a different story than bringing new people in from overseas.

I think Islam is going to have some influence in some pockets of America, but most certainly not in a macro level nationwide way.

You know, we talk about Michigan, obviously, and Dearborn.

That's a majority Muslim community now.

It's the first large one in America.

But even there, you've got to get to sort of a critical mass.

And it doesn't look like a lot of these religious groups are ever going to get there.

So I think the reality is where they're geographically located really kind of puts a ceiling on their ability to influence the national political conversation.

The Amish, I have to ask?

You know, in some odd way, I actually think they might have.

But here's the thing.

Amish people typically stay out of politics.

That's been their posture for a long, long time.

I think at the local and county level, I think there's a real possibility that Amish could start winning elections and changing policy, but and maybe even win a state rep, you know, something like that.

But just forget politics.

I would bet on continued Amish growth, but not exponential Amish growth, because

As a religious tradition gets bigger, it's harder to maintain its cohesion like it had before.

You know, when you're 100,000 people, like everyone stays in the tribe because it's like, you know, everyone.

But once you get to several million, I think this is what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is facing right now is it almost is a victim of its own success because it got so large in America that it's easier to leave now because you don't feel that sense of internal cohesion anymore.

There's not been a single religious group in American history that's gotten incredibly large that's maintained its growth rate all the way through.