Each election day, millions of Americans head to their designated polling place to cast ballots. The vast majority think little, if at all, about what other purpose the particular building might serve on any other day.
Atheist activists, however, have voiced concern over the fact that they are occasionally asked to vote inside of a church.
My own polling location was a nearby Baptist church; and like everyone before and after me, I entered, voted, and left. There was no proselytization and no campaigning for a particular candidate or issue, just poll workers and voters.
Still, groups like Americans United for Separation of Church and State say that no one should be required to vote inside of a place of worship.
“All of this church-based political activity makes me uneasy about casting ballots in houses of worship,” said the group’s executive director.
He said AUSCS gets multiple complaints from fellow church-state separatists who are distraught at the prospect of walking through a church’s door. I understand that these people might disagree with what goes on during a religious service, but I cannot remember the last election that took place at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
I usually refrain from the popular leftist tactic of arguing ad absurdum, but there are plenty of secular places people might not ordinarily enter were it not also a polling place.
A library, for instance, might offend someone who struggles with reading. Young people who still don’t trust anyone over 30 might shy away from entering a senior center.
The bottom line is that voters go to polling places to vote, and any other influence the particular building might have should be wholly disregarded.
A peripheral concern that atheist groups seem to have is that churches will try to sway voters one way or the other. This is a valid concern, and election judges must keep an eye out for such undue influence.
To somehow believe this is a problem only in houses of worship, though, is either disingenuous or incredibly naive.
When a school in Pennsylvania kept a fawning mural of Barack Obama exposed during the recent election, I did not hear a wave of calls for schools to be removed from the list of appropriate polling places.
B. Christopher Agee founded The Informed Conservative in 2011. Like his Facebook page for engaging, relevant conservative content daily.
Photo credit: reuvenim (Creative Commons)
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Would really like to comment on this situation, but suspect I would be banned forever,
We have enough problems in this country, real problems, time to ignore atheists,
A lot of people are atheists or agnostics and then they just grow up, others don’t grow up.
They will meet God too,
Just when it is too late.
Just the other day I was talking to my husband about this and how it is not good that they have voting in places of worship.
I would not like to have to enter an Islamic Mosque to vote. Actually, I would refuse to enter an Islamic Mosque. Hence, I have to be honest, not hypocritical and say that Atheists should not have to enter a church to vote.
Debra J.M. Smith
Informing Christians Writer
Good point, Debra. Just as you conviction would keep you out of a mosque their fear of conviction keeps them out of a church. That conviction. It’s some strong stuff.
Ern… It is my convictions that would stop me from entering an Islamic Mosque. That is true. Yes.
Debra, I respect your opinion and, as I was writing this article, tested my own conviction with the very same test. I, on the other hand, would be able to enter a mosque to vote and would be able to put aside the obviously very different views espoused in the building during services.
As a reporter, I’ve often entered houses of worship for faiths other than my own. Just as that was part of my job, I believe it is the job of patriotic Americans to vote and I would have no problem doing so in any building that, for election day, served the sole purpose of being a polling place.
For you to hold the same view as me on this issue would be hypocritical and I applaud you for standing up for that in which you believe. Nothing says (thankfully) that all conservatives — or Christians — must share the same beliefs, though, and mine simply differ from yours.
That being said, if my polling place ever is in a mosque (or anywhere else) and I feel an undue influence by the workers therein, please believe I will not rest until as many people as possible have heard about it and will continue until the situation is corrected. For that reason, I also completely disavow any Christian church’s attempts at swaying voters asked to cast a ballot in such a location. Thanks for reading and continue to stand strong for your faith and convictions!
Sincerely,
Chris Agee
Thank you, Chris.
Debra ANY church is a MAN MADE building maybe with a cross on it. There is nothing devine about any building man builds. Makes as much sense as voting in a casino. that way more people can gripe It`s just a man made building. Personally I would like to see the boons polling place in an outhouse. Raise the lid to vote obama.
I guess you are trying to make some sort of a bigoted comment. The fact is you can vote by absentee ballot or by a provisional ballot somewhere. You do not need to vote in a church or a mosque.
When I was young and wet behind my ears, I took the same stance as you, bordering on preaching atheism. I came to realize that it was just childishness and maybe a want to be noticed. We had these discussions in collge a lot.
The bottom line is that for atheists, there is no explanation for the creation of you, a human being, much less anything that involves the creation of the world, the universe or anything you might see, hear or touch. Your inate intelligence provides you with the best argument against atheism. It is difficult to believe in something that you cannot see, hear or touch, but you ultimately come to the resolve that there has to be a higher order beyond the perception of man.
As Shakespeare said: “A rose by any other name smells as sweet”…I do not care a tinker’s benediction where I go to vote – it can be the white house or the out house – as long as I know I am voting for THE CONSTITUTION and the AMENDMENTS handed down to this country. As long as I can stand with my hand on my heart in front of the stars and strips, raise my voice to the sky and sing AMERICA AMERICA. – stop trying to be clever and politically correct – it is stifling and will drown you in rubbish and you will lose your common sense together with your right to vote….. Enough said.
Where do the Marxist Liberals intend to end their long bucket list of WHINING? They seem to keep adding to it every day. Would it make them happy if all voting in Federal elections took place ONLY in federal facilities?
Sounds reasonable on the surface. Doesn’t it?
Unless you live in a rural area where federal facilities capable of properly housing the event are rare.
Hey, Libs, kindly just STHU and vote without all the juvenile whimpering about scary old churches. God will NOT leap out and scream BOO at you. Really, He won’t.
But, given the mad rush to Marxist/Socialism/Communism you are bent on your next polling place might be the FEMA Camp you reside in when not pulling duty in your labor battalion. YOU asked for it, you might just well get it. Then, when your Marxist Heroes are in complete power, to whom do you plan to complain to?
Our unalienable rights come from God, not man. We also have corresponding God-given responsibilities to administer those rights. All of our freedoms flow from these basic insights. Those who are unconcerned about God, or who deny Him, simply cannot be trusted to administer those rights and responsibilities. They eventually enslave societies because they separate God (morality) from state (performance). They currently call themselves Progressives, social moderates, or liberals. History calls them pagans. They must never be elected to any office. http://elect.ErnestHuberForCongress.com/
“…who are distraught at the prospect of walking through a church’s door.”
Really? How pathetic! Little babies are so distressed by stepping into a church. Well, I’m distressed by stepping into a law firm, or a hospital or an IRS office but I still do it! Men and women in our military are ‘distressed’ when they go off to to the Middle East, but they go! You people are a bunch of bigots who are lacking grace and respect for others to practice the way they believe. I’ll bet you have no problem walkiing into a Buddhist Temple.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. I really like the way you put that.
What tiny little minds – think one of the crucifixes is going to fly off the wall and strike you dead? Would that it were so.
ANOTHER THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.
If athiests have a problem casting their vote in a church building, perhaps less of them will decide not to vote. That would be a blessing to our nation; our “one nation UNDER GOD”.
I need to correct that last comment. Perhaps MORE athiests will decide not to vote. That would certainly be a blessing to our nation…. It seems to me that if ahiests do not like a religious nation perhaps they should move to an athiest nation like Red China. Oh! I know why they don’t; because they will not have the same freedoms they enjoy in the US. And why is that, you may ask. Because our founding fathers based our freedoms upon unalienable rights given by GOD. It seems that they very being and political system who gave them the freedom to express their views and to NOT believe in God is the very same that they reject and thumb their nose at. That certainly puts athiests in a very ackward position doesn’t it?