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On voting in a church

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muman613:
Shalom,

The other day while I was chatting in the chat room I brought up that I have to vote in a church. This has been an issue with me but I asked my Rabbi and investigated this issue on the network. Apparently this question was posed to the Ask the Rabbi at Yeshiva.org.il and I will reprint the question and answer here:

http://www.yeshiva.org.il/ask/eng/?srch=1&orderby=&q=voting+in+church&cat=1

--- Quote ---
Question:
I am what people would term a dati tziyoni jew currently living in chu"l. Is it permissable for me to attend martial arts classes if they are held, once a week, in the hall of a church, and this is the only location that teaches this specific art? Presumably it is not the part where people pray but rather a function hall etc. and possibly it is not connected to the main church at all (i haven’t been there yet, hence my question, so i wouldnt know).
Thank you.

Answer:
It is forbidden to enter the sanctuary of a church, even when prayer is not conducted. Other rooms in the building may be entered if it is not during the time when prayer is being conducted in the sanctuary, if the entrance is not that which a churchgoer would normally use to enter the sanctuary, and if the purpose is not religious (for instance if a voting booth is in a church).

--- End quote ---

Basically voting in a church is OK so long as the voting occurs during time when the church is not having services and you can enter through a door not used by members of the congregation and the voting is occurring in a room other than the sanctuary.

muman613

JewishAmericanPatriot:
I had this exact problem a few years ago when I lived in another state, where voting was held in a church. I consulted a Rav; he told me the same thing, that as long as its not in the sanctuary of the church (it was in the church hall.)

nopeaceforland:
Why in a religious place at all? I work in a public library, and we are doubling as a polling place on Tuesday. This is Newark, NJ btw. Do you live in a small town or something?

AsheDina:
  I guess I am a 'liberal' Jew, it doesnt bother me at all. I know who I am, and what I believe.....HOWEVER- if it was in a mosque- thats another question.
muman, I sent you a message, I hope it want offensive or something.

q_q_:

--- Quote from: AsheDina on November 03, 2008, 07:48:40 AM ---  I guess I am a 'liberal' Jew, it doesnt bother me at all. I know who I am, and what I believe.....HOWEVER- if it was in a mosque- thats another question.
muman, I sent you a message, I hope it want offensive or something.

--- End quote ---

It's not about personal preference..  or being personally bothered by going in there.

It's about law.. Jewish law says you can't go in (the main part) so you can't go in. According to jewish law.  It's considered a place of idolatry, strictly speaking.

-Technically- one can enter a mosque. Though one shouldn't want to.

A religious jew can't go into a hindu temple either,  a legal point. Even if every hindu in the temple is a great person and even a JTFer!

It's a legal thing.

Just like somebody is jewish if their mother is jewish, or they converted.
 
Sounds harsh and strict, if somebody feels jewish and only has a jewish father, and doesn't want to convert.  But law is law.

Similarly, religions can have offensive beliefs .. e.g. some christians thinking jews iwll go to hell.  Doctrine is doctrine, so what. It doesn't harm anybody. And it's often not their personal preference.. (sometimes it is, and it just justifies the fact that they hate jews anyway, and that's bad!!) ..

But these things like law or doctrine, are not about picking and choosing and personal preferences.

A jew should be bothered about the concept of going into a church.. But because it's forbidden.. And it's easy not to go in one.. usually.
I must say.. I living in europe wouldn't want to go in one.. Because of the centuries of persecution..  Infact, as recently as 10 years ago I knew of jews that had been socializing with gentiles and they'd asked where their horns were.

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