Voting in churches?
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20061207/23921.htm
Summary: the person filing the lawsuit objects to having to walk past religious paraphernalia and vote in a church. He feels it's a violation of the separation of church and state.
Now, I have voted in churches in the past. I never had any reason to look at the Christian stuff on the walls, because I'm Christian; it just didn't catch my attention at the time. (It would now, but it hasn't happened in about a decade; my polling station recently has always been a public school.) Usually, polling stations around here are within a few blocks of people's homes, and a public place is chosen - a school gym, a church gym, a community centre, even the foyer of a large apartment building can serve. What do you think? Should churches not be used as polling stations? When is it acceptable to do so - for example, how far away should a polling station have to be before another one is required? Should churches host polling stations, but be asked to do so in a location without "advertising" - say, take down the posters and cover the crosses, just for the election?
Summary: the person filing the lawsuit objects to having to walk past religious paraphernalia and vote in a church. He feels it's a violation of the separation of church and state.
Now, I have voted in churches in the past. I never had any reason to look at the Christian stuff on the walls, because I'm Christian; it just didn't catch my attention at the time. (It would now, but it hasn't happened in about a decade; my polling station recently has always been a public school.) Usually, polling stations around here are within a few blocks of people's homes, and a public place is chosen - a school gym, a church gym, a community centre, even the foyer of a large apartment building can serve. What do you think? Should churches not be used as polling stations? When is it acceptable to do so - for example, how far away should a polling station have to be before another one is required? Should churches host polling stations, but be asked to do so in a location without "advertising" - say, take down the posters and cover the crosses, just for the election?