I voted in a Catholic parochial school. Right under a crucifix.

My polling place is a local parochial school. In the past this never posed an issue. But with the Catholic Church taking on a partisan politcal role in this election, this is about as fair as insisting that all the citizens in my local parish be assigned to cast their ballots in the nearest Planned Parenthood clinic.

Jesus would have voted for Kerry. ;-)

Sorry I can not help my self at times.

I can understand if a church or parochial school is the best location for a given precinct, but they owe it to the voters to remove all political and religious influence from the voting area.

in the entire hall. Voters lining up so they could not avoid seeing the cross directly above the booth. There was no way of not noticing it. They not only didn't remove religious symbols. They virtually shoved it in our face.

A school is a school. Everyone should know that in a Catholic school you will see crucifixes.

Maybe because I'm Catholic, but, I wouldn't be offended if I were voting in a Synagogue and saw a Star of David, or if I saw a list of Laws if I was at a police station. It simply is, it's just a school, and I'm sure seeing a crucifix isn't a shock to people who are voting there.

handing out Catholic newsletters or trying to convert people to Catholicism, then that would be a different story.

I came with my two young sons and someone at the sign-in desk asked me if I ever considered enrolling them in the school.

them. My daughter went to a parochial school along with many protestant, agnostic, and even a Jewish family. It's about quality education. The person at the sign in desk is probably trying to increase enrollment. Catholic schools are losing $$. :hi:

I am not associated with any organization. Sometimes those of you that follow a religion... forget how offended some people are by the opinions of religious organizations. I would be very offended having to vote in a church that put its only booth below a crucifix.

Those that put it there...knew EXACTLY what they were doing. I find it unacceptable that we allow voting in a church period. Public Schools are a neutral area... and ALL cities and towns have them. Using a church is like using a Planned Parenthood center or a Union Hall. The site used should be completely neutral and the Catholic church is far from a neutral organization.

That is just my personal opinion....

I don't think the school actually mounted a Crucifix just to oversee the election (though I could be wrong). The school also doesn't beg to be a polling place, they are simply chosen from a list of logical locations. There might not be an easier place, the local bodega is out, you really need public access buildings, and a school (parochial or not) is a pretty common location. And as far as every town having a public school.. that's not true by a LONG shot.. Not even close. Every child that's grown up in a rural area will tell you about Regional Schools, taking bus rides of over an hour long, and going to school with 1,000 kids when the population of their town is 500.. I would rather vote in my local Planned Parenthood than drive an hour to vote at the regional school. Just my opinion..

~Almost

Our candidate is a Catholic.

I've voted at a Lutheran school before.

I'm there for one purpose. To vote. Give me my card and get the hell out of my way. I'll admire the artwork later.

Catholic schools have been used as polling places for years. More important than the venue -- was your vote challenged? Did you see it go into the packet? Did you punch it correctly with no hanging chads? Are you confident that it will get counted? In other words -- DID YOU VOTE?

That's all that matters today.

and I wouldn't let it stop me from voting... but... It doesn't mean I have to agree with the site chosen. As far as being from a rural area ... I was born and raised in the Upper Pen. of Michigan. I also lived at least ten miles from my school.... In our case the Humboldt Twp Hall was used to vote. Again... a neutral site.

I know that there are many other more pressing issues ... and I have never raised a concern about it...but it was brought up with this thread and I voiced my stance. That is all.

Kerry On...

:kick:

Not so much to non-believers or those of another faith. The Catholic Church, unlike in the past, has taken a very explicit position on critical issues in this election. Views, according to Church belief, expressed through the highest representatives of God on earth. To place the only polling booth in a large auditorium under the only religious symbol in the hall consciously sents a message to any Catholic that may disagree with official orthodoxy that Jesus is watching you. It's a warning and a threat.

That's a really ignorant view of the organization of the church, the positions of the church, and the attitudes of Catholics, and your point is illogical besides (all of a sudden voting in a Catholic church is a problem??).

I'm not adding any more to this silly thread. There are very serious abuses going on, this isn't one of them, and it doesn't need to be continually bumped to the top of the forum.

...I've been extremely uncomfortable in many a parish meeting because my views differ from others. In fact, I am thinking about resigning from one such commission because the discomfort I feel is flat not worth it.

My sense is, though, that most Catholics are way too smart to be manipulated in that manner. It's only the vocal minority that wants you to think otherwise.

Does the church have a say in where the polling booth goes, or the county board of elections? If it was the church, I'm willing to bet that they have heard from at least one Catholic objecting to its placement.

ON EDIT: When I was growing up in the 1960s, our neighborhood polling place was the Catholic school chock-full of pre-Vatican II relics. I guess because I more or less grew up watching my folks vote in a place full of statues and crosses, it really doesn't bother me that much...I tune stuff like that out.

I didn't notice a crucifix when I voted there in the primary, but I did have to walk by a concrete statue of St. Mary with outstretched arms on the walkway leading in. But it is St. Mary's parish.

Maybe a drape could be placed over a crucifix in the school like is done between Good Friday afternoon to Easter morning but then that is because Jesus was dead during that period. Maybe not a good thing for election day messing with theology. I am an agnostic EX-Catholic so a crucifix doesn't move me one way or the other.

I still don't see why I can't vote at a firehouse nearby, but then that might disturb sleeping fireman or those playing dominoes.

I have nothing against catholics, but they should not be putting forth any religious symbols during voting because it may offend people. You really just shouldn't try to convert people (as it seems that was the intention of the nun) when you are going to a school for voting. But anyway, that doesn't really matter, all that matters is that you vote.

The question about enrolling the kids was more about the school trying to increase its enrollment for the sake of staying in existence.

Did you hear any reports of specific voting orders being given from the pulpit?

Did you bring this up at your precinct meeting? You attended, of course....

Why do you have this superstitious fear of a religious symbol?

Actually, I would have found it amusing and comforting at the same time to have the crucifix there. :-)

And I'm not sure I appreciate your characterizing the RCC as having played "a partisan political role in this election."
Sure, the bishops of Colorado Springs, St Louis and, I think, Atlanta did -- but I live in the Diocese of Saginaw, Michigan (a VERY liberal diocese as these things are measured), and the bishops of those aforementioned dioceses are cordially invited to kiss my Democratic butt. I don't live there and their rantings are just so many unsolicited opinions to me.
John
The Baptist Church doesn't have a crucifix anywhere near the polling area -- but they do have photos of the women of the Ladies Guild -- some of whom I even know. And I'll bet you a higher percentage of Baptists will vote GOP than will Dems.

Burke, Chaput, etc...DO NOT represent the majority of thinking Catholics. They have set responsible, Catholic presence in U.S. politics back far beyond Al Smith and 1928. I have found their displays this election season disgusting and embarrassing. I'm beginning to understand why people had such reservations about Smith and JFK. Maybe those concerns had some validity after all, because if you listen to these clowns, you could very easily assume they would make Catholic politicians answer to Rome instead of to their constituents.

By the way, I was extremely sorry at the death of Bishop Untener. He, like Thomas Gumbleton, was one of the true voices of sanity in the hierarchy. Who has replaced him?