Why am I Forced to Vote in Church?

Kevin Morgan / February 5th, 2008, 7:15 pm / #2

I’d like to see how comfortable people would feel having to vote in a mosque or synagogue.

Paul / February 6th, 2008, 3:28 am / #4

Strange set up. Here in Oz the polling booths are set up at schools; but please note we do have religious schools in Oz so some of the arguments in your article apply here; I stick to the secular public schools myself.

Most P&Cs take the opportunity to set up a cake stall or the more effective BBQ … there is something about the small of caramelized onions and steak that I find hard to resist ….

BlackSun / February 6th, 2008, 9:43 am / #6

Anon,

It’s a matter of Christian privilege. As you say, it wouldn’t affect my vote. But it does privilege a certain belief system, and it may affect the votes of others, therefore affecting my life.

No electioneering is allowed near polling places. Yet giant crosses and religious symbols are AT the polling place. Why is this a red-herring? Give me one good reason why this is not an example of a too-cozy relationship between church and state?

BlackSun / February 6th, 2008, 11:30 am / #8

Abogada,

Yes, the fence sitters are the only ones who can make a difference. The others will go to their grave believing what they believe.

I’d like to think in a secular nation, voting is one of the most sacred things we do. After all, it is what people have died to protect. And upholding freedom of conscience as a principle mandates that we should not have any specific points of view impinging on that freedom–a neutral place to go to cast our votes. That’s why we don’t allow electioneering at polling places–at the risk of repeating myself.

It’s a relatively small point in the scheme of things. But I wonder how people would feel if one and only one political party were to be allowed to set up voting booths at their local party headquarters?

For all intents and purposes, Christianity is tantamount to a meta-political party even though its adherents range (somewhat) across the political spectrum. Particularly on social and “moral” issues, there is a very fixed Christian agenda.

If we want separation of church and state, we have to be vigilant at the boundary, and not just accept the status quo of Christian privilege.

Oz Atheist / February 7th, 2008, 12:55 am / #10

As Paul said, here in Oz voting is conducted at schools, however we do allow electioneering.
There are people handing out ‘how to vote cards’ as you enter the school. I often delight in telling some of them (particularly ones aligned to religious parties) I wouldn’t vote for their candidate if they were the last person on earth (or some other pithy remark). Or, I’ll make a big point of not taking one of their cards, or, I’ll take one of their cards then promptly throw it in the recycle bin provided.

Random Donuts / February 7th, 2008, 11:43 pm / #12

Best expression of atheist anger? IMHO, Greta Christina nails it:
http://gretachristina.typepad.com/greta_christinas_weblog/2007/10/atheists-and-an.html

Morgaine / February 8th, 2008, 5:21 pm / #14

I don’t think it’s a relatively small point Black Sun. Having to vote in a church is a problem. It detracts from the freedom of choice that is supposed to accompany this basic right (and privilege). We are, whether we like it or not, susceptible to the influence of unconscious symbols. And the cross is a mighty one. regardless of one’s conscious relationship to it. The more we ignore the reality that symbols have enormous power on the mind the more likely we are to be influenced by them. We all know that a large part of what makes advertising campaigns so powerful, are the subliminal suggestions/ messages deliberately employed via visual and auditory cues. All it takes is an image flashed on a screen for a millisecond and an impact has been etched into the psyche. And it is because of the power of symbol and image, that marketing experts need to be psychologically savvy. What goes on beneath the radar of our consious mind takes up more brain power than what goes on above it. Denying this is naive. Our purchasing decisions are influenced by carefully placed images everyday. Why would anyone think voting choices would be immune, especially for ‘fence-sitters’!

So, if you are one of those people, (and there are plenty) who have…say… any ambivalence around their religiousity whatsoever, or lack there of, then, having to vote while being surrounded by such a potent image as the cross, could absolutely have an impact on said vote. Which effects everyone of us in the most profound way. So. I understand why this would make you angry. Me too.

Here’s one of many, many possible scenarios…say, a first time voter, late teens, brought up in a strict Christian home, who has decided, on principal, to vote on purely secure standards, even though they are still religiously identified. Or,  say, they’ve recently embraced an agnostic or natural humanistic world view but are still struggling with doubts and pressures from their desire to please their parents. In either case… the parents have been spouting a litany of reasons why this kid should think twice about voting for anyone who doesn’t profess god belief. The pressure’s on, but the kid is of firm mind, and thinks there’s no way he or she will be swayed by their parents insistence. Then they go to vote. They find themselves in a church. Now their parents voice as well as any clergy they’ve been indoctrinated by in their most impressionable years, ( the very ‘voices’ they are internally battling with as part of their age appropriate individuation process) comes flooding back in, and is turned up a few notches. Even if they dismiss the push from the past, consciously, the image of the cross and it’s influence is still effecting them on a deeper subconscious level That’s just the nature of image. This could either push them into a firmer position to keep religion out of their choice .Or, not. It could overwhelm. This is just one, perhaps not the best example, but one nonetheless of endless scenarios which illustrate the potential problem.

Bottom line is…in order for a person to truly be free to cast their vote, the polling environment needs to be as neutral as possible, free from, at the very least, the most insidious of influences…archetypal religious symbols like the cross. as well as any image that plays on issues of guilt and damnation. It cannot help but reach inside the psyche and tweak it, at least for those that still have a relationship to it, positive or negative. And, what this lack of understanding…or underestimation of this problem points to, is that we as a society are woefully under-educated (or just plain naive) about the power of symbol altogether, whether it be an archetypal one or simply language as symbol…as image/symbol influences everything we perceive, are and do.

morgaine / February 9th, 2008, 10:46 am / #16

Note…I am talking about fence-sitters, and those who are highly conflicted about their religiousity. Of these there are plenty. Obviously folks who have made peace with their religious sensibilities just have to deal with the annoyance. But for everyone it does affect, its a problem for us all.

Bacopa / February 11th, 2008, 2:39 pm / #18

Voting is usually in schools, libraries, or courthouse annexes around here. Even so, there are still quite a few polling places in churches.

I use the early voting option anyway. I just dash down to the local county tax office and vote a couple of weeks before the election.