Question:

Is it permitted to enter a church for non-religious purposes, such as when voting booths are placed there, or when a room in a church is used as the venue for meetings or classes that are not related to religion?

Answer:

The law banning entry to a house of worship is predicated on the assumption that it is pagan. The Gemara in Avodah Zara strictly forbids trading with “akum” (short for “worshippers of stars and the signs of the zodiac”) for three days before their festivals, and going into their houses of worship. Tosfot on the first daf (Assur) asks why in the Medieval Europe in its time these laws banning trading were being disregarded.

Amongst the answers is that of “eyvah”, a Talmudic principle that requires us to maintain good relations with those we live amongst, regardless of their religion. This, incidentally, is the reason given in Britain for the fact that over the years Orthodox rabbis have attended state functions at Westminster Abbey.

Then there is the statement in Chullin 12b that idolaters outside of Israel are not real idolaters, but are merely following customs without understanding what they are doing.

But Tosfot, itself, concludes that we are no longer dealing with idolatry as understood in earlier times.

Earlier, Maimonides and his followers had accepted that Islam was pure monotheism, but rejected Christianity as pagan. Rabbeynu Meiri of Posquieres, on the other hand, declared that any religion that had a system of law and ethics (mugdar b’nimussim) was not pagan (Beit HaBechira on Bava Kamma 113a,b).

Similar views to the Meiri’s are expressed by later authorities. The Maharal of Prague (ShoT 24), the Tifferet Yisrael (Avot 3.14), and the Noda Biyehuda (in the introduction to Hitnatzlut HaMechaber) all declared that Christianity was not idolatry because it accepted the idea of Divine revelation. (Although, to be fair, none of them raised the issue of going into churches).

Until the secularization of society, places of worship were used exclusively for religious worship. Nowadays many are not, and in the West many churches survive precisely because they are now used for secular purposes, as well. They are often like museums and tourist attractions, in much the same way that many synagogues are used for totally secular events and concerts.

So, taking into account the view that Christianity is not idolatry, and that the reason for being in the church is not to participate in non-Jewish worship, I don’t see a problem with it. In fact, I, personally, have gone into churches to look at art and architecture, and to listen to concerts. But I have always made a point of not taking off my hat or cappel! Just my little chauvinism coming to the fore!