What? Trenton Churches Say "Don't Vote!"

America is my country. This is my America the Beautiful and I share it with you and yours.

Imagine my disbelief today when I was told that Trenton voters have been urged not to vote.

Trenton churchgoers have been advised to stay away from the polls this November.

At first, I thought someone was joking. Then several people chimed in that this was indeed the case. Everyone had a different slant on the story, but it all boiled down to the fact that church leaders, pastors, preachers in Trenton want voters to stay home.

Ministers are preaching from the pulpit that this election is a lose-lose for their churchgoers. When I asked for particulars, I was told the following:
1. If you vote Republican, you vote for a Mormon.    (OK. That is no secret, what is wrong with that?)

2. Romney is a Mormon and therefore he is not a Christian...or anti-Christian...or just working with the Devil and believes in polygamy. (Come on people, this is the 21st Century)

Well, it looks like a slam dunk for the President. That is until the preaching continues thus:

1. If you vote Democrat, you will be voting for a black man who is in favor of gay marriage, which is a sin... (What? GLT tolerance has permitted more people to contribute to our nation's diversity. Also, not every American is a Christian so the Bible is not universal doctrine.)

2. The President is a black man who is not behaving like a black man...( guess you can't please everybody. President Obama has turned out to be color-blind)

Going to church is a rich experience and a welcome chance to recharge spiritual batteries. It seems to me that these local clergy need to have their heads examined.

There is supposed to be a separation of church and state in this country. This is a heck of a good reason to reinforce that.

Meddling in affairs of state by superimposing individual religious preferences is absolutely contrary to our Constitution.

Clear your heads, everyone. If some robed chucklehead bellowing from a pulpit is trying to get your attention and sway your vote, walk out!

Churches presently enjoy tax exempt non-profit status in the City of Trenton. If parishoners do not go to the polls, that situation can be very neatly corrected.

This is a glorious and open society with Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddists and Hindu. There are also Native American, Wiccan, and many other faiths, worshiping side by side and tax exempt, in our City of Trenton.

We do not have a State Religion with good cause.

Our culture and its mores are based on principles set down by our founding fathers. If you remember in the very beginnings of our country, only people who owned land were able to have a voice in determining the future of the republic. Women had to petition to be heard and finally got the right to vote reinstated in the twentieth century. That's right. If single, and property owners, women and free Blacks could vote under the original Constitution. By 1809 the states had taken that away. The Civil War emancipated slaves, but women were shut out until more recently. One of the most cherished and sacred privileges a citizen can have is to vote.

When election day rolls around, tension builds and television ads for the candidates drive us nuts. It is all part of the decision making process. Finally we take our ideas and preferences to the polling place. Pressing levers behind curtains, or marking paper ballots the old fashioned way, we take a stab at making our voices heard. We do our part to steer our ship of state to the next four years of hope or disaster.

If you don't vote in this election, kiss your place in the community,

 "Goodbye."

Seniors vote.