Election Day and faith
Welcome to the 16th edition of North Carolina Religion Roundup: Election Day, a new Hindu religious tower, and more.
Happy Monday! Thanks for reading the 16th edition of North Carolina Religion Roundup, a newsletter that highlights major religion news and trends in the Triangle and greater NC.
I’m a reporter covering community colleges, postsecondary access, and faith at EducationNC, and a M.Div. student at Duke Divinity School. I’m currently in the thick of final paper writing, but I know this time of year is a busy one for all of us. I hope you stay well this week.
As always, I’d love any thoughts or feedback regarding parts of the roundup you particularly like, and/or anything you’d like to see in the future. Plus, I’d love it if you’d share this newsletter with a friend. Thanks for following along. Happy reading!
This week:
In Story to Follow, I roundup some faith + election news to keep an eye on.
In a Nutshell, I highlight some NC religion stories from the last month, including the completion of a Hindu religious tower in Cary.
And in What I’m Reading, I feature a story about how some churches are using mined data to connect with potential congregants.
Story to Follow:
20% of Polling Places Are in Churches. We Mapped Them. By Christianity Today
There are more than 60,000 polling places in America, and roughly one out of every five is located in a church, CT reported last week. The team mapped 12,875 houses of worship that act as polling places across the country, noting the generally uncontroversial nature of the setup.
According to CT’s data analysis, the top traditions hosting polling places are: Baptist, Catholic, Wesleyan, Lutheran, and Stone-Campbell. The data map also noted that a number of mosques host elections in America, while only a few megachurches host them. Oklahoma and Arkansas are the states with the most church polling places, at more than 50%.
In North Carolina, more than 30% of polling places are in houses of worship, according to CT’s data analysis. In Durham, more than 27% of the county’s master polling places are churches. One-quarter of early voting locations (2/8) are at churches; I voted early at Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, and my assigned polling place is Waypoint Church.
It’s worth noting that the vast majority of the other locations are at schools, or otherwise education-related. Education and faith play big roles in their communities, and the same is often true of schools themselves and houses of worship.
With Election Day coming up on Tuesday, here’s your reminder to get out and vote if you can and haven’t already. If you’re in N.C., you can find your registration information, polling place, and ballot here.
More election news:
From the Associated Press: As midterms near, clergy preach politics and civics lessons. The article features Rev. Dumas A. Harshaw Jr., pastor of First Baptist Church in Raleigh, who said he told his mostly Black congregation there was a crucial need to vote.
#Faithworks: Meet the Faith-Based Group Mobilizing Black Muslims to Vote, by Word in Black. The organization, Muslim Women For, has a Muslim Voter Guide which helps members learn how they can get involved with mobilizing efforts and make a plan to vote.
Leaked video injects Christianity, heaven and hell into high-profile NC Senate election, by the News & Observer. In a video of a private call with campaign supporters, obtained by The N&O, Republican candidate for a key state Senate seat compares voting to a Biblical parable of God sorting people into heaven or hell. The candidate, E.C. Sykes, is running for the Senate seat in northern Wake County and Granville County, which is expected to be one of the closest in the state this year.
And from NC Policy Watch: Religious conservatives showcase close bond with NC Republican leaders. And: Lt. Governor rips Potato Heads, “egghead” Christian leaders, transgender people in church speeches
In a Nutshell:
On Diwali, NC’s largest Hindu temple unveils its long-awaited ‘royal gateway’ to God, by the N&O
More than two years ago, leaders of the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Cary commenced construction of an ornate religious tower that, when completed, would serve as a “royal gateway” to God. On Oct. 24, the N&O reported, elected officials and community members gathered to commemorate the completion of the 87-foot Tower of Unity and Prosperity.
The tower is one of the final pieces of the roughly decade-old temple, and one the largest of its kind in the country. Dem. Gov. Roy Cooper thanked temple leaders for inviting him to inaugurate the religious tower, the N&O reported, and said he was thrilled to attend the unveiling on Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. “What a wonderful day this is, especially in times of trouble. Mr. Chairman, I liked the way you said, walking into this temple with reverence and leaving your worries on the outside for just a while,” Cooper said. “That’s something we all need to do, but then we can always leave the temple with even more determination than ever to address those worries, and to make sure we’re doing something about it.”
Prior to the tower’s inauguration, temple leaders led Cooper and Rep. House Speaker Tim Moore on a tour of the main temple. Moore said he was reminded “of just the variety of folks who have chosen to make North Carolina home,” noting the lessons of Diwali are shared by many other religions as well.
“You think about, regardless of the faiths many folks come from, we all want good over evil,” Moore said. “Everyone wants that. We want to know that the light will overcome darkness, and that is a hallmark. If you go into about any faith around the world, you will find that; it’s in fact a universal truth.”
The temple itself, which sits on the border of Cary and Morrisville, is the largest Hindu temple in the state, with approximately 20,000 members. The temple was dedicated in 2009 and Cary officials granted approval in 2019 for the tower.
In June 2021, I reported on shifting plans to build a Hindu temple in Moncure for the Chatham News + Record. 2018 Plans for the proposed Carolina Murugan Temple, slated for Moncure just east of U.S. Hwy. 1, originally included a 155-foot statue of the Hindu god Murugan to be placed on the shores of the Deep River. In July 2021, the organizers decided to scale down the plans and build in multiple phases. The Phase 1 construction plans include a 2,500 square foot “temporary temple,” multi-acre ECO garden, walking trail to the riverfront and a 6-foot Murugan statue — and according to its website, will cost $7 million. The first phase is 10% complete according to the temple’s website.
While the first phase of construction will include a 6-foot Murugan statue, the group still plans to eventually add the 155-foot monument, advertised on its website in 2019 as “the tallest statue of Lord Murugan in the world.” Elon University Religious Studies Professor Amy Allocco told the News + Record in March 2019 that temples like the Carolina Murugan Temple are significant for Hindus in the U.S.
“In places where Hindus are the minority, like North Carolina, temples take on important community functions,” she said. “They become community centers in important ways. If you’re a young Hindu kid in North Carolina, you might go there to learn about the deities and the language and the history of your religion.”
Baptist group holds prayer vigil for Raleigh mass shooting victims’ families, first responders, community, CBS17
The Raleigh Baptist Association brought together pastors, police officers, and community members to pray for the families of the victims of the Oct. 13 mass shooting at the group’s resource center last month. “Each of our churches has reached out and they wanted to show unity and support for the families of the victims and the community at large,” said Patrick Fuller, RBA executive director.
N.C. ranks 30th for religious liberty, according to watchdog group, the Carolina Journal
According to the Center for Religion, Culture, and Democracy’s annual Religious Liberty in the States index, North Carolina is ranked 30th of 50. The group ranked state’s based on 29 items broken into six main categories to see how minority religious views were protected. You can view North Carolina’s scorecard here.
A food truck at Duke University offers a truce to rising tensions on Mideast politics, Religion News Service
The Yalla food truck – Duke University’s “latest interfaith venture” – serves food that meets the most stringent dietary needs of both Jews and Muslims. The food is both certified kosher and halal. “We want to push Jewish and Muslim students to get together,” said Rabbi Nossen Fellig, a Chabad leader on campus who came up with the food truck concept alongside a Muslim colleague, Abdullah Antepli, a professor of the practice of interfaith relations.
The West is looking at Iran’s deadly hijab protests the wrong way, Opinion piece by Hadia Mubarak, an assistant professor of religion at Queens University of Charlotte
From the piece: “Since the tragic death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini last month, two other young women in Iran have been killed by Iran’s security police for joining protests and violating the country’s dress code. Nika Shakarami and Sarina Esmailzadeh were only 16. As a professor of religion at Queens University of Charlotte who has spent a decade researching and teaching on women and gender in Islam, I find myself fielding familiar questions from students, colleagues and at interfaith events about this tragic incident of gender violence. Many of us in the West are quick to read such stories through a cultural-religious lens. It becomes for us yet another example of the way a ‘misogynist’ Islam or patriarchal Muslim world oppresses women.”
NC Black pastor’s speech saying school diversity is ‘wasting taxpayer dollars’ goes viral, N&O
A local pastor’s anti-LGBTQ speech denouncing the Wake County school system’s diversity efforts as failing Black students went viral on social media last month. John Amanchukwu told the Wake County school board that the $1 million a year it’s spending on its Office of Equity Affairs is not helping Black students. Amanchukwu said North Carolina’s largest school district is focusing on making LGBTQ students feel comfortable and grooming children to be “the next pervert.”
Robert Chao Romero: The brown church has been preaching justice for centuries, Duke Divinity’s “Faith and Leadership”
In “Brown Church: Five Centuries of Latina/o Social Justice, Theology and Identity,” Chao Romero explores the “cultural wealth” of Latino/a church history, highlighting a message of justice throughout. Chao Romero spoke with Faith & Leadership’s Chris Karnadi about the diversity of Latinos/as, what he means by “brown church,” and what it’s theology says to the present moment. (Click on the link above to read the conversation.)
Are there religious exemptions to NC weapons laws? What to know about legal protections, Charlotte Observer
A Sikh student being handcuffed at the University of North Carolina’s Charlotte campus for carrying a Kirpan in September put a spotlight on weapons laws and religious protections. The Observer examined what the laws are in North Carolina surrounding articles of faith.
~What I’m reading ~
Gloo Mines Big Data To Help Churches Reach Hurting People, from Religion Unplugged
Gloo, one of the groups involved in the $100 million He Gets Us evangelism campaign, mines data with the intent to connect them with churches, counseling centers, and ministries. The $36 million company in Boulder, Colorado, was created “to provide the tools and support structures to churches, charities, and related service organizations so they can more effectively help people grow,” said spokesperson Heather Cirmo. From the report:
Gloo’s tech platform provides the digital infrastructure behind the He Gets Us campaign. When people see an ad, visit the campaign’s website and provide their contact information, Gloo passes the info on to one of the many churches that use its platform, which offers free and subscription-based services.
A 2021 profile in the Wall Street Journal said Gloo works with more than 30,000 churches, or about 10% of U.S. congregations, and has compiled data on some 245 million Americans.
Gloo analyzes the data, searching for people who are exhibiting signs of crisis, stress, anxiety, divorce, depression, substance abuse or grief. It targets these populations with web pages that offer resources for those who suffer. People who respond are connected to local churches, addiction recovery centers and community service organizations.
Gloo says it connects more than 300 people to churches every day. In one case, a woman began her relationship with a local church by attending a grief support group.
In 2021, Gloo launched Barna Cities projects with Barna Group (which pioneered the use of data by churches) in five metropolitan areas, including Charlotte, North Carolina. Church leaders were given localized research about the communities they serve. Information on cities and states can be found here.
In some ways, this is just another method of churches learning about the communities they’re a part of. This use of data is interesting, and perhaps raises some new ethical questions. What do you think?
That's it for this week's edition of North Carolina Religion Roundup. Thanks for reading. Until next time. And in the meantime, I gladly welcome any tips, feedback or news you think I haven’t included but should in future editions. — Hannah
So cool that you point out the role schools/faith communities play in their communities! I'd seen people posting about the new Temple but didn't know anything about, so I'm grateful your post provided some context to it! Whoop whoop whoop! Grateful for this newsletter keeping North Carolinas in the loop on religious/faith happenings in the state!