Entering a Church

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  1. Some hold that entering a church nowadays is a serious prohibition, while entering a mosque is permitted.[1]

Background

  • The Rambam (Avoda Zara 9:4) considers Christianity to be avoda zara. There is a large discussion within the opinion of Tosfot (Sanhedrin 63b s.v. asur) whether Christianity is considered avoda zara for non-Jews considering that they believe in the Trinity, which is a slight deviation from narrow monotheism. The opinion of Tosfot is cited by Rama OC 156. Pitchei Teshuva YD 147:2 cites the Nodeh BeYehuda YD 148 who writes that the opinion of Tosfot is that Christianity is avoda zara just not for the purposes of swearing by the name of a pagan God. Rav Soloveitchik (Nefesh HaRav p. 230) quoted Rav Chaim as supporting the approach of the Nodeh BeYehuda.
  • The Rambam (Maachalot Asurot 11:7) considers Islam not to be avoda zara.

Related Links

Sources

  1. Yabia Omer YD 2:11 and YD 7:12 holds that entering a church is forbidden but entering a mosque is permitted. Igrot Moshe YD 3:129:6 agrees that entering a church is forbidden even if one is just going to look at the artwork. Tzitz Eliezer 14:91 holds that entering a church or a mosque is forbidden.