German court warns Catholics: pay church tax or face expulsion

Belfast Telegraph ^ | Thursday, 27 September 2012 | Tony Paterson

[wolf78]

They need to stop collecting taxes for the church. I don’t think I would call it a church if its that intertwined with the state/

I always find it interesting that many FReepers are surprised to find that there is no clear separation between church and state in Germany. In some regards, Germany really is different. E.g. not only are there pastors giving religious education in public schools, in some German states there are even confessional state schools.

[GeronL]

No, the problem is that when government is inside the church the church becomes a puppet of the government.

[wolf78]

No, the problem is that when government is inside the church the church becomes a puppet of the government.

You see a disagreement where there is none (as a libertarian I do see some sense in a separation of church and state). I merely observed that it is funny how we all look at other countries through the lense of our own cultural bias. Instead, we ought to see things in their original context. In Germany the government is inside the church just as the church is inside the government. Heck, the last presidential election in Germany basically came down to three theologians. We can agree or disagree with that. My point, however, is: We shouldn't be SURPRISED. Germany is not the US.

[GeronL]

In Germany the government is inside the church just as the church is inside the government

Then they are not church as we know them.

[castlebrew]

That too.

And they don’t even see it coming...