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German bishops get tough on Catholics who opt out of church tax
Reuters ^ | 9/21/2012 | Tom Heneghan

Posted on 09/24/2012 1:17:52 PM PDT by Dr. Thorne

PARIS (Reuters)- Germany's Roman Catholic bishops have decreed that people who opt out of a "church tax" should not be given sacraments and religious burials, getting tougher on worshippers who choose not to pay.

Alarmed by a wave of dissenting Catholics quitting the faith, the bishops issued a decree on Thursday declaring such defection "a serious lapse" and listed a wide range of church activities from which they must be excluded.

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: adendadrivenfreeper; catholic; germany; repost; taxes
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1 posted on 09/24/2012 1:18:01 PM PDT by Dr. Thorne
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To: Dr. Thorne

Glad I won’t be wearing vestments or a Bishop’s hat on Judgement Day...


2 posted on 09/24/2012 1:25:41 PM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Dr. Thorne

If the priesthood had managed to keep homosexual predators out of the priesthood they would not be having this problem (as much).

The idea of letting the government collect church ‘donations’ is a bad one for many reasons.


3 posted on 09/24/2012 1:25:50 PM PDT by Triple (Socialism denies people the right to the fruits of their labor, and is as abhorrent as slavery)
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To: Dr. Thorne

So, does this mean that salvation is “for sale”? That the sacraments of our savior are available only to those who can pay for them?

It seems that money has perverted these folks.


4 posted on 09/24/2012 1:29:12 PM PDT by Hodar (A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.- Burroughs)
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To: Dr. Thorne
Nice headline, sure to get the blood pumping.

A few relevant facts:

(1) In Germany, citizens have the option of either designating that 8% of their taxes go to a church, or of opting for that tax money to go directly to the state.

(2) German churches are allowed to forgo the tax and collect donations directly, but if they do, they have to turn over to the state all the tax information of their adherents.

(3) Nominal Catholics who do not support their Church still want to use churches for weddings, funerals, christenings and other functions - and expect that the choirs, organists, electricity, security and everything else should be paid for by the Catholics who actually designate the Church as their tax contribution.

So, what is being said here is simple: if you deliberately choose to fund the state instead of the Church, and yet expect the Church to spend scarce money and time that could be used for outreach and charity on your personal functions, then you should reexamine your assumptions.

5 posted on 09/24/2012 1:29:28 PM PDT by wideawake
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To: Hodar
So, does this mean that salvation is “for sale”? That the sacraments of our savior are available only to those who can pay for them?

No, that would be your bizarre and deliberate misinterpretation of the actual facts.

6 posted on 09/24/2012 1:30:32 PM PDT by wideawake
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To: Triple
The idea of letting the government collect church ‘donations’ is a bad one for many reasons.

Correct. It was an expedient adopted to avoid civil war. It is not a good idea on its own merits.

7 posted on 09/24/2012 1:31:51 PM PDT by wideawake
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To: Buckeye McFrog
Glad I won’t be wearing vestments or a Bishop’s hat on Judgement Day...

Should bishops ignore the needs of faithful and deliberately reward the unfaithful? Is that their job?

8 posted on 09/24/2012 1:33:09 PM PDT by wideawake
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To: wideawake

And how is any of that good?


9 posted on 09/24/2012 1:33:30 PM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: Olog-hai
And how is any of that good?

We're discussing the lesser of two evils.

The Church does not enjoy being beholden to the state.

10 posted on 09/24/2012 1:35:54 PM PDT by wideawake
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To: Dr. Thorne

“We have ways of making you pray.....”

;^)


11 posted on 09/24/2012 1:38:58 PM PDT by elcid1970 ("Free speech is more important than Islam.")
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To: Dr. Thorne

I thought the selling of indulgences was done away with long ago...


12 posted on 09/24/2012 1:42:00 PM PDT by stormer
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To: Dr. Thorne

Last time I was in Deutschland ya, they talked about the Church tax and it’s huge. Not only that, people think they’re clever and try to opt out. Well, if you opt out, you can’t attend a Church, any functions, receive sacraments. You’re cut off.

Their Church’s were magnificent.


13 posted on 09/24/2012 1:46:33 PM PDT by Lx (Do you like it, do you like it. Scott? I call it Mr. and Mrs. Tennerman chili.)
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To: wideawake

Priests refuse confession to them as well don’t they?


14 posted on 09/24/2012 1:46:58 PM PDT by ansel12
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To: Dr. Thorne

I do not support having government collect church taxes. Having said that, if that is the German system then I hope all German Catholics will find it in their hearts to pay the tax or at least pay a good contribution or tithe directly to their church (which is how I think it should be done). The traditional houses of faith (RCC, Lutheran, Calvinist, or the few Jews who remain alive there) ... seem to be just about the only segments of European society these days that can, sometimes anyway, be counted on to stand up for positive principles and values. Europe needs the church more now than at any time since at least the 1930’s....(and America is not currently available, given the Occupant of the WH, to help Europe if it falls any further into the abyss...)


15 posted on 09/24/2012 1:47:45 PM PDT by faithhopecharity
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To: Lx
Well, if you opt out, you can’t attend a Church, any functions, receive sacraments. You’re cut off.

That only applies to the churches that are Catholic, doesn't it? Won't Christian, non-Catholic churches still accept them?

16 posted on 09/24/2012 1:49:45 PM PDT by ansel12
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To: ansel12
Priests refuse confession to them as well don’t they?

Not to my knowledge.

17 posted on 09/24/2012 1:51:37 PM PDT by wideawake
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To: ansel12
That only applies to the churches that are Catholic, doesn't it? Won't Christian, non-Catholic churches still accept them?

The Evangelical churches actually receive a higher proportion of state taxes than the Catholic Church does.

They aren't excited with freeloaders either.

18 posted on 09/24/2012 1:52:51 PM PDT by wideawake
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To: wideawake
Germany's Roman Catholic bishops have decreed that people who opt out of a "church tax" should not be given sacraments and religious burials, getting tougher on worshippers who choose not to pay.

Pray tell, where am I misinterpretating the facts? It appears that if you don't pay up, you are denied sacraments. Thus, if it's about money - those sacraments must be "for sale". It's quite logical, and seems pretty evident that this is the case.

19 posted on 09/24/2012 1:56:46 PM PDT by Hodar (A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.- Burroughs)
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To: wideawake

So it does only apply to Catholic churches then, the Christian, non-Catholic churches will still interact with non-payers of the tax.


20 posted on 09/24/2012 1:57:14 PM PDT by ansel12
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