German Catholics can only remain in the Church if they pay membership tax, rules court

Merco Press ^ | 10/23/2013

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Looks like they also took property owned by Synagogues since Jews were included.

I always wondered how the Nazis were able to track down people who were 1/4 Jewish. Now I know. Your religion was registered by the tax you paid.

[BlatherNaut]

Seems like forcible simony.

[smvoice]

The early believers had the right idea: meet in houses, search the scriptures daily, and wait for the rapture. After all, being a member of the Church the Body of Christ doesn’t cost a thing, He’s already paid our bill for us. Anyone who is foolish enough to stay in these man-made places of “worship” deserves what they get.

[sauron]

The net effect of this on the German people will be to increase the number of atheists every year, until the Church withers and dies.

Reason? Human nature itself. They may still believe in a God, but will whistle past the graveyard loudly spouting their atheism more as a means of their own self-justification than anything else. It will ease their fear.

It's a Faustian bargain: allowing the State to receive money from congregants and then redirecting it back to the Church. I say: cut out the middleman (the government)! Let the Church collect its own revenues.

Satan couldn't have thought of a more devious way to kill off Christianity in Germany. Hats off to Old Scratch for ingenuity. (Pity we fell for it.)

Sauron

[terycarl]

They aren't. What's strange is that the Catholic Church is joining forces with the government, by basing excommunication on tax receipts.

no they aren't

[pleasenotcalifornia]

Seems to me the German people are historically comfortable with their “Big Government” and “Strong Leaders”.