German Catholics lose church rights for unpaid tax

[xchrom]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19699581


The number of Catholics leaving the Church has sharply increased

Germany's Roman Catholics are to be denied the right to Holy Communion or religious burial if they stop paying a special church tax.

A German bishops' decree which has just come into force says anyone failing to pay the tax - an extra 8% of their income tax bill - will no longer be considered a Catholic.

The bishops have been alarmed by the number of Catholics leaving the Church.

They say such a step should be seen as a serious act against the community.

[get the red out]

1. "The bishops have been alarmed by the number of Catholics leaving the Church "

I'm sure extortion will fill the pews immediately!

[rug]

2. Cuius regio, eius religio

http://pages.uoregon.edu/sshoemak/323/texts/augsburg.htm

Medieval remnants.

Denying rites for failing to pay state taxes is an obscenity.

[dballance]

3. Perhaps the bishops should examine why they are driving people away

People are probably not just leaving the church. I suspect they have valid reasons why they are leaving. If I could guess it is most likely the actions of the bishops. Your imposing a tax on people and denying them holy rights if they don't pay is not a winner. Who will say a prayer over the pauper who had no money but lived a righteous life?

I recall the story of Jesus throwing the money changers out of the temple. I don't recall him setting up a fee for religion service.

The word "Catholic" is not your's to own. It is a term of great meaning which apparently the bishops have forgotten in their quest for control and power. Catholic has roots in the meaning "on the whole." Yes, that would be rather inclusive. I don't think Jesus had a minimum pay in to be considered religious. Perhaps if you feel the need to require people make a minimum donation you should examine your own morals.

[dimbear]

13. Jesus didn't set up a fee schedule. It took several years for that to take hold.

Read the story recorded in Acts of Ananais and Sapphira, Chapter 5.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

4. I'm reminded of my wife's former pastor

Who in the 1950s would send to every registered member of the parish a letter saying essentially "This is how much you are going to contribute or you will not receive services from the parish". Eventually, someone was refused a funeral, and his widow complained to the bishop, who told the priest to stop.

[DeSwiss]

5. It's nothing personal.....

...but Jesus will be asking to see your receipts.



- K&R

[dimbear]

6. It's merely a historical sidelight that Adolph Hitler was careful to pay this tax on time.

Perhaps he wasn't afraid to make public his returns, don't know.

[rug]

7. Actually, no. Hitler didn't pay taxes.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4105683.stm

[dimbear]

8. I mean of course specifically the church levy or tax or whatever--he paid it purposefully to

maintain his standing-- I have it on what I think is good contemporary authority. Of course fog of war and so on. It is possible he merely asserted that he paid it.

[rug]

9. You know a contemporary of Hitler?

I would find this fascinating.

[dimbear]

10. Yes, I do. I know some folks who spent time in his camps.

They didn't like to talk about it, tho.

Lots of us olds do.

As a youngling, I lived next door to a guy who served in WWI for the Kaiser. That was a long time ago. His lungs were severely damaged by gas. His name was Sig.

[rug]

11. When I was young, a long time ago, the super of the building had his grandfather living with him.

He was very old and very small and had been born a slave at the beginning of the Civil War.

When history is measured by individual lives, perspective changes.

[dimbear]

12. There were lots of survivors of Nazi Germany in Silicon Valley. My roomie

worked for a guy who always went by A. H. Finally admitted once that his real front and middle names were Adolph Hitler.

My own onetime boss was in the Hitlerjugend. Affable guy.

[cbayer]

14. This seems most bizarre. I have not heard of anything like this before.

[xchrom]

15. It doesn't seem so surprising.

The church seems very focused on 'obedience' & 'hierarchy' these days.

Let's the people know they don't have ownership in their parish.

[cbayer]

16. Seems like a mistake on their part. The tighter they squeeze, the more that

comes out of the tube.

[xchrom]

17. Oh it is a mistake.

It flies in the face of western values they helped to foster.

It flies in the face of ecumenism & vaticanII.

They had a spirit of Partnership then.

Conservative hierarchical backlash is taking that away.