I read at a site that the Catholic Chirch is not going to offer funeral services to anyone who does not pay his taxes. Is this true?
Is this true?
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Azureknight 773
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Aaaah - I believe that is in Germany - I seem to remember reading it - I'll go on a hunt
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Here you go - it's not the article I originally read [ couldn't remember where I'd found it 
] and I apologise for the paper it comes from but it has the info
German Catholics will be denied Holy Communion or a religious burial if they refuse to pay church tax | Mail Online
] and I apologise for the paper it comes from but it has the infoGerman Catholics will be denied Holy Communion or a religious burial if they refuse to pay church tax | Mail Online
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Azureknight 773
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What?! Why does that even exist? Aw come on! I don't remember such thing ever existing in our church.
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Fish and Bread
Dona nobis pacem
My understanding is this (Could be getting it wrong):
1. In Germany, there is a little option on your tax forum that asks you to specify your religion.
2. Whatever religion you specify gets a percentage of what you pay in taxes over all.
3. You don't pay any extra in taxes for specifying a religion- people who say they have no religion simply have their "church tax" money stay with the government. Taxes aren't increased or decreased based on whether or not you specify a religion on your tax forms.
So, what the Catholic Church in Germany is doing is simply saying (paraphrasing) "Look, it's not costing you anything extra, just check the little box on the tax form that says Catholic so we get our funds instead of having them go to the general government fund. If you check non-religious and those funds go to the general government fund, we'll take your word for it that you're non-religious and not have a funeral mass for you or bury you in the church cemetery.".
So, the Church isn't saying "Pay up or we won't hold a funeral mass for you/bury you.". That'd be simony (Charging for a sacrament), which is a sin in Catholicism. All they're saying in Germany is, when you pay your taxes, check the box admitting you're Catholic, which won't cost you any extra in taxes, and will ensure that the Church gets it's funds to do things like maintain the churches where funeral masses are held and the cemeteries where people are burred. They're just saying, if you're going to claim on your taxes you're not religious, or check off that you're some other religion, we're going to take your word for it when you die.
1. In Germany, there is a little option on your tax forum that asks you to specify your religion.
2. Whatever religion you specify gets a percentage of what you pay in taxes over all.
3. You don't pay any extra in taxes for specifying a religion- people who say they have no religion simply have their "church tax" money stay with the government. Taxes aren't increased or decreased based on whether or not you specify a religion on your tax forms.
So, what the Catholic Church in Germany is doing is simply saying (paraphrasing) "Look, it's not costing you anything extra, just check the little box on the tax form that says Catholic so we get our funds instead of having them go to the general government fund. If you check non-religious and those funds go to the general government fund, we'll take your word for it that you're non-religious and not have a funeral mass for you or bury you in the church cemetery.".
So, the Church isn't saying "Pay up or we won't hold a funeral mass for you/bury you.". That'd be simony (Charging for a sacrament), which is a sin in Catholicism. All they're saying in Germany is, when you pay your taxes, check the box admitting you're Catholic, which won't cost you any extra in taxes, and will ensure that the Church gets it's funds to do things like maintain the churches where funeral masses are held and the cemeteries where people are burred. They're just saying, if you're going to claim on your taxes you're not religious, or check off that you're some other religion, we're going to take your word for it when you die.
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Cosmic Charlie
The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated
Yeah, knowing what little I know about the German tax system and interpreting it through this article it looks like what this is a way for the Church in Germany to quell protest over the sex scandal.
This is just going to make matters worse.
I don't know who coming up with this stuff but whoever it is needs to be transferred to the mail room or somewhere where he can't do any more damage.
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princess_ballet
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Maybe you should tell that to the churches in France and other places in Europe (I know Notre Dame for sure) that charge people for confession.
My friend was just over there and said she wanted to pull a "Jesus in the temple" and start over turning stuff.
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princess_ballet
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What does that have to do with anything?
I think there is definitely an argument that someone may not want the government knowing their religious affiliation or don't want that money going to a church at all.
What happened to just giving at church when you go?
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Cosmic Charlie
The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated
Ah, yes, but:
Apollo 4:40
Stop the Rock, Can't Stop the Rock, You can't stop the Rock, Can't stop the Rock.
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JimR-OCDS
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Apparently it has to do with Catholics who renounce the faith in order to avoid paying the tax.
The German Bishop said those who renounce their Catholic faith, can not receive the sacraments.
It's a catch 22. If you disagree with the government church tax, your stuck with either renouncing your faith or looking at going to jail.
It's the problem of not keeping Church and State separate.
The Church is wrong to have relied on funding from the government via the church tax.
Jim
The German Bishop said those who renounce their Catholic faith, can not receive the sacraments.
It's a catch 22. If you disagree with the government church tax, your stuck with either renouncing your faith or looking at going to jail.
It's the problem of not keeping Church and State separate.
The Church is wrong to have relied on funding from the government via the church tax.
Jim
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Rhamiel
Member of the Round Table
they deny the Church when they are given a cencus
so why should the Church accept people who deny the Church?
And about people who do not want the government to know they are Catholics?
the Emperor of Rome used to have Christians thrown to the lions
and yet people still preached the good news
now they will not even mark a box on a form
it is disgraceful
if they do not like the idea of tax money going to churches, then they should vote for people who will fix that
I see no problem with this at all
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MikeK
Traditionalist Catholic
Well, over here you could drink hard liquor legally, too, so that doesn't say that much.
What roots do they make it of?
No roots anymore, typically. Root beer is a soft drink flavored with sasfrass root or an artificial flavoring like it. At one time some types contained alcohol, but those are either extinct or practically extint today. Birch Beer and Sarsaparilla are similar products.
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