[marshmallow]

The Synod shenanigans of Kasper and Marx need to be viewed against this backdrop. Western Europe is apostate and painful times await it.

[Old Sarge]

Yeowch, I had not heard these stats before...

[MNDude]

You know those church buildings will probably end up being used by another religion that that’s been growing a lot in Europe lately.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Are Lutherans also subject to the church tax?

[I want the USA back]

The government should not collect taxes for churches. By doing so, it knows who is in what religion. I don’t trust government with that information.

[ckilmer]

The USA is only about a decade or two behind the Europeans in this race to the bottom.

[Buckeye McFrog]

If the Pope keeps making love to Communism it will be global.

[libertarian27]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/11380968/Compulsory-income-tax-on-Christians-drives-Germans-away-from-Protestant-and-Catholic-churches.html
((Church members in Germany are required by law to pay tax to fund church activities, which is collected by the government.
Under German law, anyone who was baptised as a child is automatically a member of the church and obliged to pay the tax, charged as a percentage of their income, regardless of their beliefs or whether they attend church services.

---

But the only way out of paying the tax is to make a formal declaration renouncing your membership of the church – and there is a government fee for this as well.))

[smokingfrog]

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2012/10/06/world/europe/german-church-ties-tax-to-sacraments-after-court-ruling.html?referrer=

[Sacajaweau]

And everyone thinks Germany is the cats meow.

[FamiliarFace]

Coming soon to American churches.

[Moltke]

Well, either that (save a few euros) or people are simply fed up with the idiotic policies the priests and bishops push. That goes for the protestants as well.

Hmmm....

[redgolum]

There are free church’s in the area that are growing. I am not sure about any free church Catholic parishes, but I suspect there may be a few.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: Mass Exodus Continues from German Catholic Church

The article does not mention where these people are becoming.

Are they becoming Atheists? Buddhists? Protestants? Muslims?

That’s the important question I’d like answered.

[lastchance]

This is one of the reasons those Bishops are pushing to embrace heresy. They think it will bring back the $$$$.

[mlizzy]

I know we personally would not be able to afford the 8 or 9 percent tax. And look what they take away from Catholics if you snub the tax, dropping out of the membership ranks:

Catholics who renounce their church membership are barred from confession and communion, and from the anointing of the sick, unless they are on the point of death.

Which begs the question; how does a priest know (in the confessional or the communion line or a large parish) that you have dropped membership? Does one have to wear a "666" tattooed on their foreheads?

[RitaOK]

I know these German Catholics are being devoured by wolves,
“white martyrs” is the term. But, for the sake of Holy Eucharist, can they endure? Or by taxation and apostasy should they stay home? I haven’t found much teaching on their response.

Since this is coming to a church near you we should know how to prepare ourselves.