Category Archives: Religions
Influence of established religion still going strong in Germany
This week, Peer Steinbrück, the prospective challenger of Chancellor Angela Merkel, announced that he had re-joined the Lutheran Church he had quit at the age of 18 years. So let’s take this as an opportunity to look at the influence of … Continue reading
German court rules church tax opt-out ruled equivalent to leaving
In Germany religious communities which have been recognised as statutory corporations by the state can have the state’s tax authorities collect a religious tax from their members, which is usually an amount equivalent to 8-9% of the income tax owed … Continue reading
Call the angel hotline – for 80 Euro cents
The Catholic Cathedral of Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, is known for its quirky angel statues. In April 2011, it installed a statue of an angel talking on a cellphone (photo by ackbar 2). A Dutch couple living near the cathedral then opened … Continue reading
German Lutheran Church monies paid out to Congolese militia accused of genocide
The German Lutheran Church is up in arms about a press report by a left-leaning newspaper, citing a UN report that $5,000 ended up in the hands of the Hutu militia FDLR currently operating in Congo. The FDLR includes members … Continue reading
Faith schools in UK found not to be inclusive
Like many European nations without a separation of state and church, the UK has so-called faith schools, i.e. schools that teach a national curriculum but are otherwise affiliated with a particular religion and often include acts of religious worship and … Continue reading
Financial crisis leads to erosion of religious privilege in Italy
The news from Italy that the Vatican will have to pay property taxes on real estate not directly connected to religious activities has been extraordinary. According to this excellent article on Concordat Watch, previously Italian law allowed tax exemptions for … Continue reading
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