The Apostasy of the Syt

[Syt]

Church membership incurs fees that are collected by the financial authorities on behalf of the churches at the same time your tax/social security is deducted from your salary payout. I paid, IIRC, 20, 25 or so EUR/month in Germany.

How 17th Century. Best the church I got baptised at got was 20p in the collection on school services.

That's something expats in Germany discovery very quickly. Among the first questions asked when registering at the city hall. Sometimes, they're told to pretend they are not religious to avoid pretend it, despite baptism. Lately, German churches have been using baptism archives abroad so some people had some bad surprises.

I never announced my religion here, but the church still found me. And they keep track of you moving apartments.

[Duque de Bragança]

I never announced my religion here, but the church still found me. And they keep track of you moving apartments.

Überwachungsstaat! 

[Valmy]

I am glad German efficiency still lives on someplace.

[derspiess]

I never announced my religion here, but the church still found me. And they keep track of you moving apartments.

My church (meaning specific location/congregation) has so many people they've 1) greatly increased the barriers requirements to join, and 2) don't really seem to care a whole lot if you veer away.  They've had to expand the church building and are gradually taking over an entire block of buildings.  They make it seem as they are growing only grudgingly.  You definitely get the feeling that they'd be okay if you stopped going or went somewhere else.

Oh, and I contribute to the offering plate whenever I'm at a service, but during football season they get less money from me.

[Ed Anger]

We, as in the family, went Methodist. The Baptist church she liked went clique-ish and had bad juju going on.

So the kids watch Despicable Me on Sundays and I still skip church.

[Syt]

2011 statistic for Vienna:

41.3% Roman-Catholic
11.6% Muslim
8.4% Orthodox
4.2% Protestant
2.9% Other
31.6% No affiliation

[Valmy]

My church (meaning specific location/congregation) has so many people they've 1) greatly increased the barriers requirements to join, and 2) don't really seem to care a whole lot if you veer away.  They've had to expand the church building and are gradually taking over an entire block of buildings.  They make it seem as they are growing only grudgingly.  You definitely get the feeling that they'd be okay if you stopped going or went somewhere else.

Oh, and I contribute to the offering plate whenever I'm at a service, but during football season they get less money from me.

Why are you telling us this?

[Martinus]

I don't believe in God or a higher power (though I consider it impossible to disprove the existence of such an entity with 100% certainty).

Doesn't mean I don't respect religious beliefs.

So that's opposite for me.

[Ed Anger]

2011 statistic for Vienna:

41.3% Roman-Catholic
11.6% Muslim
8.4% Orthodox
4.2% Protestant
2.9% Other
31.6% No affiliation

11.6% too much of one group.

[Archy]

Over here as a restover of the French Revolution the recognized churches (the biggest off course the Mother Church of Rome about 90%)
are paid by the state and their priests are also paid by the state from the general income. There's no specific tax for this like in Germany.

[derspiess]

My church (meaning specific location/congregation) has so many people they've 1) greatly increased the barriers requirements to join, and 2) don't really seem to care a whole lot if you veer away.  They've had to expand the church building and are gradually taking over an entire block of buildings.  They make it seem as they are growing only grudgingly.  You definitely get the feeling that they'd be okay if you stopped going or went somewhere else.

Oh, and I contribute to the offering plate whenever I'm at a service, but during football season they get less money from me.

Why are you telling us this?

In my mind I started with something relative to the topic, but kind of went off on a tangent.  I do that sometimes.

[Malthus]

2011 statistic for Vienna:

41.3% Roman-Catholic
11.6% Muslim
8.4% Orthodox
4.2% Protestant
2.9% Other
31.6% No affiliation

Congradulations Europe - you managed to replace    with

[Habbaku]

[Barrister]

2011 statistic for Vienna:

41.3% Roman-Catholic
11.6% Muslim
8.4% Orthodox
4.2% Protestant
2.9% Other
31.6% No affiliation

11.6% too much of one group.

29.7% Catholic would be a much more manageable number.

[Ideologue]

Euro barbarism. That's like 2.5 blu-rays, every month.