Why Europeans Shun Religion?

[Nevada]

I just learned of this case originating in Germany. In Germany, you tell the government what faith you are, and they tax you for its upkeep. If you quit paying, you don't get into the church.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19737983

 

[Salty]

I just learned of this case originating in Germany. In Germany, you tell the government what faith you are, and they tax you for its upkeep. If you quit paying, you don't get into the church.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19737983

and if you are not part of the church - then you cannot be baptized, married or buried - which are important to the Germans. ( and they still take an offering at church services.)
Also it is my understanding that evangelical churches do not recieve govt funding - so their members are not taxed.

 

[Nevada]

My dad used to shoot at Nazis.

I once read that Germany has a list of approved names one can give to a baby. If a name isn't on the list, one cannot name the child that name.


Those poor people have had the creativity beaten out of them for centuries. Look how they have carried on! They elected a mentally disturbed man in 1933, and anyone who pointed out that he was mentally unfit was killed. Obviously, the nation that enshrines heresy, deviance, and creativity, is the stronge rnation, and will prevail. Becoming the superpower, that puts the "superman" in the grave.

(I don't want to bash Germans verbally. Some of my forebears were Huns. I'm just stating the obvious flaw in German culture.)

 

[Nevada]

and if you are not part of the church - then you cannot be baptized, married or buried - which are important to the Germans. ( and they still take an offering at church services.)
Also it is my understanding that evangelical churches do not recieve govt funding - so their members are not taxed.

What an opportunity for evangelism. Someone, send missionaries to Germany, while they're rejecting they're decayed faiths and system.

 

[Oldtimer]

Since the US is steadly embrasing the European model, how much longer will churches be tax exempt here? (As a first step, BTW.)

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

What an opportunity for evangelism. Someone, send missionaries to Germany, while they're rejecting they're decayed faiths and system.

:laugh: Their doing that in New Jersey as we speak!:smilewinkgrin: course, Id be willing to go to Germany....they got great beer there:thumbs:

 

[Salty]

I received this email from a friend of mine who is an American missionary in Germany
************

Hi Bob,
I clicked on the internet site but could not find Why Europeans Shun Religion? - BaptistBoard.com or post #2 with this question in it.
Why Europeans Shun Religion from what I have seen being here now 42 years and since becoming European director for BCM International. I am in charge of 19 countries and visit these countries. Mainly if a person is religious and belongs to a church, which may mean being baptized as a baby for church admittance. This person may never attend, but considers himself a Christian, which is of course false. They are offended when we present them with the Gospel because in their eyes God loves them and they are going to heaven or will have a chance to tell God how good they are. Another main problem is that in the culture here religion is a personal thing and people do not ask others what they believe. That is not proper for many. Many others have been abused by their churches and hate the church and want nothing to do with it. Many churches have disappointed the people and they have now rejected Christianity. Many go after new age or other religions.
I am involved in a growing church, which preaches the Gospel and has a great outreach. Most of our outreach is each believer making personal contacts among friends, neighbors, relatives and those they work with. Sharing your faith comes first through your life before others as you exalt Christ people will see the difference. Last week we had a stand on the town market for the weekend Martins Markt, which is a big yearly thing in our town. Each year we have a stand. We distribute Christian calendars and literature as well as talk with people when they come to our stand. We pass out a coupon for people to redeem. People came in flocks to our stand wanting the free calendars and literature. Some asked why we do this? Of course we do it because we want to reach them for the Lord.
Europe is a hard place to work, but the Lord is calling out His people and souls are coming to know the Lord. This is a dark continent and we need missionaries who will take the hardness of working here, but if they are faithful God will give a rich harvest as we have seen through the years. When I was in Mainz we had the little German church. Out of that little church we sent out 11 missionaries. Through that little church a work was started in Pakistan where today there is a small hospital clinic and at least 10 churches with national pastors and a Christian school. People said to us many times we should close our doors while were to small and God was not blessing. I encouraged our people and said out of little things God can do great things. Also in 1983 we started the KFG (Conference for Church Planting) and since then we now have 3 conferences a year with some of the best speakers you can find. Two conferences are in Germany and one in Switzerland. Over 400 churches have been started through this movement for which we praise the Lord. I believe God is mightily at work.
I trust this helps a bit.
In His service,
***********
I left his name off, as I did not ask permission to use it.

 

[saturneptune]

Probably about 15 years ago, our church sent a small group to Romania on a mission trip. Tom Butler came back with a report of a totally different mindset than we have. Instead of empty pews, and trying to visit people to come back, the folks in Romania packed the pews every service, and were on the edge of their seats taking in evey word of a sermon. This is in a back drop of (at the time) of risking their jobs, families and freedom for their faith. A truly amazing testimony. So, I do not know why other parts of Europe have empty services.

 

[Nevada]

Probably about 15 years ago, our church sent a small group to Romania on a mission trip. Tom Butler came back with a report of a totally different mindset than we have. Instead of empty pews, and trying to visit people to come back, the folks in Romania packed the pews every service, and were on the edge of their seats taking in evey word of a sermon. This is in a back drop of (at the time) of risking their jobs, families and freedom for their faith. A truly amazing testimony. So, I do not know why other parts of Europe have empty services.

I know some folks who are from the Czech Republic, plus, I once had a room mate who was a Russian from Perm. All were atheists. Those experiences, plus what I have heard, lead me to believe American religion is unique.

Some might say I beat a dead horse, but I'll say this again: some believe keeping religion separate from government (politicians) is what keeps religiosity strong in America. (of course, feel free to disagree, and I didn't want this thread to only be about that one facet of the news item; we could talk about Germans all day ) You know, James Madison wrote to a friend:

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/jamesmadis404099.html

 

[Salty]

When my friend from Germany - he had notorginally read the OP. I then emailed him (note: his answers are in blue)
post # 1 I just learned of this case originating in Germany. In Germany, you tell the government what faith you are, and they tax you for its upkeep. If you quit paying, you don't get into the church.

When you are born your parents register you with either the Roman Catholic or Protestant State Church. When our kids were born here they asked us what church we were associated with. I said we belonged not to the State Church but the Bible Church of Mainz. They said oh! Then we will put down nothing. They considered us as outside the official church. Through registration and baptism you become a member and at 18 you automatically pay 7% of your income tax to the State Church. If you wish to leave the church you can renounce your membership and then you no longer pay that tax. This tax applies only to those who have been baptized into State Church. All other churches which are not a part of the State church like Independents, Baptist, Pentecostal and all other religions are free of the tax and are called Free Churches. Many Germans are leaving the church to get out of paying the taxes. When they do this they cannot be married or buried by the church. Sometimes other churches will bury them or marry them. Offerings are still taken at services in the State Church.




Post # 2 ....and if you are not part of the church - then you cannot be baptized, married or buried - which are important to the Germans. ( and they still take an offering at church services.)
Also it is my understanding that evangelical churches do not recieve govt funding - so their members are not taxed.

To become a part of the church you need to either be baptized as a baby or later when you join. You cannot marry through a State Church unless you are a member. Free Churches which include evangelical churches do not receive any government funding which means our members are not taxed the 7%.

 

[Nevada]

Thanks for checking for us; that's interesting.
Well, I wonder what century the Germans thought that up in? Too bad it didn't stop Adolph. I wonder if it facilitated the silence of those faiths when Adolph was doing his evil deeds. I wish I were still in college, so I could go find the professor who specialized in that era and area of history.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

I just learned Salty's first name is "Bob". Knowledge abounds.

 

[Salty]

I just learned Salty's first name is "Bob". Knowledge abounds.

But he spelled it wrong - its boB !

Anyways, you have now narrowed who I am down to just 86,656 people

Also, there are 1,511 people in the US, with the same last name as me.