Scientology has a wacky history as everyone probably knows. Here's a question: would the German government be right to to not give it tax benefits, and to discriminate against it? Assuming Germany is right about it being an abusive cult?https://en.m.wi

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Anonymous 08/08/15 (Sat) 20:15:54 3733ba No.10328

Scientology has a wacky history as everyone probably knows. Here's a question: would the German government be right to to not give it tax benefits, and to discriminate against it? Assuming Germany is right about it being an abusive cult?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology_in_Germany#Legal_status

Anonymous 08/08/15 (Sat) 20:37:57 b14f41 No.10329

>>10328

In Germany chuches don't get tax benefits.

Catholics & protestants have a own tax on people

who belong to them but that's something different .

To you question. Yes it is right to discriminate them the same way the mafia is discriminated.

Anonymous 08/09/15 (Sun) 11:34:18 ae5a0a No.10335

>>10329

>In Germany chuches don't get tax benefits.

If tax benefit means everything that reduces the tax burden of the taxed then yes they do get tax benefits because German law considers the established churches to be public corporations.

So they don't have to pay income tax, sales tax, property tax, real estate transfer tax, capital levy, gift tax and many more. They are also freed from paying civil trial fees.

These (trigger warning)privileges are in addition to many other ones and the church tax.

Anonymous 08/09/15 (Sun) 11:47:19 b14f41 No.10337

>>10335

Source? It would be new to me that religions get tax breaks especially if they are not catholics or protestant.

Anonymous 08/09/15 (Sun) 22:56:12 599e8c No.10345

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>>10337

Here you go(I hope you speak German),

https://www.ekd.de/kirchenfinanzen/kirchensteuer/steuerbefreiungen.html

This is the official webpage of the Lutheran Church of Germany that mentions their tax benefits because of their status as public corporation and a lot of communities including non-Catholic/Lutheran ones like Orthodox Christians, Jews, Mennonites, Evangelicals, but also one Muslim communitiy and even a few humanist associations enjoy the same privileges.

They get tax breaks and can collect church taxes(though a lot of them haven't made use of this right so far for example the Muslims and the humanists).

First Muslim community recognized as a church(in the judicial sense): http://spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/a-905593.html

There is a list of all recognized public corporations in the German wikipedia article.

But for more information on the finances of the churches in Germany, I recommend reading 'Violettbuch der Kirchenfinanzen' by Carsten Frerk.

Now concerning, OP's question the German state should remove all privileges for religious communities including the small and the big cults.

Anonymous 08/09/15 (Sun) 23:39:18 4ebfa9 No.10346

>>10345

Not him, but I'll coment that it sucks when someone links to evidence in another language. All debate ends when you feel embarrassed to admit you can't read it, and have no choice but to trust the person who interprets it. The person who can read German appears as a figure of authority, and thus, the person presenting the argument no one else can read silences the opposition and automatically wins without a fight.

Anonymous 08/09/15 (Sun) 23:48:03 4ebfa9 No.10347

Since no one has mentioned it, wiki says the discrimination is more than just tax breaks. Germany also spent public funds to send undercover investigators inside scientology for years, in the manner that you would penetrate a criminal syndicate.

Anonymous 08/10/15 (Mon) 06:14:35 28892f No.10353

>>10347

Well, scientology is known for trying to infiltrate authorities themselves.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Snow_White

But then again, the major churches have non-clerical representatives in virtually all parties.

Anonymous 08/10/15 (Mon) 13:48:52 28892f No.10355

>>10346

Well, I know that it sucks but I searched and there just aren't a lot English-speaking sources talking about the intricacies of German tax law.

But what's written on the webpage of the Lutheran Church of Germany is straight from the horse's mouth.

Using google translate the very first sentence is making it clear that they enjoy tax benefits.

Anonymous 08/10/15 (Mon) 20:13:39 25884d No.10360

>>10345

Ok. The tax benefits are for established religions.

So it's isn't special to Scientology to not getting them.

Scientology is treated like a cult but I would like to see them treated like a criminals organisation. They exploid people to get money and they harass quiters.

Anonymous 08/11/15 (Tue) 09:40:54 599e8c No.10367

>>10360

Well, by established I meant being recognized by the state. Ahmadiyya, Jehova's Witnesses, Bahai, Christian Science and the Association of Freethought have the same tax status like the two big churches and most of these are obscure and a bit older than the two big churches

Anonymous 08/11/15 (Tue) 11:04:14 adc058 No.10371

>>10367

Some of these are questionable.

I read one of the JW magazines. They are hardcore. It's no fun for children.

Anonymous 08/11/15 (Tue) 17:02:24 599e8c No.10373

>>10367

>and a bit older than the two big churches

I fucked up, this is non-sensical. I meant to say 'just a bit older than 100 years.'

Anonymous 08/13/15 (Thu) 16:44:58 599e8c No.10419

>>10371

Especially if they have to die because their parents refuse treating them with blood transfusion.

Anonymous 08/14/15 (Fri) 00:20:13 796026 No.10421

>>10360

> I would like to see them treated like a criminals organisation.

That's the tricky part. They have very good lawyers and are very good at just barely staying on the right side of the law.