Over half a million German Roman Catholics left the church last year alone. Why do people break with the institution? DW’s Christoph Strack caught up with one of those who have done so.

  • Aesculapius@kbin.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    1 year ago

    It’s hard to keep folks in an organization built around morality when the organization doesn’t share the same moral ideals of the folks who are in it. Hiding the sexual abuse of minors and the atrocious treatment of “sinners” (e.g. LGTBQ+ people) are very well known. The article touches on another large one that gets less press and that is the role of women in the church. Despite women’s suffrage in the US being passed over 100 years ago. The Catholic church is not organized in a way to be flexible. On the contrary, they are dealing with over 2,000 years of institutional tradition. The “faithful who are waiting for reforms” have waited long enough and are moving elsewhere. Either the church learns how to change or they will continue to whither.
    source: one of the faithful who stopped waiting over 10 years ago.

  • GataZapata@kbin.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    The protestant church has similarly sharp declines, but not as high absolute numbers of people leaving afaik. I also left church last year. No church tax for me. And they fuck kids

    • HubertManne@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      I would love a church tax here. Would like to see how many of the “religious” politicians would pay the tax to keep up the charade.

      • PhictionalOne@kbin.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        1 year ago

        You misunderstand. Church tax in Germany means that the state is the tax collector for the church. Every individual registered as either catholic or protestant has to pay.

        The church itself gets a certain tax exemption and so on. The only theoretical advantage is that the churches are a part of Bureaucracy and somewhat accountable. But as I said theoretically.

  • Scimmia@kbin.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    1 year ago

    Don’t you have to pay a tax every year to the church in Germany if you are a member? I guess tougher economic times may also motivate many people deregister.