Illuminati-R-Us

Alright, so there's thing, it's called the Anglican Church. Now, if you live in England, your tax money goes to this Anglican Church, as it's funded by the State. So, "For Queen and Country", your tax money automatically goes to a church.

What if you're an atheist? Or an Agnostic? Or of a different religious denomination?

Too bad, it seems. Your money still goes to that church, and if you don't pay, you get arrested. So you *have* to fund a specific religious denomination, whether or not you share that religion.

That's one reason why I refuse to go to England. Transportation sucking is another.

Hippy Lonewulf wrote:That's one reason why I refuse to go to England.

Perhaps that's why they do it...

Khrushchev's Other Shoe wrote:Perhaps that's why they do it...

So you're saying it's all an anti-Lonewulf conspiracy? Or an anti-hippy conspiracy? Or an anti-atheist conspiracy? Or is it an anti-theist-as-long-as-you're-not-our-theist conspiracy?

Or is it just that they want to be an annoyance type of conspiracy?

Funny how America is regularly lampooned as a nation of religious zealots when we have the 1st Amendment and the UK actually has a state-supported church.

Yeah, groovy on the whole First Amendment thing. If I was forced to pay for a church that I don't have faith in, I'd go Crazy Hippy on their ass.

Several countries have a church tax.
However the Church of England "does not receive any direct government support."

Yes, but in Germany, you only pay tax to the religious denomination you belong to (I know, I have a Christian friend in Germany). In England, you're forced to pay *one* religious denomination, no matter your own.

I think you missed my second link.
The CoE gets tax breaks like all other churches.
And the government subsidises the restoration of
historical buildings. Financially supporting the church
over any other church would not be accepted.
Britain is after all a democracy, of sorts.

Halcyon Dayz wrote:I think you missed my second link.
The CoE gets tax breaks like all other churches.
And the government subsidises the restoration of
historical buildings. Financially supporting the church
over any other church would not be accepted.
Britain is after all a democracy, of sorts.

Oh, I see now. Hmmm... not sure what to think on that. Seems a lot more acceptable than what I was led to believe, then.

Hippy Lonewulf wrote:Seems a lot more acceptable than what I was led to believe, then.

Than what you were led to believe? All I can think of is to quote you again:

Hippy Lonewulf wrote:Exercise some more critical thinking. Or use more smilies so I know you're joking.

MM_Dandy wrote:Than what you were led to believe? All I can think of is to quote you again:

Eat me.

Someone I was talking to that was going to join the Anglican Church as a priest made it seem that way, okay?

Hippy Lonewulf wrote:

MM_Dandy wrote:Than what you were led to believe? All I can think of is to quote you again:

Eat me.

Someone I was talking to that was going to join the Anglican Church as a priest made it seem that way, okay?

i geuss the weed is gone.

nicozine wrote:i geuss the weed is gone.

Nah, I've just switched. From weed to LSD.

Pretty pink alligators...

I believe the Church of England only get tax breaks on the same basis as any other registered charity, and subject to the same regulation and oversight. Rather tougher regulation than parts of the US as I understand it.

It does get to have a couple of dozen bishops sit in the House of Lords, for what thats worth and probably not for much longer either. In exchange it is (was?) required to marry or hold a funeral for anyone who requests it of the Chuch, member or no.

A couple of points:

I know I'm resurrecting an old thread simply to be pedantic, but I only just got here and I'm trying to catch up. :D

The Anglican Church is the worldwide church, the Church of England is its branch in England. I'm sure it is possible to be a member of the former and not the latter, but not vice versa.

England doesn't have a tax system, the UK does. No UK tax supports any church directly, as has been stated. The UK, GB and England are not synonyms when talking about tax, or anything else.

The Queen is the head of the Church of England but only as a figurehead, the same as she is of parliament. The Queen's Speech and her signing Acts is an irrelevant anachronism, she has no power.

The archbishops and senior bishops (The Lords Spiritual) sit in the House of Lords but do not vote and do not give speeches. I think they number 26 out of 726 members.

There are a number of anachronistic pieces of legislation still on the books but they have no effect and will be repealed as soon as the relevant situation crops up again. For example the monarch or heir being forbidden to be or marry a roman catholic. We fought a number of wars in the 17th century over that one and ended up borrowing a royal family from Halcyon Dayz lot, but I can't see anyone getting excited about it now.

I suspect that when Betty dies, whether it is the Wingnut or his laddie who takes over they will drop the monarch being the head of the Church of England. Church attendances across the UK have fallen to the extent that there may well be more people practicing other religions than are CoE.

Heid the Ba' wrote:ended up borrowing a royal family from Halcyon Dayz lot,

Did HD let them go freely? :P

They may have been glad to get rid of him . . .

I understand that England and the UK are not the same thing (I am born of McCallums and Stewarts), but what exactly is the distinction between the UK and Great Britain. UK includes odd bits scattered around the world and GB doesn't?

Enzo wrote:but what exactly is the distinction between the UK and Great Britain.

The UK includes Northern Ireland. I would also call the UK a political entity, and GB a geographic entity, but I'm not sure that my usage is entirely correct there.

The wikipedia entry for United Kingdom looks pretty good. I didn't read past the first couple of paragraphs though.

Great Britain is (generally) Scotland, England and Wales. The UK is GB plus Northern Ireland. The various offshore islands, Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey etc. are Crown dependencies outwith the UK, and have their own parliaments, legal systems and taxation regimes. They were always Crown possessions as they were not part of GB but had fallen to the crown with other lands; eg The Channel Islands had been part of the Duchy of Normandy and became "english" when the Duke of Normandy became king of England. Eventually Normandy was lost to France but the Islands remained a possession of the english king.

The more far flung outposts are generally crown territories as well, and not part of the UK.

To confuse matters, in international sports the UK team is usually called Great Britain, even though it includes Northern Irland.

(Edit for spellybad)