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Internet Deconstructing State Church in Finland

Agnostic writes "Freethinkers of the city of Tampere, who advocate separation of state and church in Finland, created a Web site in 2003 to assist people in resigning from the church. The Web site soon became a big success in Finland. 39% of all resignations in 2004 went through the web site and 69% of all resignations in 2005. In the same process 22% more people resigned from the church in 2005 than in 2004. The most common reason cited for resigning from the church has been saving church income tax (1.3% on average)."

13 of 808 comments (clear)

  1. Church? by Irashtar · · Score: 5, Funny

    Nothing for you to see here. Please move along..
    I resigned from the church ages ago, where's the site to help people resign from the state?

    1. Re:Church? by gl4ss · · Score: 5, Funny
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      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
  2. Someone should make something like this... by s-gen · · Score: 5, Funny

    for "resigning" from AOL

    1. Re:Someone should make something like this... by Hogwash+McFly · · Score: 4, Funny

      Church Service Representative: Hi, this is John at the Finland State Church . How may I help you today?

      Vincent: I want to quit the church.

      CSR: Sorry to hear that. Let's pull your file up here real quick. Can I have your name, please?

      Vincent: Vincent Ferrari

      CSR: 'K, Vincent . . . All right, thank you very much. Okay. You've been with the church for a long time.

      Vincent: I just don't use it anymore.

      CSR: Okay. Well actually, I'm showing a lot of usage on this church file.

      Vincent: Yeah, a long time ago. Not recently.

      (Here the service rep asks about another file that belongs to Ferrari's dad.)

      CSR: Well, what's causing you to want to resign from the church today? I mean obviously, I mean . . .

      Vincent: I don't use it and he doesn't use it, so we're quitting the church. . . . I don't need it. I don't want it. I just don't need it anymore.

      CSR: Well, on June 2nd, you went to church. You were there for 72 hours. On June 2nd.

      Vincent: I don't know how to make it any clearer . . .

      CSR: Last month was 545 hours of church usage.

      Vincent: I don't know how to make this any clearer, so I'm just going to say it one last time. Resign me. Please.

      CSR: Well explain to me what's, wha, why . . .

      Vincent: I'm not explaining anything to you. Resign. Me.

      CSR: Wha, what's the matter, Vincent? We're just . . . I'm just trying to help here.

      Vincent: You're not helping me. Helping me would be . . .

      CSR: I am trying to help . . .

      Vincent: Listen! I called to resign from the church. Helping me would be resigning me from the church. Please help me and resign me from the church.

      CSR: No, it wouldn't actually . . .

      Vincent: Resign me!

      CSR: Resigning you . . .

      Vincent: Resign. Me. From. The. Church. Resign. Me. From. The. Church...

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      Mother, do you think they'll like this sig?
    2. Re:Someone should make something like this... by pla · · Score: 4, Funny

      Someone should make something like this... for "resigning" from AOL

      Sorry, but that requires a serious act of contrition.

      Much like how baby rapists can't just say "oops, sorry, won't do it again", the same applies to AOL users. They need to prove they've learned their lesson, and truly repented of their old ways.

  3. I'm glad I don't pay any tithes... by maubp · · Score: 3, Funny

    The most common reasons cited for resigning from the church have been saving church income tax (1.3% on average)
    In medieval England, wasn't the church tithe 10%? They're lucky its only about one percent!

    1. Re:I'm glad I don't pay any tithes... by EL_mal0 · · Score: 5, Funny

      It used to be 10%, but some priest got greedy and wanted to collect more money, so he proposed "Tithing^2 -- Taking god's money to the MAX!".

      It was much later that he realized his mistake.

  4. Re:Real Reason. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Money is more important than jesus

    You bet money is more important than some old Jewish bloke who lived 2000 years ago!

  5. Finnish Line by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 3, Funny

    Internet used to get people out of sending money to the church? Splits voluntary religious power from mandatory state power?

    I see a new threat to Freedom lurking on the horizon, ready to enter the Republican Party platform as "them" in the "us vs them" Terror War just in time for 2006 Campaign Season.

    Didn't I hear about some "Cathedral vs Bazaar" terrorist manifesto praising the Finnish cyberterrorists attacking America's beloved Microsoft?

    We've got to rip these Internets out by the roots!

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  6. Gaah! Lutherans! by ScentCone · · Score: 3, Funny

    That is just subversive

    Subversive? We're talking about combatting Lutheranism, here. There's nothing more subversive than Lutherans. They have managed to completely take over most of the upper midwest of the US, causing Minnesota to have thousands of lakes in which to hide their underwater fortresses (called "Perches"), and making almost everyone chant their subversive mantras, "Oh yah, you betcha" and "Well, OK then!"

    Their prophet, Garrison Keillor, uses his vast network of National Public Radio stations to broadcast his "Pray At Home Companion" show directly into the minds of members, who then send in money and get back tote bags with subliminal messages embroidered onto them by Hmong immigrants working in Wisconsin sweat shops. Keillor's goal? Transition to a sinister god-like form known as a "Lex Lutheran," which allows him to have a hot, but dumb, female sidekick.

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  7. Re:church income tax? by indifferent+children · · Score: 4, Funny

    Zeus is so going to kick your ass.

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    Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it. --Mark Twain
  8. Re:church income tax? by Arthur+B. · · Score: 3, Funny

    Ya but Santa Clause is real right .. !? You have me worried here.

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    \u262D = \u5350
  9. Re:The exit interview by LarsWestergren · · Score: 3, Funny

    When I went through this process, it was not yet possible to resign through Internet. I had to visit the church office and the priest wanted to have a serious discussion with me. I was a bit rude and cut it short...

    Wow, that's hardcore. When I did the same in Sweden, all I had to do was print and sign a letter and send to my church and BAM! Straight to hell!

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    Being bitter is drinking poison and hoping someone else will die