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Internet Deconstructing State Church in Finland

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the why-does-finland-have-a-state-church dept.

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)."

7 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

      http://www.google.com/search?q=guns

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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...

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

    Zeus is so going to kick your ass.

    --
    Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it. --Mark Twain