From: "Phil Payne" 

> Israel is a democracy.  As such it is allowed to make its own laws, it
> doesn't have to have laws that match those of the US.  When I lived in
> Germany, it was required to list one's religious affiliation on the
> document one was required to file listing one's residence so that
> Kirchensteuer ("church tax") could be withheld from one's paycheck.

> That wouldn't be allowed in the U.S. either, but so far I have never
> heard anyone complain that because of this Germany doesn't have free
> exercise of religion, or that being required to disclose one's place of
> residence is an invasion of privacy.

Because it's complete fucking bollocks, that's why.

There is no requirement to fill in the Religionsangeh”rigkeit box - I
registered in Germany four times (Ronnenberg in Landkreis Hannover in 1978,
Hofheim/TS in 1980 and 1982, Norderstedt near Hamburg in 2001) and never
gave an answer other than "Keine".  A friend of mine claims to
have written: "Geht Euch nichts an" - nothing to do with you.

The form (which can be bought in most stationers for a Euro, if anyone
visits Germany and wants to see for themselves) makes it absolutely clear
the information is voluntary.  As is the tax,, even if you do state a
religion.

I worked there for nine years and never paid one pfennig in Kirchensteuer.

Ask for a "Polizeilickeanmeldungsformular."

--
  Phil Payne
  http://www.isham-research.co.uk
  +44 7833 654 800

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