XPost: alt.atheism, alt.agnosticism, sci.skeptic   
   XPost: alt.christnet   
   From: ingilt@yahoo.co.uk   
      
   On Sun, 12 Oct 2014 02:57:27 +0200, Malte Runz wrote:   
      
   > "Alex W."  skrev i meddelelsen   
   > news:dsgvbwxih0lv$.1ksiyt34nryc.dlg@40tude.net...   
   >>   
   >> On Sat, 11 Oct 2014 13:08:33 +0200, Malte Runz wrote:   
   >>   
   >>> "Alex W."  skrev i meddelelsen   
   >>> news:spe4os2839ou.9fm37cdofb0o.dlg@40tude.net...   
   >>>>   
   >>>> On Thu, 9 Oct 2014 20:18:16 +0200, Malte Runz wrote:   
   >>>>   
   >>>>> "Alex W."  skrev i meddelelsen   
   >>>>> news:1qk9swogwytzc.13644bar8zfj1$.dlg@40tude.net...   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>> On Thu, 09 Oct 2014 08:28:47 -0500, Mitchell Holman wrote:   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> (snip)   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>>>>      If billions of children believe in Santa   
   >>>>>>> Claus does that him real?   
   >>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>> It makes the profits real.   
   >>>>>> Is that enough?   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> For organized religion it often is.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> The state church in Denmark is supported by your taxpayer   
   >>>> money.  Does count as profits?   
   >>>   
   >>> Roughly 80% of the population are members of the church and pay on   
   >>> avarage   
   >>> of 0,88% of their taxable income to it. Since the priests are paid with   
   >>> tax   
   >>> money, you can say they profit financially. The state church itself   
   >>> doesn't   
   >>> generate a profit through its activities, though. Eventhough I'm no   
   >>> longer a   
   >>> member, some of my taxes are still spend on the church. I won't complain   
   >>> since my taxes also support art and culture that I can enjoy, but others   
   >>> object to.   
   >>   
   >> Does the state church in Denmark publish its financial   
   >> accounts? ...   
   >   
   > The church's finances are run by the state and the budget is published.   
      
   Then you're already one up on many other churches.   
   Excellent...   
      
      
   >   
   >   
   >> ...  Do they lay open to scrutiny their investment   
   >> portfolios and holdings?   
   >   
   > I seriously doubt that the state church has any of what you mention there,   
   > and the yerly budget is just a bit over a billion euros. I can't remember   
   > any 'scandals' involving taxmoney going to running the church being siphoned   
   > into private accounts. There might be the odd case, but nothing systemic.   
   > The priests live very modestly, and you don't choose the profession for the   
   > money, that's for sure.   
      
   I wasn't really thinking of misappropriation of tax revenues   
   but more of church property.  Surely they must have other   
   assets such as lands or funds left by bequests, that sort of   
   thing?  My Danish isn't really up to it, but the article   
   below suiggests rather more cashflows from sources other   
   than the state:   
      
   http://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/folkekirkens-oekonomi   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)