WTS Again in Court in Germany to Be Granted Special Status

GermanXJW

In a long legal fight, the WTS will be in court in Germany on March 25th, 2004 again to get registration as a "Public Body".

In the last days of the GDR (the communist German Democratic Republic) JW were registered as an official religious community. After the reunification they legally moved JW headquarters to Berlin and widend their responsibilities to the whole of German. Then they claimed that the GDR recognition meant that they were now a public body. This was denied by the Berlin Senate but they went thru the instances. (

The public body status is granted to many religious organisations. Interestingly, back in the 60s they rejected to apply for this status because it was against their beliefs. The main advantages of the status:

tax advantages

advantages in buying real estate

the right to get church taxes collected by the state

public financial support of youth work

right to certificate documents

Chronology

25th October, 1993 Verwaltungsgericht Berlin (Status has to be given, but not because of GDR recognition)

14th December, 1995 Oberverwaltungsgericht Berlin (Status has to be given, but not because of GDR recognition)

26th June, 1997 Bundesverwaltungsgericht (Status denied!)

19th Dezember 2000 Bundesverfassungsgericht (case of Bundesverwaltungsgericht remanded, case has to be reconsidered, court has to check real JW behavior not what is said)

So, now next round on March 25th, 2004. This time the court has to check what the actual JW behavior is.

sf

tax advantages

advantages in buying real estate

the right to get church taxes collected by the state

public financial support of youth work

Money

Money is the ROOT of ALL AXIS' of Evil...especially Watchtower Book Fronting Enterprise.

sKally

richard

If all churches in Germany receive tax support ('Kirchensteuer'), why shouldn't the WTS receive part of it?

GermanXJW

Not every church gets church tax in Germany. To get a tax it has to be raised by the church. It is the State who collects the tax for the church and gets a fee for doing this from the church. (This is different to the Italian system where each citizen has to pay a tax and can decide which institution gets it.)

The R&F JW usually bashes those churches raising a church tax.

But I think JW want this status for the other benefits than church tax.

Elsewhere

It's amazing how quickly a ~~God~~ religion will die when you cut off the money.

hillary_step

German JW,

Many thanks for keeping us abreast of these developments. One day the scoundrels will become entrapped in their own cunning.

Best regards - HS

xjw_b12

This time the court has to check what the actual JW behavior is.

That should be the modus operatus for anyone investigating JWs

Valis

To get a tax it has to be raised by the church. It is the State who collects the tax for the church and gets a fee for doing this from the church.

does this sound like money laundering to anyone but me?

Sincerely,

District Overbeer

Atilla

I wonder what countries if any the WT actually loses money. Perhaps its like you have to spend money to make money kind of like when a chain resturant or company opens a new store, huge costs at first but after a year or two you will see the profits start to come in.

ARoarer

The Germans should see the pictures in WT literature. This "pulblic body" likes to display "art work" of buildings and churches being burned and destroyed.

WTS Again in Court in Germany to Be Granted Special Status

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