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Do we pay fees to join any church in US?

 
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I wanted to visit my nearest church, and I was informed that you must join the church before you visit OR if you want to visit regularly then you must pay fee.

Is it true ??
 
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LOL! I've lived in the U.S.A. all my life and I never heard of such a thing, but there is weirdness out there. There are many good churches full of many good people, I have traveled all over the U.S.A. on my bike and always make a point to visit interesting churches, Lots of times I get invited. They will provide you with anything you need. No cost. If a church wants to charge you, run away!

My advice is visit your second nearest church.


 
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You may be mistaking giving to the Church for an entrance fee. Most churches are paid for by giving but they should not charge an entrance fee for ordinary services.
Some places charge an entrance fee as being historic buildings, but that is an entrance fee to a place of interest, not to the church services.
 
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R K Singh wrote:I wanted to visit my nearest church, and I was informed that you must join the church before you visit OR if you want to visit regularly then you must pay fee.

Is it true ??


Don't walk, run to a different church. There are many, if not most, that will welcome your visit. They will probably "pass the plate" for donations, but you are not required to pay. It's strictly voluntary.
 
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He didn't specify what kind of Church he has on mind... maybe it's Church of Scientology? I am joking

The original poster can be from a country that has so called Church Tax, so the question is serious.

Where in live, in Bavaria (Germany), the Church Tax is 8%. So if you pray to God, you also have to pay him 8% of your income. In our capitalistic times even God's grace isn't free. Thankfully the tax is applied only for people who declared their religion, so I as an atheist don't have to pay anything

I can still enter Churches, but I will not get a marriage in Church or any other rituals without a proof of paying the tax. For me it's great, because when the family says "you should get Church marriage as well", responding with "then pay for me the Church Tax" is super effective
 
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Adam Scheller wrote:
Where in live, in Bavaria (Germany), the Church Tax is 8%. So if you pray to God, you also have to pay him 8% of your income. In our capitalistic times even God's grace isn't free. Thankfully the tax is applied only for people who declared their religion, so I as an atheist don't have to pay anything


Wow. I had no idea. My American ignorance is showing again. I find that mind boggling. Some churches in the U.S. ask for, or maybe require, a tithe of 10%, but it's not a legally binding tax. They might threaten you with excommunication if you don't pay it, but still....
 
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J. Kevin Robbins wrote:Wow. I had no idea. My American ignorance is showing again. I find that mind boggling.


Don't feel ignorant; it's not us with a church tax. The closest thing we have to that is the exemption granted to churches from paying income taxes. Which is actually the opposite thing, removing govt from the picture.
 
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Church tax is levied in several European countries to my knowledge, not UK, though.
 
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Campbell Ritchie wrote:You may be mistaking giving to the Church for an entrance fee.



Thanks for correcting me.

Hmm.. yes, I think I wanted to say "giving to the Church".

Heard that some % of your salary directly goes to the Church.

Correct me, I think all the giving to the Church, comes only if I want to become member. Else I can go and sit there and come back to my home.
 
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R K Singh wrote:
Heard that some % of your salary directly goes to the Church...Correct me, I think all the giving to the Church, comes only if I want to become member. Else I can go and sit there and come back to my home.


You're asking about the U.S., and I presume Christian churches? In only some of those it is expected you'll pay a "tithe", which is a certain %, or else look insincere or like a cheapskate. This is whether you're a member or not, if you're there and they pass the collection plate. However, you do not have to give. It is considered a gift, not a requirement. If you attended the church regularly and you were very wealthy the preacher of the church might approach you privately and say "I hope you can help us out here..." But it would not be a condition of joining or remaining a member of the church. In the U.S., Protestant churches are very varied, no two are the same it would be safe to say! But if any of them would formally throw you out for not giving them money it would be an unheard of thing. You could probably find some fringe cult that would do it.
 
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Thanks to all for sharing your information.
 
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R K Singh wrote:
Correct me, I think all the giving to the Church, comes only if I want to become member. Else I can go and sit there and come back to my home.



Also, not all places of worship, whether Church, Mosque, or Synagogue, are open to the public. Worship is a private / personal -- and sometimes is for members only.

Henry
 
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Henry Wong wrote:
Also, not all places of worship, whether Church, Mosque, or Synagogue, are open to the public. Worship is a private / personal -- and sometimes is for members only.


That's a good point. Mormon temples (LDS church) for instance are not open to the public.
 
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It was traditional in low-church Protestant denominations to "pass the hat" during the service into which people would drop donations.

Most synagogues have membership fees. A non-member can visit, but since many Jews attend only on two autumn holidays, most synagogues require tickets for those extremely crowded services. The tickets are mailed out to members, or can be purchased beforehand. An old joke is of a Jew who tries to get in on Yom Kippur but is refused because he has no ticket. He explains that he merely needs to pass a note to a member there. The doorman says, "OK, you can go in -- but don't let me catch you praying!"

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