Religious Freedom in Germany

The German system of state support for otherwise independent religious institutions assists all religions equally in principle, but in practice it has been unable to include some minority faiths. The government has granted most of the country’s major religious communities “public law corporation” (PLC) status, the benefits of which include the ability to collect contributions in accordance with rules similar to tax laws, building and tax regulation privileges, and the right to offer denominational religious education in state schools. PLCs also receive funds from the country’s “church tax” – between 8% and 9% of one’s income tax that is paid to the officially recognized denomination of which an individual is a registered member. Traditions that lack a centrally organized national structure – most notably Islam – have had difficulty attaining PLC status and the benefits that come with it. The government has expressed its interest in extending PLC status to Islam once the Muslim community establishes a representative body, but German Muslims have not collectively accepted any one of several Islamic organizations as nationally representative. Regardless of their lack of PLC status, the government protects the right of Muslims to practice their religion freely. Still, Muslims sometimes face hostility in German society, as seen in the controversy in 2007-2008 surrounding the construction of a mosque in Cologne. Scientologists and Jehovah’s Witnesses also face governmental and societal discrimination, though Jehovah’s Witnesses received PLC status in Berlin in 2005.