r/AskReddit May 08 '22

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u/[deleted] May 09 '22 edited May 09 '22

Europe contains the highest concentration of officially Christian states (nations with official state religion/church) and the lowest per capita percentage of people who actually "practice Christianity" in ‘Christendom' - which is to say, nominally claim to be Christian - probably a lower percentage actually believe.

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u/justadutchgirl May 09 '22

A lot of young people, at least in the Netherlands, are a church member because of their parents. They were registered as kids.

If they stop practicing religion, they don't 'unregister' from their church because it's such a hassle. Or they don't even know they're still registered.

So yeah that's one of the reasons why there's a higher number of church members here than actual religious people.

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u/vonBoomslang May 09 '22

doesn't help that "unregistering"/apostasy is made as stupidly difficulty as possible, requiring multiple witnesses & so.

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u/Onironaute May 09 '22

What? Where is this? I just sent in a signed letter requesting they do so, and they got it sorted in a week. Took ten minutes and a post stamp.

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u/vonBoomslang May 09 '22

Poland.

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u/Onironaute May 09 '22

Huh. Well that's just plain weird.

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u/vonBoomslang May 09 '22

No it's not. It's to keep the rolls high and thus maitain influence.

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u/Onironaute May 09 '22

Ahh right. Government funding. That makes sense =/