On 10/16/2011 9:06 AM, andrel wrote:
>> andrel<byt### [at] gmailcom>  wrote:
>>> In the Netherlands we have sort of a state religion, in the sense that
>>> our Queen is from a particular church. But all religions that were
>>> present in the beginning of the 20th centuries all are treated the same.
>>> Yes they have privileges, but giving a church tax breaks does not make
>>> the country a theocracy.
>>
>>    I don't know how it is in Netherlands, but in Finland there's an
>> official
>> state church (from the Lutheran denomination) that has official special
>> privileges, and special legislature governing it. No other
>> denomination nor
>> religion has the same status.
>
> But is the church consulted during the law making process? If not it is
> still not a theocracy. Theocracy means that God and its representatives
> are *ruling*.
Actually, this isn't the right question. The correct question is, "Did, 
at one time, the church have primary control over how laws where 
passed." The answer is yes, and that is why no one lets them bloody to 
it any more. In the US, the answer is, "No, they fought with each other 
over what stupid thing they wanted to have passed, so never got much of 
any where. The result being that every damn one of them, and their 
followers, are *still* convinced that letting one of them dictate the 
law would be a really neato idea."

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