As we were visiting Heidelberg (where the famous Catechism was written) we learned a little bit about how religion in Germany is different than in the United States.
We had a tour guide through part of the city named Roland, and he told us about how all citizens fill out a form relating to their taxes which declare their religion. So if I were to declare as Protestant, an additional percentage of my income tax would be taken and given to the Protestant church. So, our guide mentioned that some people will declare as atheists just to avoid that additional tax. This cooperation between church and state seemed strange to me because the US was founded upon the idea that those to should remain separate.
Along the same lines, Roland mentioned that someone’s religion is no secret in Germany. Often times, religion is one of the first things that is asked when you meet someone new. While in the US, you’d be looked at a little funny if you asked someone that upon meeting them. Americans see religion as a very private thing, while Germans wear their religion on the sleeves. This is not a big deal for the Germans because Roland stated that they tend to be more welcoming to minorities (both religious and otherwise).