Lutheran pastor says he doen't believe in God (So why did he become a pastor?)

[billiefan2000]

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/08/international/europe/08PAST.html?ei=5062&en=ba59231c559f81fe&ex=1058241600&partner=GOOGLE&pagewanted=print&position=

[LW]

Originally posted by billiefan2000

So why did he become a pastor?


Perhaps he believed when he started to study theology and lost his belief somewhere along the way. Then he was left with a degree that, in practice, qualifies him only as a pastor.

We had one similar case a year or two ago. I can't remember what was the outcome, did the pastor in question resign or not. About ten years ago there was another case where a Lutheran pastor authored a book where he argued that there is no hell and that also caused a rather large public discussion but I can't remember its outcome, either.

[Beleth]

Top 10 reasons to become a Lutheran pastor if you don't believe in God:

10: Churches smell good

9: Lots of blond babes... at the baptismal font

8: Perverse need to stand in front of a group of people and lie to them

7: Lutheran hymns kick major ass

6: Danes "don't talk too much about God" anyway

5: Get to wear robes without having to pass any pesky bar exam

4: What's the big deal? Unitarians do it all the time

3: Burning desire to understand Garrison Keillor

2: It's still better than a real job


And the number one reason to become a Lutheran pastor if you don't believe in God:

1: All the lutefisk you can eat

[billiefan2000]

You forgot:

Once the rapture happens,you are out of a job and can retire.

[LW]

Originally posted by Beleth
7: Lutheran hymns kick major ass

Many of the older ones were originally secular songs (some even drinking songs) that then received Christian lyrics. So, there really are some great tunes in there, they just are usually butchered by singing them reaaaaalllllly slow and a pipe organ is not necessarily the best instrument to accompany a lively song.

[Lord Emsworth]

Originally posted by billiefan2000
You forgot:

Once the rapture happens,you are out of a job and can retire.

That means never!

Is it hard to become a Lutheran Pastor?

[Yahweh]

Lutheran pastor says he doen't believe in God (So why did he become a pastor?)
I dont see how "not believing in god" should bar you from becoming a pastor...

[billiefan2000]

The great falling away is sure taking place in all countries around the world.

But, Paul speaking about the time just prior to the rapture says this:


2 Thess. 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

2 Thess. 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition

[Lord Emsworth]

Billiefan2000,

the rapture is over for you anyway. Didn't you use bad language as the S-word or called other people fools?

Forget it boy… :roll:

[Segnosaur]

Didn't the head of the church of england make some sort of statement about a year ago about how he didn't really believe in the story of the resurrection?

[hgc]

Originally posted by billiefan2000
The great falling away is sure taking place in all countries around the world.

But, Paul speaking about the time just prior to the rapture says this:


2 Thess. 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

2 Thess. 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition
Hey billie, those goofy incantations put me in mind of this one, always one of my favorites...
There shall in that time be rumors of things going astray, erm, and there shall be a great confusion as to where things really are, and nobody will really know where lieth those little things with the sort of raffia-work base, that has an attachment. At that time, a friend shall lose his friend's hammer, and the young shall not know where lieth the things possessed by their fathers that their fathers put there only just the night before, about eight O'clock.
Can you remind me what book of the Bible has it?

[EdipisReks]

Originally posted by hgc

Hey billie, those goofy incantations put me in mind of this one, always one of my favorites...

Can you remind me what book of the Bible has it?

ooh, ooh, can i play too? billiefan, what book is this from?

Ia ia CTHULHU ph’nglui mglui’nafh uigah-nagl fhtagn ia ia HASTUR cf’ayak ‘vulglram vugtlagn, vulgtmm ia HASTUR. Dominum nostram CTHULHU, ya-R’lyeh. SHUB-NIGGURATH, magna mater n’gai n’gah-g’haa ygnanth, ygnanth. YOG-SOTHOTH. Amen.

[LW]

Originally posted by Lord Emsworth

Is it hard to become a Lutheran Pastor?

In Finland you have to have a university degree in theology. Once you have it you have to get ordained and I don't know how difficult that process is. Then you have to find a parish that wants to employ you. This is not very difficult if you are prepared to live in a small country parish but it can be difficult if you want to live in a large town.

However, the work has a surprisingly bad work/salary ratio. Gone are the days when the pastor (along with the head of the constabulary) was the most important person in a county and lived in the largest estate of the parish.

[Beleth]

Originally posted by billiefan2000
You forgot:

Once the rapture happens,you are out of a job and can retire. I was going for ones that were at least mildly humorous.

Originally posted by LW
Many of the older ones were originally secular songs (some even drinking songs) that then received Christian lyrics. So, there really are some great tunes in there, I agree!

[Smokin' Jebus]

Originally posted by Segnosaur
Didn't the head of the church of england make some sort of statement about a year ago about how he didn't really believe in the story of the resurrection?

The on-line Telegraph of 31/07/02 printed an article about religious belief amongst the British clergy. Here are a few current figures (provided in a survey of 2,000 vicars, priests etc) from the article:

One third of the clergy do not believe in the resurrection.
50% of the clergy do not think the virgin birth happened.
25% do not accept the doctrine of the trinity.
20% do not believe god created the world.

...how about that? However, I think what you are looking for is:

A conjuring trick with bones.
...which was proclaimed by the Rt Reverend David Jenkins, former Bishop of Durham. (Speaking in Durham in 1980 on the biblical account of the resurrection.)

[Yahweh]

Originally posted by billiefan2000
You forgot:

Once the rapture happens,you are out of a job and can retire.
Common sense, deductive reasoning, science, logic, nature, and the "don't swallow bullsh*t" principle tell me the rapture will never happen. Faith has never been the most intelligent form of rationalization.

[arcticpenguin]

OK, so this pastor has a slight disagreement with the standard Lutheran version.

Question: should he go his own way, or stay and try to reform his church from within?

[Tricky]

Originally posted by billiefan2000
You forgot:

Once the rapture happens,you are out of a job and can retire.
...or as the Lutherans refer to it;
"Being put out to pastor".:cs:

[c4ts]

Originally posted by EdipisReks


ooh, ooh, can i play too? billiefan, what book is this from?



The NECRONOMICON! Or maybe it was from Herbert West: Reanimator or something.

[justsaygnosis]

He may be similar to agnostics who don't swallow the religious characterization of god/s but will allow that there may be that which we have yet to come to terms with and understand.
It is oxymoronic to attempt to define an unlimited and infinite being in limited and finite terms and contexts.
If there's a GOD it/he/she/whatever isn't going to fit between the pages of anyone's creeds and dogmas.

[PygmyPlaidGiraffe]

Originally posted by Yahweh

I dont see how "not believing in god" should bar you from becoming a pastor...

wouldn't it be part and parcel of the job description to believe in God? A lot of employers in the interview process want to know what your philosophy is and try to determine if your philosophy is compatible with the "mission statement" of the organisation or corperation.

[arcticpenguin]

Originally posted by Yahweh

I dont see how "not believing in god" should bar you from becoming a pastor...
Absolutely not, that would be religious discrimination! I could draw a comparison to Prof. Dini, who was pressured to remove 'belief in a scientific explanation for human origins' from his requirements for getting a letter of recommendation from him. It should be enough that candidates for pastor have an understanding of Lutheran beliefs, but to actually demand that he share those beliefs would be patently unfair.

[Yahweh]

Originally posted by arcticpenguin

Absolutely not, that would be religious discrimination! I could draw a comparison to Prof. Dini, who was pressured to remove 'belief in a scientific explanation for human origins' from his requirements for getting a letter of recommendation from him. It should be enough that candidates for pastor have an understanding of Lutheran beliefs, but to actually demand that he share those beliefs would be patently unfair.
Unrelated but try to notice the proximity of the intelligent quote at the top and an insanely bizarre ignorant quote in the signature... they both belong to the same person... I should drink more often...

[Yahweh]

Originally posted by PygmyPlaidGiraffe


wouldn't it be part and parcel of the job description to believe in God? A lot of employers in the interview process want to know what your philosophy is and try to determine if your philosophy is compatible with the "mission statement" of the organisation or corperation.
Hypothetical (but not unrealistic) Situation:
What if I applied to become a teacher at another highschool... oh lets say at a St. Mary's Highschool. I am a devout atheist but oh-ma-god I'm applying at a St. Mary's. If they turn me down because I dont have the proper religous beliefs, like articpenguin said I would have a pretty strong religious descrimination case to file against the school.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by billiefan2000
You forgot:

Once the rapture happens,you are out of a job and can retire.

The rapture already happened, moron. You were left behind.

[Max560]

Billiefan

I am just as upset by the pastors stance as you. The hypocracy and heresy of this man is shocking.

Of course, all will be set straight when he is devoured by Cthulhu.

[kittynh]

well, he's a Lutheran. According to my Catholic neighbor, he's burning. As for my Mormon friend, his only hope is if one of his children becomes a Mormon after he dies and makes him a Mormon after death (it can be done...cool I think)