Dutch Church Retains Atheist Pastor

The Protestant Church of the Netherlands decided on 5 February 2010 to retain an atheist pastor. Pastor Klaas Hendrikse came under investigation by the church after the publication of his book "Believing in a God Who Does Not Exist: Manifesto of an Atheist Pastor". The Church came to the conclusion that his atheist views do NOT differ fundamentally from those of other liberal theologians within the Protestant Church of the Netherlands and therefore did not fire him.

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• pastor
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• nederlandse
• kerk
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• netherlands
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• faith
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• christianity
• atheism

[TheSolaris810]

Klaas Hendricks is on to a good thing. Having won on a legality to remain as a pastor, he is on a steady income from the very Church whose core Christian beliefs he is preaching against. Lacking charisma, he does not appear to have the intellect, the balls, and probably not the finance to build his own church and pay himself a steady income. He is a hypocrite, a coward and a fraud happy with his Christian income and a nice Christian pension to look forward to.

[wimsweden]

@TheSolaris810

I don't think your argument holds. Hendrikse is not alone in this. In fact, a recent survery of pastors in the same Church of the Netherlands showed that 1 in 6 pastors see themselves as either atheist or agnostic.

[hoeck2008]

This fool is the walking definition of an oxy moron. You can't be the pastor of a church and an atheist. Its ok though he will get his just reward on judgement day.

[wimsweden]

@hoeck2008

A threat by proxy. Nice.

[RegulusPure]

His face is creepy.

[frankherman3]

This man is a living paradox. He does not believe in God, but is defending the very existence of the church! You can go so many places where people does not believe in God, or as he describes go to a rcafé to be spiritually filled without the prejudice of the bible or any other religion. The paradox is this, why doesn't he leave the church to follow his dreams instead of being stuck in a place where he obviously doesn't belong. Is it simply that he wants the tradition and his salary..?

[teahouse100]

Of course Pastor Klaas is entitled to his opinion, but he appears to hold traditionalist sympathies - not genuine Christian ones.

I'm a Protestant, I don't believe in God because I fear hell. The concept is not so black and white, and most Christians know this. Jesus taught about a loving God after all. Personally I believe in God because I feel his Grace and I really can't see a world without Him. Pastor Klaas should visit a church North America or outside the hyper-secularized Netherlands.

[TheSolaris810]

@TheSolaris810

Its like an employee saying to his/her employer: "I am happy to get paid but dont expect me to work for you or abide by the terms and conditions of my contract which I had to sign before you I got on your pay-roll".

[TheSolaris810]

@wimsweden

I saw the same BBC documentary. Then, like Hendrickse, 1 in every 6 pastors is a hypocrite, coward and fraud happy with their Christian income & Christian pension to look forward to. Hendrickse is the most egotistical of the lot attaining celebrity status. Would an Iman say he doesnt believe in Muhammad and Allah? Would a Buddhist say that Buddha did not exist? But these pastors are allowed to preach in! Church that God & Christ do not exist. Why not build their own church? ££

[Coby50]

Al met al was ik binnen 20 minuten veilig thuis. Ik heb alle bocht en vrachtautoos nog dagen gezien en ik wist dat dit geen toeval kon zijn. Ik heb de engelenwacht, waar we voor gebeden hadden, voor ik weg reed, zeker gehad. God heeft mij wel degelijk beschermd. Klaas, als je dit leest, je hebt het helemaal mis. Echt jongen. Hij bestaat wel degelijk. En ik heb nog veel meer van dit soort voorbeelden (getuigenissen), want Hij heeft me heel wat keren het leven gered. Jezus is de enige weg tot God.

[Coby50]

Het was 15.30 dus net voor de spits. Het had een giga file kunnen worden. Men laadde mijn auto met de neus erop en bracht hem veilig in een vluchtstrook. Meteen daarna stopte er een werkauto met bezems, sop en zand voor de olie en men begon de weg schoon te maken. Ik sloot de auto af en bracht de telefoonterug. De politie kwam, maar reed gewoon door, omdat het allemaal goed ging. Geen gevaar voor file dus en geen moeilijk vragen. Er stopte weer een autootje, waar ik een lift van kreeg.