A long, drawn-out conflict within the Protestant Church in the Netherlands (PCN) has come to an end. An atheist vicar is allowed to carry on preaching after all.
Yes, indeed, a vicar who does not believe in God. And what's more: the church, which has millions of followers in the Netherlands, has agreed to hold a debate on who or what God actually is, writes Maurice Laparlière.
I grew up in the same area where the vicar in question, Klaas Hendrikse, preaches. I attended a similar church. To me, God was a man with a long beard sitting on a throne. He saw everything and even knew what I was thinking. Jesus was his son and my good friend. I could tell him everything. Every week in church, I heard complicated stories and long sermons. God and Jesus were both pretty cool, but you had to watch out: at the end of my life they would decide whether I had led a good life. Apparently a lot has changed in 25 years.
Throne
Vicar Klaas Hendrikse doesn't believe in the man with a beard on a throne in heaven. I spoke to him and asked him whether they might be any chance of God manifesting himself right there where we stood, out on the street. His response: "Well, for that we wouldn't even have had to go outside. Something could even happen between you and me, to which we would later link the name 'God'. Our hearts could open up to one another. What I believe to be God is a human experience."
Klaas Hendrikse is certainly not the first person in the Netherlands to say that God lives on earth, amongst the people and not in heaven. That God is a mixture of wonder, inspiration, a helping hand, a sick person who accepts he will not be cured or a man that asks his wife at the breakfast table how she is.
Spinoza
Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza had a similar message back in the 17th century, which made him famous. But Spinoza and his followers were not men of the cloth like Klaas Hendrikse - who's also referred to sometimes as a vegetarian butcher.
It is remarkable that Mr Hendrikse has finally been given the green light to stay on as vicar. He is, after all, an atheist. He's also become something of a phenomenon since his book Believing in a God That Doesn't Exist, was published. Busloads of believers and non-believers have travelled to hear his sermons in the city of Middelburg, capital of the coastal province of Zeeland.
Yes, indeed, a vicar who does not believe in God. And what's more: the church, which has millions of followers in the Netherlands, has agreed to hold a debate on who or what God actually is, writes Maurice Laparlière.
I grew up in the same area where the vicar in question, Klaas Hendrikse, preaches. I attended a similar church. To me, God was a man with a long beard sitting on a throne. He saw everything and even knew what I was thinking. Jesus was his son and my good friend. I could tell him everything. Every week in church, I heard complicated stories and long sermons. God and Jesus were both pretty cool, but you had to watch out: at the end of my life they would decide whether I had led a good life. Apparently a lot has changed in 25 years.
Throne
Vicar Klaas Hendrikse doesn't believe in the man with a beard on a throne in heaven. I spoke to him and asked him whether they might be any chance of God manifesting himself right there where we stood, out on the street. His response: "Well, for that we wouldn't even have had to go outside. Something could even happen between you and me, to which we would later link the name 'God'. Our hearts could open up to one another. What I believe to be God is a human experience."
Klaas Hendrikse is certainly not the first person in the Netherlands to say that God lives on earth, amongst the people and not in heaven. That God is a mixture of wonder, inspiration, a helping hand, a sick person who accepts he will not be cured or a man that asks his wife at the breakfast table how she is.
Spinoza
Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza had a similar message back in the 17th century, which made him famous. But Spinoza and his followers were not men of the cloth like Klaas Hendrikse - who's also referred to sometimes as a vegetarian butcher.
It is remarkable that Mr Hendrikse has finally been given the green light to stay on as vicar. He is, after all, an atheist. He's also become something of a phenomenon since his book Believing in a God That Doesn't Exist, was published. Busloads of believers and non-believers have travelled to hear his sermons in the city of Middelburg, capital of the coastal province of Zeeland.
Devil
Of course, not everyone is keen on the vicar. Strong criticism has mainly come from the conservative part of the church. Some orthodox believers say the devil has got into him. Others say they are deeply hurt by this 'attack on their belief'.
Mr Hendrikse says he doesn't want to take God away from anyone, and that his true message is often lost in all the fuss. He says, don't pray to be cured from an incurable disease, but pray to have the strength to see life positively.
The Protestant Church in the Netherlands is losing members. Mr Hendrikse thinks that every week about 1,000 people decide to leave the church. He says church leaders are completely ignoring this signal: "You can't keep telling the same stories your whole life, because everyone changes. No adult believes in the same way as he did when he was a toddler, or teenager."
Of course, not everyone is keen on the vicar. Strong criticism has mainly come from the conservative part of the church. Some orthodox believers say the devil has got into him. Others say they are deeply hurt by this 'attack on their belief'.
Mr Hendrikse says he doesn't want to take God away from anyone, and that his true message is often lost in all the fuss. He says, don't pray to be cured from an incurable disease, but pray to have the strength to see life positively.
The Protestant Church in the Netherlands is losing members. Mr Hendrikse thinks that every week about 1,000 people decide to leave the church. He says church leaders are completely ignoring this signal: "You can't keep telling the same stories your whole life, because everyone changes. No adult believes in the same way as he did when he was a toddler, or teenager."
Higher goal
The church leadership has not only decided that Mr Hendrikse may carry on preaching for two more years until he reaches retirement. It has also decided to hold a debate on the exact role of God in everyday life later this year. Something that has never been done before. As a result Mr Hendrikse says his highest goal has been attained.
Research by Amsterdam's VU University shows that one in six vicars in the Netherlands no longer believe in God in the traditional way. Up and down the country pews are emptying, meanwhile buses keep on pulling up outside Klaas Hendrikse's church.
The church leadership has not only decided that Mr Hendrikse may carry on preaching for two more years until he reaches retirement. It has also decided to hold a debate on the exact role of God in everyday life later this year. Something that has never been done before. As a result Mr Hendrikse says his highest goal has been attained.
Research by Amsterdam's VU University shows that one in six vicars in the Netherlands no longer believe in God in the traditional way. Up and down the country pews are emptying, meanwhile buses keep on pulling up outside Klaas Hendrikse's church.
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PC IN THE NETHERLANDS....ARE YOU NUTS?
Yeah, but when you die, i bet you call on someone? Oh yeah, what was his name, GOD!
What the atheist vicar has done follows a logical conclusion. It shows what really happens when you use your brain to think for yourself. Today's sky gods become as impossible as the rest of the gods who are no longer believed in.
Societies may some day replace religion with secular morality, without the dogma of religion. Not one person, Christians included, would choose to live by the standards of old testament morality. If one doesn't know old testament morality, they should read the old testament.
The Old Testament was neccessary (and is beautifully written) because it points all the time towards the coming of Jesus Christ. When Christ eventually came through His birth and later died on the Cross, the Old Testament was fulfilled. the laws is now written on our hearts and not on stone tablets anymore. It makes us WANT to obey the law - the 10 commandments. It helps us to be aspire to be good (It is golden boundaries if I may use poetic words) We need the boundaries just like we need rules in sporting events. If there are no boundaries, there are no freedom................
Whatis "secular morality"? Just curious about your definition.
'Whatis "secular morality"?"........Doing whatever makes one feel good regardless who is affected or gets hurt.
"The church leadership has not only decided that Mr Hendrikse may carry on preaching for two more years until he reaches retirement. It has also decided to hold a debate on the exact role of God in everyday life later this year."......It is very easy to see why the "Protestant Church in the Netherlands is losing members." Why do you need to debate "on the exact role of God in everyday life" when Christ has already shown G-d's exact role in the Christian's every day life. { If one is a Christian, one should not see or seek G-d in every particle in the Universe but within himself/herself. Debating the teachings of Christ, especially when His roadmap to spirtual enlightment (Light), has already been mapped is dangerous to the spiritual life of a Christian. The Dutch church and nation departed Christ's roadmap a long time ago and now they are lost. They believe that G-d's teachings of morality and spiritual enlightment of Christ's time is no longer applicable in their modern day lives of abortions, homsexuality, illegal drug usage. { G-d is a human experience. It is constant interaction between the Creator and His creation. You were created by Him in order to have an interpersonal relationship with Him.
10 out of 10 for you Hiram!!
Is it Gid, Gad, Ged, Gud, Gyd or God? Grow up!
Klaas Hendrikse is a true believer in my view. It is Hindu philosphy to see God in every particle and person...He is not an atheist but a spiritual guide. I am impressed.
Then Klaas Hendrikse should become a teacher/preacher in the Hindu religion.
If you are a Christian the belief is that God came to live between us in the person of Jesus Christ. If you do not believe that, then you are not a Christian. You cannot call yourself a Christian, but you are invited to investigate further into the Christian faith. And you are invited to go to heaven - but you have to accept the invitation and know the WAY to get there. The only way to find the WAY is to start knowing Jesus Christ because He is the WAY. There is no short cuts to heaven. Only one road....
Paula,
Evolution is fact (or at least as factual as we can get) while creation is a myth. Spirituality may soothe the heart but only science can answer the potent questions posed by our minds. I think Christianity (and Islam) needs to evolve beyond dogmas and absolutes. Christianity also needs to embrace science more and more (to a certain extent, the Roman Catholic church officially accepts evolution).
Please see my comment to Frederick below.
My Roman Catholic vicar in the Netherlands doesn't believe in a literal translation of the scripture. In his opinion, the Bible shouldn't be viewed as history. The moment I heard this, I said to myself "now, here's someone who thinks like I do. I'll keep going to the church where he preaches." Actually, I tend to think that, like me, he doesn't believe in the existence of the God described in the Bible.
Now that what Hendrikse believes and preaches doesn't reflect the doctrine of the church, he should be fired.
So many of the clergy have decided Evolution, changes in response to the environment, not the unseen Creator (NOT an old man with a white beard, incidentally), are responsible for their existence and the intellectual capacity which permits them to reason away the source of their creation. Scientists tell us that humans utilize only 10% of our intellectual capacity. Then, if we evolved in response to environment, why do we have 90% more intellectual capacity than we need?
Paula keep going. You make sense!
Paula - You are wrong on nearly every count. Evolution is a proven theory (learn some science) in direct conflict with the creation myth. Scientists do NOT tell us (again, learn some science) that we use only 10% of our intellectual capacity. This has been as thoroughly debunked as the creation myth. Your inaccurate assumptions make your final argument mute. Oh, did I mention? Learn some science.
Frederick, I hate to tell you this, but evolution is NOT a proven theory. If it was, it would a law (like the law of thermodynamics, or the law of gravity). Theories by definition are not proven. Evolution, or Darwinism is a theory of origin, creation science/intelligent design is a theory of origin as well. Both are backed my an enormous amount of scientific research, and each theory has big name proponents.
Secondly, I've learned quite a bit of science. Did you know that the theory of evolution does not even fit the definition of what evolutionists call "science" (empirically speaking)? According to those who hold to evolution, 'science' is defined as something that is observable, testable, repeatable and governed only by natural law. Since noone has ever observed macro-evolution (one type of life becoming another), or the spontaneous existence of life from non living matter, evolution, by the evolutionist's own definition, is not science at all. So many more logical, reasonable, and educated arguments could be made, but it boils down to this: BOTH Creationism and Evolution require a certain amount of faith.
WOW! Thanks
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