Non-believing priest

Originally posted by telerion
Actually I think any of the three options you've listed could be compatible with theism. In fact, I think one could hold any union of these postions as well and still be a theist since (c) is a refinement of (b) which itself is a refinement of (a).

a) "I do not know with certainty that God exists. Instead, I believe by faith that he does."

b) "H ...[text shortened]...
Given this, I don't see how it really matters which definition of these three Rob picks.

Actually, it matters if we are to discuss whether the only honest theist is an agnostic theist.

e.g. Suppose he chooses (c). Then all theists who believe that we can someday know to a certainty (a term that needs qualification in itself!) that God exists are not honest (dishonest?). Now why does he say that? If it is because they believe that we can someday know a truth that we do not know yet, then wouldn't the physicist who believes we will someday discover a GUT or the researcher who believes we will someday discover a cure for AIDS also be non-honest?

Originally posted by nickybutt
Therefor everyone also pay church taxes (1% of the income), even if you don't believe in God.

Well, actually only the members of the church pay church tax, many (most?) Danes are members of the “state church” simply because they were baptized per wish of their parents as infants. To save the church tax you simply state that you do not wish to be a member of the State Church, naturally people of other religions or those who were not baptized have never paid any church tax.
Besides from the voluntary church tax Denmark has complete and absolute separation of church and state…

Originally posted by CK
Well, actually only the members of the church pay church tax, many (most?) Danes are members of the “state church” simply because they were baptized per wish of their parents as infants. To save the church tax you simply state that you do not wish to be a member of the State Church, naturally people of other religions or those who were not baptized have never pai ...[text shortened]... rom the voluntary church tax Denmark has complete and absolute separation of church and state…

Are you sure? I have a friend who works in the Ministry of Church, and she said that it is mandatory. I know that if you're not a member you don't pay the actual church tax (the one that is specified on your tax-card), but that your normal income tax is increased with 1% instead. I remeber checking with my wife's tax-card (she's a member), and her's was 1% lower, so I took it for granted.
I know this doesn't have much validity, so I should probably check it further out.

Originally posted by nickybutt
Are you sure? I have a friend who works in the Ministry of Church, and she said that it is mandatory. I know that if you're not a member you don't pay the actual church tax (the one that is specified on your tax-card), but that your normal income tax is increased with 1% instead. I remeber checking with my wife's tax-card (she's a member), and her's w ...[text shortened]... granted.
I know this doesn't have much validity, so I should probably check it further out.

I'm sure, look here (in Danish):
http://www.familieadvokaten.dk/Emner/673.html

I really should go resign as a member of the church, I have just never gotten around to it, anyway I don't really mind paying for the maintenance and upkeep of the church buildings...

Originally posted by CK
I'm sure, look here (in Danish):
http://www.familieadvokaten.dk/Emner/673.html

I really should go resign as a member of the church, I have just never gotten around to it, anyway I don't really mind paying for the maintenance and upkeep of the church buildings...

I stand corrected!
However moving along the same argument as earlier, I am convinced that the maintenance of the churces is paid by the state. The church tax is only for the wages for the priests, and building and maintenance of the parsonages (præstegårdene, right translated?). And general expences in relevance with service (gudstjeneste, translation?) .

Originally posted by nickybutt
I stand corrected!
However moving along the same argument as earlier, I am convinced that the maintenance of the churces is paid by the state. The church tax is only for the wages for the priests, and building and maintenance of the pars ...[text shortened]... expences in relevance with service (gudstjeneste, translation?) .

I found the state budget:
http://www.oes-cs.dk/bevillingslove/doctopic?book=BEVPUBL.FL05T&topic=22&searchtype=3
§ 22 Kirkeministeriet [228]
Mio. kr...................Nettotal ... Udgift ... Indtægt
Udgiftsbudget ..... 516,9 ..... 956,7 ... 439,8

Not being educated in economics like you, it looks to me like the state pays a great deal of money to the church.
Whether it is $150 millions or $75 millions doesn't really matters, everyone pays.

Edit: crappy spelling and layout

Originally posted by nickybutt
There is in Denmark a huge debate right now, about a priest in the state church. He has publicly announced that he doesn't believe in God. First he was set on probation until his priesthood had been investigated by the clergy court, but now he has been reinstated as a priest because of public pressure from his parish, where he is very popular.
What do you think, should he be allowed to become a priest, even though he doesn't believe in God?

Of course he should not be able to be a priest.

Originally posted by nickybutt
I found the state budget:
http://www.oes-cs.dk/bevillingslove/doctopic?book=BEVPUBL.FL05T&topic=22&searchtype=3
§ 22 Kirkeministeriet [228]
Mio. kr...................Nettotal ... Udgift ... Indtægt
Udgiftsbudget ..... 516,9 ..... 956,7 ... 439,8

Not being educated in economics like you, it looks to me like the state pays a great deal of money to ...[text shortened]... ions or $75 millions doesn't really matters, everyone pays.

Edit: crappy spelling and layout

That looks like a bad budget deficit; however the state does not automatically cover the missing millions in the church budget…
It also seems that “folkekirken” is allowed some transactions in the money-market (ie. Loans). By the way I also have a friend who works in the Ministry of Church (she works as a student employee), small country…

In regards to the maintenance of the churches at least some of it comes from the state church’s own budget:

22.31. Kirker og kirkegårde
01. Forskellige kirker og kirkegårde (Driftsbev.) ............. 3,3
03. Istandsættelse af kirker m.v. (Anlægsbev.) ................ 18,0

Anyway in regards to Thorkild Grosbøll, he never really said that he didn’t believe in god (God) in any form or shape, did he? I had the idea the he just didn’t believe in the exact same doctrine as the official church. I could be wrong though as I don’t really care about this or that meaningless superstition and haven’t really followed the matter closely…