Author: Correspondents
Publication: News.com.Au
Date: June 11, 2004
The Danish Lutheran minister who
proclaimed last year there was no God or afterlife was suspended for a
second time today for ignoring church orders not to repeat those beliefs
from the pulpit.
Helsingoer Bishop Lise-Lotte Rebel
suspended the Reverend Thorkild Grosboll, pastor of Taarbaek, and handed
his case to the government "requesting that it take the necessary steps".
In Denmark, Lutheran ministers are
employed by the state and only the government can fire them and only with
a recommendation from their presiding bishop.
Bishop Rebel oversees the diocese
that includes Taarbaek, a small town north of Copenhagen.
Reverend Grosboll has been under
Bishop Rebel's strict supervision since he first was suspended after a
May 2003 interview in which he said "there is no heavenly God, there is
no eternal life, there is no resurrection".
About 85 per cent of Danes belong
to the state Evangelical Lutheran Church, though only a small number attend
church services regularly.
R Reverend Grosboll eventually retracted
his statement and apologised for what Bishop Rebel had termed "provocative"
remarks. His suspension was lifted.
Yet, he repeated those beliefs in
past weeks.
"I expected he would change his
mind," the bishop said in a statement today.
Reverend Grosboll "again has spoken
in a strongly provocative, hurting and confusing way", Bishop Rebel said.
She cited an undated but recent
sermon in which Reverend Grosboll allegedly said, "God had abdicated in
favour of his son, hence in our favour. Therefore there is no longer a
heavenly guarantee or an interfering might, there is only the godly kingdom
(on earth) that is achieved by us and between us. So if it fails, there
is nothing".
The sermon was "clearly incompatible
with the state church's faith", the bishop said.
Bishop Rebel concluded that Reverend
Grosboell "had disregarded the state church's basis for belief, undermined
his duty's respect and confidence, disregarded the official order (and)
caused a deep confusion about the state church".
Reverend Grosboll responded by saying
he was puzzled.
"Basically, I can only say that
I still don't understand what she means and talks about," he said, adding
there was "nothing concrete" in her order. He did not deny giving the sermon.
The Associated Press
