Briefly,

1) I think priests should be the most powerful character in the game.
2) Most DM's whose campaigns I have observed don't actually require
meaningful limitations on priestly PC's. This is a ROLE-playing game.
Where is the sense of obligation, servitude toward higher powers or ideas
in many campaigns. Way too often the priest is a corpsmen administering
healing. I make my priests pay (in offerings, tithes, &c) for each spell
that does not directly further the gods central needs. Knocking off a few
goblins doesn't cut it. Devoted priests pay very infrequently, but have
their activities curtailed by their ethos, worldly priests cannot violate
their ethos, and pay to aid their treasure-hunting buddies.
3) Forces and Philosophies is not an easy way out. To recieve the spells
from a force, one must embrace the force, study its methods, same with a
philosophy.
4) Magic is a force. The barrier between mages and priests is artifical.
While I favor keeping the barrier up, there is no denying (within my
world-view) that mages are philosophers of the force of magic.
5) Once a mage learns a spell, passes the INT check, he knows the spell.
All he needs to do is study it and ta-da, a spell. The priest can have
spells withdrawn because of how he treated those prisoners, that blass
cast on that liar and fool, &c &c.

Mages are masters of magic.
Priests are servents of a higher power.

That distinction is key.
Kenneth Gauck
c558382@showme.missouri.edu