February 6, 2007
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The Blasphemy Challenge
I was trying to catch up on some news and came across this article about “The Blasphemy Challenge.” This guy who goes by “Brian” has apparently dedicated his life to denying the existence of God and encouraging others to do the same. In Decemeber, he issued a challenge for people to make videos of themselves, denying, denouncing or blaspheming the Holy Spirit, and then post them on YouTube. According to this January 30th ABC newsarticle, more than 800 people have taken up the challenge, making their own videos and denying Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Wondering if this was really for real, I, of course, looked it up. I found this ‘promo’ video on youtube along with the many, many responses. I guess it’s one thing to know that there are so many walking around not believing in God’s exisitence, but it’s a whole nother thing to see and hear them with my own eyes and ears proclaiming so flippantly that they do not believe… with a misplaced ‘lighthearted’ quip, ”See you in hell!” It really gave me a reality check to see these faces making those declarations.
What’s the reason? I believe it’s pure defiance. They are using a passage in Mark 3:29 which says, “whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.” They are making their stands: “I don’t believe in God and here’s how much I don’t believe Him – I am willing to ‘do’ even what I believe is the unforgiveable. I defy this ‘nonexistent God’ to pour his wrath on me.” This is how much they don’t believe in God! They have no fear of any consequence, any wrath or any punishment. The full purport of that reality is slowly being driven home in me… :/ It’s a good kind of reality check – albeit very heartbreaking.
Watch some of these vids. Tell me what you think.
p.s. i’m not sure if denying the Holy Spirit is the unpardonable sin. don’t people do that everyday from the moment they are born all the way up until they accept/receive the Holy Spirit? (and when they do so, they are forgiven.) in the context of the passage, it seems more likely that the ‘unpardonable sin’ is attributing to satan what the power of the Holy Spirit has done (i.e. the miracles which authenticate who Jesus is). that’s what the pharisees were doing when Jesus made this comment. what do you think?
Edit: I was looking at some more YouTube and realized that a lot of discussion has been generated from this challenge. Discussion is good. At least that means people are thinking about this…
Comments (5)
Hi, I didn’t see the article, but it was on I think 20/20 last week. The guy also says he used to be a Christian. It really did sadden my heart to hear and also sadden even more to hear the hate mail/calls he’s been receiving instead of being loving.
Strauss had once explained the passage of denying of the holy spirit. He said that it’s unpardonable because it is the holy spirit that witness Jesus Christ and His work of salvation and soften people’s heart. If people reject the holy spirit, then essentially there’s no way they can be saved. That’s why is unpardonable. So…that’s what I learned.
especially like the note that you added (the EDIT part). there is hope yet.
regarding Mark 3:29…its interesting b/c when you look at Mark 3:28 it says all sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them, and v.29 says “but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.” kinda contradictory sounding.
anyways, from a biblestudy discussion, we talked about how the word blasphemes (v.29) is in the present tense, and is a verb–implying that it is continually being done in the present–so, in addition to what kanfood says…since they (the scribes, in context) are continually thinking that Jesus is possessed by satan, thus Jesus is NOT the way to forgiveness, then they will continue to reject Jesus and will never ask Jesus for forgiveness (to receive eternal life)–hence, eternal sin.
hmm, but i’m kinda using holy spirit and Jesus interchangeably…*ponders*
Heh, the Blasphemy Challenge was hilarious(ly) pitiful.
Something I overheard last week regarding this:
“I’m not convinced that one can even do this now. It’s not related to doubt and disbelief, but rather to an intimate intellectual and emotional knowledge of God and a personal and purposeful rejection. It’s kinda like why Satan can’t be forgiven. A creature who has no doubt whatsoever about who and what God is and still rejects Him isn’t doing so out of doubt or disbelief. It’s a deliberate informed chosen separation.” -Redneck Crow
That is really sad.
RYC- good point about the look of my site. I’m hoping that with it looking different that my ex’s wife will not be able to find me and will stop harassing me. That is funny that you know Alex! I met him through his roommate whom I dated for a short time. What a small world