A RESPONSE FOR DENIAL DENIERS

 In the video for "The Blasphemy Challenge" we read this quote, "...but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences." (Mark 3:29 NLT)

We then watch as the following words appear - "If You Deny the Power or Existence Of The Holy Spirit You Are Damned To Hell FOREVER"

We see a brief example of someone denying the existence of the Holy Spirit, and then we are challenged to "Commit the Unforgivable Sin"!!!

Only one slight problem. It strikes those of us who've actually finished Chapter 3 of the Gospel of Mark (if not the whole Chapter then at-least-through-the-very-next-verse) as odd, does it not, that our atheist friends may have actually convinced themselves that they've committed an unforgivable sin?

Allow me to explain:

Mark, Chapter 3, Verse 30 - "He told them this because they were saying, 'He's possessed by an evil spirit.'"

Hmm...so the context in which this arises is basically this, Jesus is casting out demons and the people around him do not know how to react to him, they are beside themselves with fear. Some of the religious leaders, to account for Jesus' behavior, then accuse Jesus of being possessed himself by an evil spirit. Jesus then asks them the famous question, "How can Satan cast out satan?" and warns them not to blaspheme the Holy Spirit........not to blaspheme the Holy Spirit.......so wait. Jesus is saying, "I do have a spirit in me, and those of you who curse the spirit within me and call it evil (i.e. they said he was possessed by an evil spirit) are bordering on an action that has definitive eternal consequences. If you actually convince yourself that the spirit within me (Jesus) is evil, then you are sending yourself to hell."

Well now here's the problem with all of this - Jesus does not tell them that denying the existence of the Holy Spirit will damn them to hell, he tells them that accusing the Holy Spirit of being an evil spirit will damn you to hell. ("He told them this (that they were committing an unforgivable sin) because they were saying, 'He's possessed by an evil spirit.'" But how can you accuse something that does not exist of being evil?

(1) Accusing the Holy Spirit of being a spirit of evil is an unforgivable sin.

(2) In order to accuse something of being evil - the object of your accusation must be real.

(3) You deny the existence of the Holy Spirit, therefore,

(4) You cannot accuse the Holy Spirit of being evil (anymore than you could accuse the flying spaghetti monster of being evil)

(5) Since you cannot accuse the Holy Spirit of being evil because it does not exist,

(6) You have not committed the unforgivable sin.

In order to actually make the Blasphemy Challenge legit, you must first come to the conclusion that the Holy Spirit exists, and then, once you've reached that conclusion, you must convince yourself that it is an evil spirit.

So to those of you who've actually taken this challenge, you can rest peacefully now - you have not committed the unforgivable sin - whew, right?

Sincerely,

    - Skeptnick