Check out this video of Brian Flemming’s appearance on Fox News. John Kasich is more or less unhinged about people whom he identifies as “children” making videos of themselves commiting the ultimate sin (Matthew 12:31-32).
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As with others who are put off by the Blasphemy Challenge, Mr. Kasich is upset about the “children” who have elected to participate of their own violation. I think that’s what got some of the naysayers so ticked off about the whole deal. It really ticks them off that there’s a generation coming up who aren’t afraid no ghost. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to convince someone to believe one’s bullshit story if the target giggles about the main characters, eh?
Of course it also brings up something a lot of Christians tend to gloss over. The Unforgivable Sin. If one truly believes that the Bible is in the undisputed Word of God ™ whose various laws and regulations apply to all for all time, Jesus ain’t the sweetheart they pretend he is.
I cannot off the top of my head think of one human who has stated “I’ll forgive anything but trash talking. Rape, murder, kidnapping, child abuse, genocide, theft and all manner of violent behaviour – I’ll forgive those trespasses, but talking trash about my cousin? I’m going to torture your ass for eternity over it!”. Seriously, it takes a rather ugly disposition to desire to punish someone for eternity for such a “crime”.
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Well actually, these teenagers are not blaspheming the Holy Spirit. I know that perhaps some fundamentalists without a good grasp hermeneutics might think that this is what is happening, but if one looks closely at the context of the saying, one will see that only one who believes in God and can blaspheme the Holy Spirit. Exactly what this means is difficult. But most interpreters will say that this sin is for a believer in God to call an action of God or the Holy Spirit the action of Satan or Demons, ie. identifying God and the Holy Spirit with evil.
Like many athiests this takes a common and uninformed interpertation of faith and uses it to criticizes faith. Philosophicaly that is the falisy of the Strawman.
One last comment, Ya, Jesus is not and was not milktoast, and really in my experienced it is the rare fundamentalist that tries to make Jesus out to be a “sweetheart”. Christianity really is more robust and complex than this little tempest in a teacup suggests.
This grandstanding on Fox really has little if anything to do with actually Christianity, though uninformed Christians may be caught up in the hysteria this sort of thing tries to produce.
Actually I agree with you to some extent. “I deny the Holy Spirit” is, to my way of thinking as a former Baptist, an incomplete statement. However, I disagree with your statement that only Christians can commit this alleged sin.
In context the announcement of this unforgivable sin is in direct response to the expressions of hostile, but positive disbelief by non-Christians told of his deeds.
If anything, this “sin” seems to be a response by the early leaders to blunt criticism of their beliefs and that it applies to all who would question the truthfulness of Christianity regardless of their personal beliefs.
That said, I find your criticism of the atheists involved in the Challenge a bit dishonest. If I understand you correctly, you’ve admitted that the belief the involved atheists are responding to is a common belief amongst Christians. One which you think is wrong. Should you not be out criticizing those Christians instead?
What you’re doing here seems to be like me chastising Christians for mocking some of the weird things some atheists do state about the Bible (ie, it’s all lies from start to finish.)
Correction I said “bliever in God” not Christian. In fact to apply Christian to anyone in the Gospels is an anachronism the whole story is about Israelites, Jews, Hebrews that is the Chosen people of God. The pharisees who accuse Jesus are not un-believers in the sense atheists are. For clarity, Atheism or the denial of God is not to my understanding the “Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit”. I would also argue that you can’t commit that sin unwittingly. But that is my interpretation of the text in question. I find no evidence in the text for your particular interpretation of the text, so we disagree on how to understand that text. Which to me only reinforces my point: the text and concept being used is unclear and open to interpretation, thus and Christians themselves have disagreed over the meaning of the text and what Jesus might have meant.
As for criticizing the atheists my only criticism is that they have chosen an easy target and don’t seem to acknowledge that there are more robust forms of Christianity. Other than that I have no issue with this Christians target teens why shouldn’t atheists.
Also, if you know me and read my blog you would know that I do criticise those Christians as well, and I had meant my last sentnce as criticism of John Kasich and fox. I felt the interviewee handled himself admirably.
Lastly I think you should chastize Christians who argue against and or mock atheist based on weird things some atheists assert.
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