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%UNFORGIVABLE SINS 761129
Legalists promote the notion that there are
unforgivable sins; certain acts which if committed even
once are so damaging to a person that the effects of the
act are eternal. Such a notion tends to be used to
prevent actions which people are most strongly motivated
to engage in---sexual acts. Because of the strength of
the God-given sexual instincts, legalists must resort to
ultimate threats in their efforts to inhibit the
expression of those instincts. They threaten those who
will not conform to their prescriptions regarding sexual
behavior---to eternal damnation --- presumably at the hand
of the God who used sexual instincts to insure the
survival of his most nobel creatures. Experience offers
abundant evidence of the futility of trying to
legalistically control sexual behavior. The technique of
the ultimate threat is not effective in a helpful way. In
fact, there are very strong suggestions that the use of
the technique of the ultimate threat is what is really
responsible for most of the violence associated with human
sexual frustrations; in war, in prisons, in schools, in
rape, in child molestations, etc. The violence is a
response to the violence of the ultimate threat against
the sexual nonconformist who will not behave as the
legalist would require.
Christians often resort to the technique of the
ultimate threat. This is ironic and tragic in that their
namesake clearly indicated that there is only one
unforgivable sin---blaspheming the holy spirit. Why is
that sin unforgivable? Because the nature of the sin is
to reject forgiveness which the holy spirit continually
offers! The holy spirit will not force forgiveness upon
the person who is unwilling to accept it. Forgiveness is
not forgiveness without the acceptance of the forgiveness
on the part of the forgiven person. The person who
blasphemes the holy spirit is thereby rejecting
forgiveness, and the holy spirit respects that rejection.
The one unforgivable sin is unforgivable in order that
there might be human freedom---including the freedom to
reject forgiveness and choose damnation. Damnation is
chosen, not imposed as a punishment. Technocrats choose
damnation when they blaspheme the holy spirit's charity.
(c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in
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