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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
blasphemy against the holy spirit	stacey	Monday, October 20, 2008
Question: Brother, I recently read an article by a charismatic preacher claiming that when we criticize some of the practices in the charismatic movement we are in danger of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Where does one draw the line between having a healthy skepticism of abuse of charismatic gifts and the potential for attributing a genuine work of the Holy Spirit as coming from a demonic source? When I went through the Charismatic movement myself I saw a lot of good, postive things but also observed way too many off-the-wall practices mainly involving prophesying and words of knowledge. I had several words of knowledge given to me that turned out to be blatantly false and prophecies that didn't come true. How can we be comfortable in trusting our discernment without stepping over the line and being in danger of blaspheming something that truly is coming from God? Do some of these leaders in the movement use this as a fear tactic to prevent discerning Christians from discovering and exposing false teachings?
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Stacey: Yes, some of these leaders use this sinful tactic of saying "agree with what we do or you are going to hell", which is what they are saying when they suggest one commits Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit (the unforgivable sin) when they criticize their practices. This is the arrogance often found in the Charismatic Renewal. It is not very Holy Spirit like. St. Paul tells us to TEST the spirits, to TEST the prophets, to TEST the teachers. A true spirit of God is not insulted because we test them to be sure they are of God. The Catholic Catechism states: 801 It is in this sense that discernment of charisms is always necessary. No charism is exempt from being referred and submitted to the Church's shepherds. "Their office [is] not indeed to extinguish the Spirit, but to test all things and hold fast to what is good," (1 Thess 5:12,19-21) so that all the diverse and complementary charisms work together "for the common good." (1 Cor 12:7) This arrogance of the Charismatic movement is borne of the subjective worldview and experiences (and ego) that dominate the movement -- not unlike the Church of Corinth in which St. Paul and Pope Clement I had to chastise them for their immaturity and arrogance stemming from their "charismatic" activities. Pope Benedict XVI, then Cardinal Ratzinger, refers to one of the central principles of the Catholic Worldview that needs to be remembered in the Charismatic Renewal in his "Foreword" to Cardinal Suenens book on Spiritual Warfare: First he (Cardinal Suenens) raises the basic question which is decisive for the fruitful growth of the Renewal. What is the relation between personal experience and the common faith of the Church? Both factors are important: a dogmatic faith unsupported by personal experience remains empty; mere personal experience unrelated to the faith of the Church remains blind. The isolation of experience constitutes a serious threat to true Christianity—a threat extending far beyond the Renewal movement. Even if this isolation has a "pneumatic" [spiritual] origin, it is the price that has to be paid for [it is the result that comes from] the empiricism [the notion that experience and the senses are the only, or the primary, source of knowledge] that dominates our time Such an isolation of experience is closely linked with the Fundamentalism that separates the Bible from the whole of salvation history and reduces it to an experience of self with no mediation whatsoever. It does justice neither to historical reality, nor to the breadth of the mystery of God. Here, too, the true answer lies in a comprehension of the Bible, in union with the whole Church, and not merely in an isolated historicist reading. All this shows once again that charism and institution overlap, and that what matters is not the "we" of the group but the great "we" of the Church of all times, which alone can provide the adequate and necessary framework, enabling us both to "hold on to what is good" and to "discern spirits." While subjective experiences and feelings are part of our humanity, it is reason that must guide those subjective experiences and feelings. When we use reason as the guide we can then evaluate the goodness or badness of something. The other problem in that charismatic preacher's word is that he apparently hasn't a clue to what is Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is the unforgivable sin because the person rejects the loving grace and mercy of God. One cannot be forgiven if they do not want the forgiveness. God is not going to force himself upon anyone. This sin is ultimately, therefore, is the sin of "final impenitence" -- the person dies rejecting God's grace. That is why it is unforgivable. Challenging or criticizing Charismatic practices does not even remotely fit the definition of Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. A Protestant minister, Tom Brown, gives a pretty good definition: Blasphemy against the Spirit is the absolute, permanent, hateful rejection of the gifts of the Holy Spirit with the motive to keep others from fully following Christ as well as to keep one's position of power. A person who has committed this sin has no desire for repentance, will divide the body of Christ, judge the salvation of others, and will ultimately die in this state. The Catholic Catechism says it this way: 1864 "Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven." (Mt 12:31; cf. Mk 3:29; Lk 12:10) There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who deliberately refuses to accept his mercy by repenting, rejects the forgiveness of his sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit. Such hardness of heart can lead to final impenitence and eternal loss. Where you draw the line is that when any preacher who says that we blaspheme the Holy Spirit because we criticize charismatic practices, run, do not walk, away from that man for he does not speak in the Spirit of God. For a detailed analysis of this issue see the essay, Charism Gifts Building Up the Church. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

blasphemy against the holy spirit

stacey

Monday, October 20, 2008

Question:

Brother, I recently read an article by a charismatic preacher claiming that when we criticize some of the practices in the charismatic movement we are in danger of blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

Where does one draw the line between having a healthy skepticism of abuse of charismatic gifts and the potential for attributing a genuine work of the Holy Spirit as coming from a demonic source?

When I went through the Charismatic movement myself I saw a lot of good, postive things but also observed way too many off-the-wall practices mainly involving prophesying and words of knowledge. I had several words of knowledge given to me that turned out to be blatantly false and prophecies that didn't come true.

How can we be comfortable in trusting our discernment without stepping over the line and being in danger of blaspheming something that truly is coming from God?

Do some of these leaders in the movement use this as a fear tactic to prevent discerning Christians from discovering and exposing false teachings?

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Stacey:

Yes, some of these leaders use this sinful tactic of saying "agree with what we do or you are going to hell", which is what they are saying when they suggest one commits Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit (the unforgivable sin) when they criticize their practices.

This is the arrogance often found in the Charismatic Renewal. It is not very Holy Spirit like. St. Paul tells us to TEST the spirits, to TEST the prophets, to TEST the teachers.

A true spirit of God is not insulted because we test them to be sure they are of God.

The Catholic Catechism states:

801 It is in this sense that discernment of charisms is always necessary. No charism is exempt from being referred and submitted to the Church's shepherds. "Their office [is] not indeed to extinguish the Spirit, but to test all things and hold fast to what is good," (1 Thess 5:12,19-21) so that all the diverse and complementary charisms work together "for the common good." (1 Cor 12:7)

This arrogance of the Charismatic movement is borne of the subjective worldview and experiences (and ego) that dominate the movement -- not unlike the Church of Corinth in which St. Paul and Pope Clement I had to chastise them for their immaturity and arrogance stemming from their "charismatic" activities.

Pope Benedict XVI, then Cardinal Ratzinger, refers to one of the central principles of the Catholic Worldview that needs to be remembered in the Charismatic Renewal in his "Foreword" to Cardinal Suenens book on Spiritual Warfare:

First he (Cardinal Suenens) raises the basic question which is decisive for the fruitful growth of the Renewal. What is the relation between personal experience and the common faith of the Church? Both factors are important: a dogmatic faith unsupported by personal experience remains empty; mere personal experience unrelated to the faith of the Church remains blind.
The isolation of experience constitutes a serious threat to true Christianity—a threat extending far beyond the Renewal movement. Even if this isolation has a "pneumatic" [spiritual] origin, it is the price that has to be paid for [it is the result that comes from] the empiricism [the notion that experience and the senses are the only, or the primary, source of knowledge] that dominates our time
Such an isolation of experience is closely linked with the Fundamentalism that separates the Bible from the whole of salvation history and reduces it to an experience of self with no mediation whatsoever. It does justice neither to historical reality, nor to the breadth of the mystery of God. Here, too, the true answer lies in a comprehension of the Bible, in union with the whole Church, and not merely in an isolated historicist reading.
All this shows once again that charism and institution overlap, and that what matters is not the "we" of the group but the great "we" of the Church of all times, which alone can provide the adequate and necessary framework, enabling us both to "hold on to what is good" and to "discern spirits."

While subjective experiences and feelings are part of our humanity, it is reason that must guide those subjective experiences and feelings.

When we use reason as the guide we can then evaluate the goodness or badness of something.

The other problem in that charismatic preacher's word is that he apparently hasn't a clue to what is Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is the unforgivable sin because the person rejects the loving grace and mercy of God. One cannot be forgiven if they do not want the forgiveness. God is not going to force himself upon anyone.

This sin is ultimately, therefore, is the sin of "final impenitence" -- the person dies rejecting God's grace. That is why it is unforgivable.

Challenging or criticizing Charismatic practices does not even remotely fit the definition of Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

A Protestant minister, Tom Brown, gives a pretty good definition:

Blasphemy against the Spirit is the absolute, permanent, hateful rejection of the gifts of the Holy Spirit with the motive to keep others from fully following Christ as well as to keep one's position of power. A person who has committed this sin has no desire for repentance, will divide the body of Christ, judge the salvation of others, and will ultimately die in this state.

The Catholic Catechism says it this way:

1864 "Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven." (Mt 12:31; cf. Mk 3:29; Lk 12:10) There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who deliberately refuses to accept his mercy by repenting, rejects the forgiveness of his sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit. Such hardness of heart can lead to final impenitence and eternal loss.

Where you draw the line is that when any preacher who says that we blaspheme the Holy Spirit because we criticize charismatic practices, run, do not walk, away from that man for he does not speak in the Spirit of God.

For a detailed analysis of this issue see the essay, Charism Gifts Building Up the Church.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.