Originally Posted by nroberts

That whole "Blaspheme the Holy Spirit" thing is the one passage that I really have a problem with in the teachings ascribed to Jesus. It isn't JUST that it seems unreasonable for a God to threaten never to forgive someone over blasphemy, but that he never once tells anyone what this holy spirit thing is. As such, nobody knows...as can be seen by the miriad definitions it's had through history. So you spend all your life going, "Oh no, is that blaspheming the Holy Spirit if I say that??"

It sets up a fear based upon an obscurity and thus renders the person that believes it forever in fear of being permanently brandished "unsavable". Quite frankly, that statement by Christ is probably the single most immoral thing I've ever heard of anyone saying.