Blasphemy "Challenge"?

Question

What is really the challenge in denying something that you don't believe exists?

1) Do they also not realize that there are Christians that were athiests before (visa-versa)?

2) They don't really give a reason to their statement "...and you should too." I mean why should I deny the Holy Sprirt just because someone says so?

3) Saying you deny the existence of Holy Spirit on You Tube doesn't condemn you eternally since you have not.

4) Why do also need to say "I'll see you in hell"? I do not plan on going to hell with you if you are going there. In fact I want to save people from this condemned place.

So many of you might be thinking well many of those who blasphemed were Christians (but what I wonder is if most were they involved Christians). Did they participate in their religion? Faith without works is dead. I am not trying to start an argument but rather a discussion, start typing your beliefs or take a side on this subject of the Blasphemy Challenge controversy

or post about the Challenge Blasphemy resopnders ad what you think about them.

By the way this challenge thing doesn't tick me off. It actually encourages me to want to do more an improve myself so that I can reach the hearts of others. I want to show them what I have received from God and Christianity. I love a good challenge.

I don't see where I say that you must join Christianity or go to hell anywhere in my text. I am not pushing anything through this discussion. It is interesting how believers nd non-believers like to start the discussion of forcing beliefs and such, this is why I normally avoid posting or answering in this section unless I know what I'm talking about.

Answer 1

A great thing about teenagers if that they have not developed critical thinking skills yet. That is why people try to get them in political debates and involved. Because they will follow blindly who ever hits the right strings in their heart. Most of the people on this "challenge" thing are these exact same teenagers. So don't put too much stock in what they say. They will grow up and hopefully think about what they say in the future.

B

Answer 2

1. Yup. There are also atheists who are now Taoists, Buddhists, Jews, Muslims, etc... minds change, and that is part of what makes us human. That statement isn't intended to be some huge revelation, is it?
2. How about this- "I don't believe in god, because I can't see him, and he refuses to show himself unreasonably." Is that good enough?
3. If someone denies the existence of a holy spirit on you tube, they have problems getting attention... this doesn't represent all atheists... you know as well as I do that no two humans are alike! You don't hear me accusing you of being like the Catholic priests, do you?
4. I don't buy the whole heaven hell thing. It sounds too convenient, and there really is no such thing as good and evil. Really. Five minutes of critical thinking outside your little book will tell you that. I'm sure your god won't mind that at all- he probably doesn't want a bunch of idiots who can't think for themselves crowding his space upstairs, now does he?
Blasphemy Challenge?

Dude- you are no judge of Christians. Especially if you're talking like this. The Christians I know talk about helping out in the community, and finding peace and love in Jesus. What's more they talk about it amongst themselves in a peaceful way, and they don't throw it in everyone else's face! You trying to "save" people by running down other people and their practices makes you look a lot like some tyrant with an all or nothing attitude. I don't think your god would want you doing this- you're making the other believers look bad.

Answer 3

"Saying you deny the existence of Holy Spirit on You Tube doesn't condemn you eternally since you have not."

Ah, but the Bible clearly says that anyone who denies the Holy Spirit will NEVER be forgiven. Jesus never added, "Unless you do it on Youtube." Does the Bible mean what it says, or does it mean what you say it should mean?

The whole idea is to prove that the Bible is a load of rubbish. Deny the Holy Spirit? Of course I do, the Holy Spirit is as imaginary as God, Jesus, the Tooth Fairy, and Santa Claus! It's as imaginary as the thousands upon thousands of other gods, goddesses, spirits, angels, demons, and other invisible entities that mankind has invented. I deny all of them, too, because they do not exist. Thousands of years of people believing in these things, and not a shred of tangible evidence exists for any of them. See? I say all these things and nothing bad happens to me. I will not go to hell, because hell does not exist, nor does heaven.

"So many of you might be thinking well many of those who blasphemed were Christians (but what I wonder is if most were they involved Christians). Did they participate in their religion? Faith without works is dead."

And the Bible also says that he who judges others will be judged in like manner. Why do you ignore your own Bible by being judgmental about others' beliefs? Could it be that YOU don't believe what it says any more than an atheist or agnostic?

Answer 4

You bring up a bunch of very good points. There are some "Christians" who are not really so, they think they are Christians because their family is, they attended (and slept through) a church service once, etc. Just because some calls themself something does not make it so. Some people calling themselves "Christians" have not accepted and submitted themselves to Christ, and do not live as He taught. I can call my self an airplane all day long if I want to, and go running down a runway at the airport flapping my arms, but I will never get airborne or otherwise be an airplane. I will probably end up in a padded room instead.

Answer 5

The unbelievers challenge of the existence of God does not come from the thoughts of the individual themselves per say, but from the strong refusal of Satan who "controls" their thought patterns and who is unyielding in every encounter, to give up his control of their soul. Their misguided thoughts are not their own. Dark forces surround them as they unwittingly yield themselves to the temptations of the world. They must be called by God and accept His gift of grace if they are to have a chance of breaking the "death grip" that Satan has on their minds. They must overcome the world. There is no other way! They may not be called by God in this age. Not everyody has at this time. God has His reasons. Only God knows when and who will come to be saved. Maybe in next age, after the Millennium rule in the Great White Throne judgment. That would be their last and only hope for their salvation.

Answer 6

The key is not why they do or don't, it is how they understand.
This is the key! Understanding!

I personally do not understand many things. However I may lean towards my own understanding, which can lead me to a form of ignorance. It also can lead me towards a form of Logic or Intelligence or Rationality, etc., etc., etc..

Does this understanding I have help me to help others. Maybe! Maybe not! But what it is, is my own understanding.

Now if I step outside of my own understanding and look towards another's understanding, will this enable me or disable me. For some the answer is yes! For others the answer is no!
Why?
If my answer was no, it is because I prefer my own understanding as the only way.
If my answer is yes, it is because I realized that my way is not the absolute way.

Does this make me stronger or weaker. For some it is a weakness, for others it is a strength.

The key to this whole issue is Understanding!

Answer 7

The challenge in the Blasphemy Challenge is to publicly state that you do not believe in God and Jesus, which is not a popular concept these days. Look at how nonbelievers are attacked on this forum (and believers are as well, I'm not saying they aren't). However, those of us who don't believe in Jesus are severely outnumbered in this country, so to stand up and say no, I don't believe this, does have some inherent risk and some things to fear.

)O(

Answer 8

I didn't know what the challenge was when I read your question, so I looked it up. It looks like nothing more than a stunt to get the DVD out into people's homes.

To imagine that a believer will deny God to get a DVD is ludicrous. I guess you might be able to snare some very, very young people, who know not what they do. But to be perfectly honest, I can't see even an atheist wasting their time just to get a cheap DVD, but it takes all kinds.

Answer 9

I believe that it has symbolic and therapeutic points. I know it has been neat for me to see the videos of other people who have come to similar conclusions. In a sense it aids a feeling of community and not aloneness that nonreligious people have been missing. Most of these people felt alone in the midst of religious people for a period of time and felt force to mouth things they didn't believe under threats of hellfire and probably even more importantly being socially ostracized. I think the stuff about Hell is that during the period they were starting to question but not yet sure the threats of hellfire were very psychologically damaging and threatening to their ability to be intellectual autonomous. I don't think these people are trying to get true believers to relinquish their faith. They are saying to others like themselves who feel pressured to be religious when their hearts and minds say something else, "hey, there are other people like yourself out here and its okay."

Answer 10

The point of people doing this - so that you can understand why.

For years they were cowed into submission. They were told that if they even dared to QUESTION their beliefs, they might be punished, not just with horrible events, but for eternity. That fear mindset damaged them.

Now that they've thought their way out of it, they want to stand up against that. It is especially vindicating to join with hundreds of others in standing up against that thing that opressed them for so long.

Like a black southerner burning a Dixie flag. Same kind of feeling.