Ever since the internet became the place to be for social interaction, many have utilized it to make certain things known or to promote causes. Sometimes, said certain things and causes are attached with some sort of interaction such as the ALS ice bucket challenge . Other times, interaction become viral but don’t actually have any true purpose, such as planking, owling, or the Harlem Shake . Whatever the reasons may be, these became very popular.
Now there is an old challenge which has seen a reemergence recently. The thing with this challenge is the fact it is blasphemous to Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. So what is this anti-Christian trend that is starting to sweep the web again? It is known as the Blasphemy Challenge.
According to the official website of The Blasphemy Challenge , the viral trend was started by a group known as the Rational Response Squad. What they want people to do is to damn themselves to hell by denying the Holy Spirit. The reason why it is called the blasphemy challenge is because according to the Holy Bible, blaspheming against the Holy Spirit is unforgivable, as stated by Mark 3:29.
“Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.”
This must be one in a video and uploaded to Youtube so everyone can see. Participants must also send the URL of the video to the website’s official email so they can add it to their playlist. For anyone that completes the challenge, they will receive one free copy of the DVD titled The God Who Wasn’t There .
Of course, many faith-based news sites such as Patheos covered the challenge when it originally came out back in 2006. Charisma News and the Christian Today followed up on the blasphemy challenge recently in light of its popularity returning. In one such article, it brings up the story of Perri Frost who is a senior at her high school. For several years, she has tried to reach out to fellow teens who are skeptics, including those who insult God.
“Some of the teens who seem most hostile toward God are the same ones who emphasize that they are rational thinkers. It seems odd to want to insult Someone who supposedly isn’t there.”
Nevertheless, there were many clarifications incorporated from all three websites in some form. Charisma News reported that the Jewish word for “blasphemy” could be of two meanings. The first is to imply irreverence or slander against God, and the second is to spurn. They state that the “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” imply a two-fold indictment against the leaders who personally encountered Jesus while he was on earth. First, they refused to acknowledge Him as the Son of God. Second, they accused Him of being empowered by Satan. As a matter of fact, Alex McFarlene , one of the biggest Christian speakers today, has a whole conference on how social media is being used against teens to blaspheme against God.
What do you think about the revitalization of the Blasphemy Challenge? Do you find it disgusting? Do you find it liberating? Is it a complete waste of time? Please let us know in the comments below.
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