Unforgivable Sin; WAS NP not my anti-Catholicism

[David Morris]

>From: Paul Mackin <paul.mackin at verizon.net>
> >
> >     Mat 12:31&33   Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and 
>blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy [against] the 
>[Holy] Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.  And whosoever speaketh a word 
>against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh 
>against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this 
>world, neither in the [world] to come.
>
>Just guessing but since it doesn't make much literal sense that the sin 
>under discussion is particularly unforgiveable  shouldn't we consider Jesus 
>to be speaking figuratively--using hyperbole. The sin under discussion 
>seems to be  a sin committed by the Pharasees who though they had and 
>continued to have a positive place in the Jewish religion tended to be 
>adversaries toward Jesus' radical teaching about the Last being First and  
>such things. The Pharisees has just accused  Jesus of being in league with 
>the devil with respect to one of his cures. Jesus' exaggerated response is 
>by way of putting emphasis on his contention that in deed this was not the 
>case.

Your take is essentially correct according to the official Catholic doctrine 
as espoused by Aquinas' Summa Theologiae, but with a difference.  Jesus was 
pointing out their refusal to believe in his miracles, and by extension that 
their continued unbelief would be their ultimate unforgivable sin, having 
rejected the soon-to-be-coming salvation via belief in his ressurection.

http://www.cin.org/users/james/files/unforgiv.htm


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