Why is denying the holy ghost unforgivable?

[_Nightlion]

It's part of it, get it?

You see, TBMs tell you that if you have an emotional feeling after reading the Book of Mormon and asking if it is true (you can't ask if it's false, because you have to ask in a way that is self-affirming to the questioner), that such emotional feeling is the HG confirming that truthfulness to you--and if you should deny that warm feeling is the HG, you can never be forgiven.

It helps cajole you into accepting that the warm feeling is the HG confirming the Book of Mormon's truthfulness by inducing a fear in you that you cannot be forgiven if you don't give the warm feeling the interpretation that the TBMs tell you to give it.

After you've been part of the flock, it works as a good fear inducer for you also not to revisit your earlier having ascribed to the HG that warm feeling. If you do, no forgiveness for you.

It's kind of like, 'you can't have any pudding if you don't eat all your meat.'

I have corrected you before on your Pink Floyd lyrics. Beets, not meat.

There is no lightweight denying the Holy Ghost. If any TBM thinks so it is a spin off the the Satanic Ritualism of telling children that witnessing or participating in baby stabbings which may all be faked is shedding innocent blood and sinning against the Holy Ghost and making them sons or daughters of perdition and force them to fight for Satan and help him win so they wont all have to suffer. A lie, gee, ya think?

You have to have the heavens opened to you and commune with the Infinite God, meaning at the least a real and true baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost. NO Mormon today gets this, no way. So it's completely a non-issue. Relax all.

[_Some Schmo]

It's kind of like, 'you can't have any pudding if you don't eat all your meat.'

I have corrected you before on your Pink Floyd lyrics. Beets, not meat.

I'm pretty sure it goes, "If you don't beat your meat, you won't get any pudding! How can you get any pudding if you don't beat your meat?!"

This is Pink Floyd we're talking about... I thought I should clear this one up. They deserve that much.

[_Hoops]

Please clarify, Hoops. Only Jews can sin against the Holy Ghost?

Only the pre-church age nation of Israel can sin against the Holy Spirit.

[_Buffalo]

The Holy Ghost gets offended easily.

He can't stay up past midnight, can't go in bars, can't be around screaming children, gets offended by swear words and, actually, the breaking of any commandment.

So, if you deny him that is the last straw!!!

LOL!

The last time I was teaching the New Testament four years ago, I noted that Matthew introduces this idea in what appears to be a very specific context.

He has just healed a person, and done so by "the power of the Spirit,"but the Pharisees attribute his "driving out the devil" from this person as having been performed by the prince of devils.

It is here that Jesus warns them not to blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, adding that such a sin cannot be forgiven.

In the context of the New Testament story, the "sin against the Holy Ghost" appears to specifically be the public claim that an act done by the power of the Holy Ghost is done by Satan.

HOLY GHOST = SATAN = BLASPHEMY

Here's the story in it's entirety.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

Matthew 12:22 ¶Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.

23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?

24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:

26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?

27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.

28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

31 ¶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.

32 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.

33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

consiglieri - I think you've gotten to the heart of what the text is actually saying, rather than our preconceived notions about it. Thanks!