James 2:7 Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?

Romans 1:28-32  And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,  ²⁹ being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips,  ³⁰ slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,  ³¹ without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful;  ³² and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

Mark 9:42  Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea.

As a Christian, I should never be surprised at the extent this world will go to in order to deceive people into doubting God. However, as of late, even I have been shocked at the extent to which people will go in order to deceive the youth of our generation about God. As Kurt wrote recently, the militant atheists are not only rejecting God but they are actively trying to convince young people to do the same. One example of this is the Blasphemy Challenge at http://www.blasphemychallenge.com/. It is a website that is done by “The Rational Response Squad” that “challenges to commit the unforgivable sin” in exchange for a free DVD (normally priced at $24.98) that is called “The God Who Isn’t There.” Individuals who do this are challenged not to fear hell. This entire project is based on a misinterpretation of Mark 3:29. It was a passage in which Jesus told the Pharisees who had observed His miracles and attributed them to Satan that they had committed the unforgivable sin. Ironically, the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is not a sin that can be committed today. Note that Mark says in Mark 3:30 that they were condemned “because they were saying, ‘He has an unclean spirit.’” In other words, in order to commit this sin one would have to 1) see Jesus personally 2) see His miracles personally 3) attribute His miracles to Satan by accusing Jesus of being possessed by a demon. It is not as simple as denying the existence of the Holy Spirit (people who have denied the existence of God can be forgiven for that sin). However, irrespective of the misinterpretation of the passage, what is sad is that the individuals who produce this website have little recognition for the potential guilt such a move could cause. Perhaps later in life, some of these same individuals who made this video will desire to pursue God and mistakenly believe that they have forfeited the opportunity for forgiveness (I have witnessed this when I have come across individuals who mistakenly believe they have committed the unpardonable sin).

Equally disturbing is the release of the Golden Compass. It is a movie that is intended to imitate the Chronicles of Narnia that was written by English atheist Philip Pullman. Pullman has been quoted in a 2003 interview in the Sydney Morning Herald as saying “My books are about killing God.” Sadly, this movie is being promoted to the general public with very few Christian families even knowing what it is about (for more information see http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/compass.asp).

Christians should not be surprised that the world is becoming less subtle as their open attack of Christianity. The Bible repeatedly warns us that persecution is likely in this world (2 Timothy 3:12, Luke 21:12-13). Christians should confront these individuals claim to think logically with exactly what they are asking for “A Rational Response.” As one observes the videos of individuals who are making these professions (some of which have t-shirts saying words I cannot repeat about Jesus), one cannot help but notice the absolute anger, arrogance and bitterness that brings them to this point as they describe their experiences of being raised in a Christian family. However, this can never bring about hope. In fact, this is the very thing that Brian “Head” Welch, the former lead guitarist of Korn, found when he accepted Christ as His Savior (see his testimony here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AopP1DEazCU&feature=related).