At Least They're Committed

I’m having a difficult time passing up the reels on Facebook and TikTok that depict MAGAts awaiting judgement at the Pearly Gates. In a red hat, superior stance, chest puffed, they look to St. Peter in full anticipation of the glories of reaching a higher place as reward for the mistreatment, hate and judgement they have bestowed upon God’s children on Earth. Alas, in these chuckle-worthy reels, these revelers find they are assigned, well, elsewhere.

The simple truth is this: You can’t twist God’s Word and Jesus’ Doctrine to spew venom. I do believe that falls under, gasp, blasphemy! But, golly, what do I know?

When you read up on it, it is clear that blasphemy is in Christianity the one unforgiveable sin. But how blasphemy is defined is a bit trickier.

I’ve read where the Saint Padre Pio said that all can be forgiven by God, even after death, if they denounce their evil ways in the face of the Holy Spirit. And I’ve thought, well, if given the choice of going to heaven or hell, I’m guessing that just about anyone would be, like, ‘Oh, golly, I was wrong! Ahem, yes, I’m with you God!’ Even the current administration.

Universalists believe judgment is purifying rather than punitive. “Even after death, souls may continue to be refined or reconciled until all are ultimately restored to God.”

If that’s the case, just about anyone can get in God’s good graces, I would think, unless they intentionally wanted to suffer the flames of hell where they shall wail and grind their teeth.

Maybe they’d have to make a stop in Purgatory. I don’t know enough about Purgatory and I’ve heard it said maybe Earth is Purgatory and I never really discount anything unless it feels totally wrong to me and that one I’m neutral about. (Run-on!)

Thus on one hand, of course God knows what’s in your heart/soul and would see right through anyone’s insincere repentance and cast them where they belong. And on the other hand, I don’t relish the fact that I could spend much time at all with the hate mongers, racists, radical rightists and spiritual leppers who are spreading their diseased rhetoric and crucifying God’s children to justify their biases and unfounded loathing. (Is loathing ever founded, actually?) I’d have a hard time buying their repentance, even though I pray for them in life.

If I had a preference, which I can but it’s not like my judgements would affect God’s decisions on the soul, obviously, I would prefer not to come in contact in the afterlife with such people who have twisted Jesus’ words into something absolutely vile and then attempt to justify their views by insinuating our Savior into their filthy beliefs.

I figured I might ought to research the theology behind it with my good pal ChatGPT. This is how my conversation went, and I think it’s quite interesting. It doesn’t necessarily bring clarity, but it does bring some compelling insights!

Me: Good morning! Is blasphemy the one unforgivable sin? And what does blasphemy entail? Thank you for your insights!

ChatGPT:

Is blasphemy the one unforgivable sin?

In the Christian tradition, the idea of the “unforgivable sin” comes from Jesus’ words in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. He speaks of “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” as the one sin that “will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come” (Matthew 12:31–32, Mark 3:28–30, Luke 12:10).

So, yes — within this context, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is considered the one unforgivable sin. Other sins, no matter how severe, are described as being forgiven through repentance and God’s grace.

What does blasphemy entail?

The word blasphemy at its core means showing contempt, mockery, or profound disrespect toward God, the sacred, or holy things. In the biblical sense, though, the “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” is generally understood more specifically. Interpretations vary slightly, but most Christian theologians describe it as:

• A hardened, ongoing rejection of God’s Spirit. Persistently resisting, denying, or attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to evil, even while knowing it is from God.
• A final refusal of grace. It’s not a careless word or moment of doubt, but a deliberate, willful turning away from God’s forgiveness, to the point of closing one’s heart permanently to reconciliation.
• Calling good evil. In context, Jesus says this after the Pharisees accused Him of driving out demons by Satan’s power rather than God’s Spirit. They were knowingly twisting what was clearly God’s work into something evil.

In practice

Most Christian traditions reassure believers that if you’re worried about committing this sin, that very concern shows you haven’t — because it implies openness to God’s Spirit. The “unforgivable” part isn’t because God’s mercy runs out, but because the person themselves rejects the only means of forgiveness and salvation.

Me: With that definition of blasphemy, would someone who distorts Jesus’ message for their personal gain or to spread hate be considered a blasphemer? Or, if they die in the throes of spreading hate, do they still have a chance at redemption?

ChatGPT:

That’s a very thoughtful follow-up — and it touches on some of the deepest questions about sin, intent, and redemption.

Distorting Jesus’ Message

If someone knowingly twists the teachings of Jesus — say, to exploit others or to justify hate — most Christian traditions would consider that blasphemous in a general sense. They are treating what is holy with contempt or selfishness, and they are misrepresenting Christ’s love. However, this isn’t automatically the same as the specific “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.”

That “unforgivable sin,” as Jesus framed it, isn’t just doing wrong or even leading others astray — serious as those are. It’s the willful, hardened, final rejection of God’s Spirit, to the point that the person cuts themselves off from forgiveness.

Dying in Hatred

If someone dies while still actively spreading hate, most traditions would say God judges the heart. Did they truly and fully reject God, or were they deceived, ignorant, or caught in sin but not beyond repentance?

Here’s how many Christian traditions nuance it:

• Catholic teaching: Even grave sins can be forgiven if repented of. Only dying in a state of deliberate, unrepented mortal sin separates one from God’s mercy.
• Protestant (especially Evangelical) teaching: Redemption is always available until death. But if someone persistently rejects the Spirit to the end, they experience the consequence of that rejection.
• Orthodox teaching: Emphasizes God’s mercy as greater than we can imagine. Even at the moment of death, a person might turn to God — and God sees that hidden turning of the heart.

The Core Idea

The key distinction is between sinning and still being open to grace versus closing yourself off completely. If a person is deceiving others or consumed by hatred, but their heart is not utterly and knowingly hardened against God, then redemption is still possible — even if it comes in a final moment of grace.

So: someone who distorts Jesus’ message is sinning gravely, but whether it’s “blasphemy against the Spirit” depends on whether they are deliberately, knowingly rejecting God’s truth and love to the very end.

Now (this is me, TR, again), it seems to me that the deciding factor is whether these people honestly believe that they are right, or if they are just allowing themselves to be consumed by their hatred and selfish desire to elevate themselves by placing others below themselves. God only knows, of course, God only knows.