my theory on blasphemy of the Holy Spirit

[theculturewarrior]

Please tell me if this is an allowable opinion on sins against the Holy Spirit. I invite multiple responses from as many experts as possible, if possible.

When Jesus said that sins against the Holy Spirit cannot be forgiven, he knew that that statement would cause so many to doubt, especially people with mental illness. There is a certain self-loathing to so many people with mental illness, especially OCD, and if there is an unforgivable sin, many of us are quick to accuse ourselves of it, and at times, to doubt the mercy of God, which is despair.

But then the Scholastics classified sins against the Father as sins of weakness, and against the Son as sins of ignorance, and against the Spirit as sins of malice, and that classification does not seem to apply to the despair of the mentally ill. Usually, there is no malice there.

And then, when I look at the Litanies, all of them say, "God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us." So, though the Spirit does not forgive, He is merciful, and we can ask Him for His mercy, and I wonder what His mercy consists of.

It seems, if I doubt the mercy of God and live, I am ignorant of His mercy, because every day is at His mercy and every day is a day to become closer to Him, through His mercy. And sins of ignorance are sins against Jesus. It seems also, that if I presume upon His mercy and live, I am ignorant of His mercy and of the ways of God, and sins of ignorance are sins against Jesus. And the like can be said for all of the sins that are typically associated with the Holy Spirit. It seems like every second I draw breath, God is merciful, and His mercy is within my reach.

And I wonder what sin God cannot forgive, and I think it is the sins for which I cannot forgive myself, and I think that is why the Holy Spirit is merciful. I wonder if He teaches us to forgive ourselves.

Let me know if this is sound thinking. Thanks.

God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us!

[Apotheoun]

It is God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) who forgives sins. In other words, the operations (energies) of the Holy Trinity are actions of all three persons, and there can be no division in the divine activity or there would be more than one God. Thus, the Holy Spirit (along with the Father and the Son) forgives sins.

The only unforgivable sin is what Jesus called "the blaspheme against the Holy Spirit" [cf. Matt. 12:32, Mark 3:29, and Luke 12:10], which, simply put, is final impenitence, i.e., the failure to except the gift of conversion of heart ([i]metanoia[/i]) offered by God through grace before a man dies. Any man who dies without repenting of his mortal sins, damns himself because he has rejected to forgiveness of God made available to him through the power of the Holy Spirit.

As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches:

[quote]"Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven." There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who deliberately refuses to accept his mercy by repenting, rejects the forgiveness of his sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit. Such hardness of heart can lead to final impenitence and eternal loss.[/quote]