Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!cs.utexas.edu!bcm!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: cman044@hermes.chpc.utexas.edu (Eva) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Unforgiveable Sins Message-ID: Date: 20 Mar 91 07:51:02 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: The University of Texas System - CHPC Lines: 22 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu I have a question for this group that has been bothering me for a while. I was taught in my religious studies that certain sins were unforgivable -- murder, suicide, etc. Can a person be forgiven for a past suicide attempt, or is this person damned to hell? Thanks [I think I can safely speak for Christians as a whole on this one. No sin is unforgiveable. That's the whole point of many of Jesus parables, including in particular the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, the prodigal son, etc. It seems unjust to us that someone who has worked the whole day will get paid the same as someone who only joined up at the last minute. It seems to us that the father should refuse to welcome back the son who has rejected his father, and only comes back after he has no choice. But God's love rejoices more over the one who comes back than the 99 who had never strayed (Mt. 18:13). The one issue here is a passage (Mat 12:32) that refers to a sin against the Holy Spirit which is said to be unforgivable. There is no concensus as to what this sin might be. But I think most Christians take it to be an attitude whose very nature would prevent someone from repenting in the first place. --clh]