Free Thought or Disrespect? (Blasphemy Challenge)

I'm writing this to explore some complicated feelings. My friend Jeremy Smith wrote an entry on his blog about something called the Blasphemy Challenge. Google or Wikipedia it if you want; I'm not going to link to it. Essentially, this atheist/"anti-irrationality" group has isolated the biblical excerpt about "he who blasphemes the Holy Spirit commits an unpardonable sin", and is encouraging people to deny the Holy Spirit in YouTube videos to get a free DVD.

This is a tough issue for me in a lot of ways. Firstly, it brings up a lot of baggage. Early in my Christian journey, I struggled with the idea that the wrong choice of words or opinions can shut someone off from God's grace permanently. (Also, someone like me with minor obsessive compulsive tendencies will go crazy over the idea that there is an "unforgivable" thing to think or say).

Thank God, I was able to resolve this issue by placing an emphasis on God's love above a focus on biblical literalism (an emphasis I developed from experiencing God's real love through His creation- from friends and puppies to rock music). I had a great Orthodox priest explain to me in vivid, profane examples that the passage doesn't refer to literal blasphemy per se. I also realized that God loves people beyond measure and nothing can seperate us from the love of God.

So I believe that these people who deny the Holy Spirit on YouTube can and will be forgiven. So what's the big deal? The big deal is that the Blasphemy Challenge raises a struggle, in me, between respectfulness and free thought.

On the one hand, people should be allowed to use their God-given intellect to speak and think without restriction. On the other hand, a site like this strikes me as just disrespectful, both to God and to Christian individuals.

I am not the kind of person to tiptoe around things to avoid offending people. But there's a difference. To enjoy offensive irreverent humor, to stand up for your actions and beliefs, to ask any question no matter how blasphemous- this is one thing. It's something else to go out there and deliberately try to upset people (Christians) who have really done nothing to deserve it (even if there are serious problems with fundamentalism, aren't we supposed to love the sinner and hate the sin, or hate the game and not the player?)

It seems that there are better ways to question religion than by upsetting people and deliberately encouraging others to do something disrespectful. I have really mixed feelings about this site. It seems completely different than something like Moral Orel or The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told or The New Sins- things which tweak traditional religion to serve a greater goal and provoke thought.

Instead, the Blasphemy Challenge sets out merely to shock, offend, and encourage people to behave disrespectfully both to God and to sensitive Christians.

What do you think?