Blasphemy or Involuntary Thoughts/Scruples?

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benkim

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I was practicing piano the other day and while I was playing I thought of the words “I deny” and automatically the words “…the Holy Spirit” came into my mind. I first read of this phrase from the Blasphemy Challenge that the Rational Response Squad started on Youtube. I wasn’t sure if I had actually meant to say the phrase so I tried to recreate the situation three times to see if I actually meant to think it, but I still wasn’t sure. I can’t understand why I would think it and actually mean it because it’s not something I believe and I have no reason to think it as well. However, I am still worried if I actually meant it by recreating the situation to check if I had meant it. Is this actually blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (I’m not referring to unforgivable sin but actual blasphemy because I realize that unforgivable sin is the sin that is not repented) or is it just my scrupulosity acting up?

I realize that there are several topics on this, but please bear with me since I am actually quite worried and feel as though I need to seek reassurance for myself.
 
Your problem is with scruples, not with any particular thing you may have thought or done. Asking a message board for advice on a scrupulous matter is dangerous: you will likely only get conflicting answers that will confuse you. Then, there are people out there who are also scrupulous who will encourage you in your own scrupulosity. And, there may even be jokers who think it’s funny to encourage your scrupulosity.

I don’t know if this is a serious problem for you, or not, but there are some people who suffer horribly from scruples, which has been diagnosed as a form of OCD. There is help for the problem from knowledgeable clergy.

Here’s a discussion of the problem at Wikipedia, with some excellent links at the bottom:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrupulosity
 
Thank you for your responses, and I’ll be sure to check out those sites at the bottom of the page. However, I really just wanted to know whether I committed blasphemy (in the conventional sense) and not really the eternal sin (blasphemy against the Holy Spirit) because I totally understand the eternal sin, but wasn’t sure if I actually committed blasphemy.
 
What I do in cases of uncertainty benkim, is I say to our Lord, “I’m most likely guilty…to what degree, I’ll leave up to you.Please forgive me and enlighten me”.

None of us can tell exactly what’s going on in someone else’s mind; but in my mind I don’t see it having to be any more complicated than that.

God Bless you.
 
I believe St. Augustine talks about this type of situation. In order for anything to be a sin, you have to use your free will. Not to say that there isn’t objective evil, but it’s similar to having a dirty dream, for example. If you have a dream where you perform a sinful action, you can’t be held responsible for that since you are not in control of your free will while asleep. If a random, sinful thought pops into your head, like a lustful thought, that’s one thing. If you were to dwell on the lustful thought, then it becomes sinful. In the case of accidentally thinking blasphemy, as soon as you use the word “accidental,” then I would question the level of culpability.

Remember, a mortal sin, for example needs certain criteria in order for it to be mortal; one of which is free will.
 
benkim said:
I was practicing piano the other day and while I was playing I thought of the words “I deny” and automatically the words “…the Holy Spirit” came into my mind. I first read of this phrase from the Blasphemy Challenge that the Rational Response Squad started on Youtube. I wasn’t sure if I had actually meant to say the phrase so I tried to recreate the situation three times to see if I actually meant to think it, but I still wasn’t sure. I can’t understand why I would think it and actually mean it because it’s not something I believe and I have no reason to think it as well. However, I am still worried if I actually meant it by recreating the situation to check if I had meant it. Is this actually blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (I’m not referring to unforgivable sin but actual blasphemy because I realize that unforgivable sin is the sin that is not repented) or is it just my scrupulosity acting up?

I realize that there are several topics on this, but please bear with me since I am actually quite worried and feel as though I need to seek reassurance for myself.
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The correct person to talk to is your Father-Confessor and/or Pastor (if they aren’t the same, the Father-Confessor is the first choice).

If it is a recurrent problem, you may need psychological help as well or instead… but even so, the priest who knows you is vital in helping you determine the sinfulness.
 
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