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What is blasphemy? The Bible tells us that it is "taking the Lord's name in vain", but I contend that it is more than that.

To me it is assuming the powers that belong only to God.

It is claiming that someone, or their position, is "appointed by God".

We know that dictators throughout the ages have claimed that God told them to do what they were doing.

This attitude has not gone away. There was a humorous video posted in "this and that" about the British legal system over other countries, and it claimed - humorously - that "these powers came from God". Humorous, but serious, it is deadly serious. I have heard that before, and the scary part is that a lot of people actually believe it.

"Holy wars", what is a "holy war"? The crusades? Iraq? Blasphemy?

These are not "ancient things", the above examples are very much in existance today.

I believe that we are being very hypocritical if we profess to be Christians and yet believe that God has delegated some/any of his power to man/men/anyone.

This is a serious question, I have given it a great deal of thought for some time now, so please think about it and let's have a proper debate. I know that I'm going to get a lot of opposition, so be honest.

This is the main thing I disagree with in what you are saying Bucks. Consider Acts 1:8 "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses". Wasn't Jesus delegating His power in this verse? However, the rest of the verse says that we will be his witnesses so I think that is important, ie the power of God is to bring people to Him, not to glorify human beings. This is where discernment is needed when people claim to have God's power.

Another verse I will throw in is John 14:12 "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father". If Jesus's works were in the power of God, then to do greater works must also be in the power of God.

I also think blasphemy can be when we wrongly attribute the work of God to the devil eg in John 8 when the Jews asked by what authority Jesus did the things He did and then accused Him of being demon possessed.

This is the main thing I disagree with in what you are saying Bucks. Consider Acts 1:8 "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses". Wasn't Jesus delegating His power in this verse? However, the rest of the verse says that we will be his witnesses so I think that is important, ie the power of God is to bring people to Him, not to glorify human beings. This is where discernment is needed when people claim to have God's power.

Another verse I will throw in is John 14:12 "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father". If Jesus's works were in the power of God, then to do greater works must also be in the power of God.

I also think blasphemy can be when we wrongly attribute the work of God to the devil eg in John 8 when the Jews asked by what authority Jesus did the things He did and then accused Him of being demon possessed.

I guess I owe you an apology Lass, I meant "God delegating his power" in a political sense. It is blasphemy when politicians or government employees claim that their "authority" comes from God, or when kings or monarchs claim "God's authority", or even that their "position" was "created by God".

Witnessing is a different thing altogether.

I agree with you about "attributing God's works to Satan" too. I reckon that it is also blasphemy when people attribute God's works to aliens or to "psychics" or mediums. I believe that mediums do have "power" but that power comes from Satan, not God, and anyone claiming to "get messages from dead people" also get that from Satan. It is not the dead friends or relatives of people who "connect" with them, but Satan.

I've just had a conversation with my daughter in law about how dangerous it is to rely on what "phycics" say, but I don't think she believed me. A friend of hers believed that she was being haunted by the ghost of her previous aborted child, and her current child was also being haunted by the ghost too (her child has an imaginary friend). So they sought out a medium to get rid of the ghost. And that has led on to her finding a psychic to go to (of course it is costing her a fortune).

Totally agree about psychics and mediums! And of course about world leaders who claim to have heard from God to justify their acts. In fact, I would be very wary of someone who stands up in church and says "Thus says the Lord", even though in general I agree with the gift of prophecy. It is quite a claim and I am happier with someone saying that they feel the Lord is saying...........blah blah. Again, much discernment is needed. :ph43r:

Hi buckthesystem, you ask,

“What is blasphemy?”

It is as described at,

Mat 12:31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
Mat 12:32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

Well I guess the example of claiming divinity for some humans and attributing that to being "ordained by God" is "against the spirit".

So we must urge people to recognise this in case they are guilty of blasphemy by believing it, falling for the trick.

Also attributing God's works to Satan seems to be blasphemy too, blasphemy "against the Holy Spirit".

I hope I am interpreting it right. What do you reckon?

Thank you buckthesystem for your comments

“Well I guess the example of claiming divinity for some humans and attributing that to being "ordained by God" is "against the spirit". “

“So we must urge people to recognise this in case they are guilty of blasphemy by believing it, falling for the trick.”

Regarding the above, I am unaware of anyone other than Jesus “claiming divinity“

“Also attributing God's works to Satan seems to be blasphemy too, blasphemy "against the Holy Spirit".”

Yes I agree.

Edwin.

All the Egyptian pharaohs claimed divinity, as did Julius Caesar, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Hadrian (and there might have been one or two other Roman emperors who were considered “divine”, that I've missed).

The monarchs of Europe in the early part of last century and before, ruled by what they considered “the divine right of kings”. By saying “claimed divinity” I was thinking specifically about the following video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNu8XDBSn10

I realise of course that this is meant to be funny and is a humorous look at “the British empire”, but it is taken absolutely seriously by a lot of people. At 2.48 it claims that the power behind the British system of government “comes from God”. Is that claiming divinity for the British government (bearing in mind that they believe that “the divine right of kings” was replaced by the “divine right of parliament”?

Dictators throughout the ages have claimed that their governments were “ordained by God”, thus hoodwinking Christians into supporting them, and then committed unspeakable evils. Is this saying that God has supported this evil? Is that blasphemy?

People will attribute awful acts to God, and that is obviously wrong. To me, if the actions don't match up with scripture, we know they are not of God. I do however believe God is in control of who comes to power, and that he raises up and pull down. In Daniel 5:21, Daniel was speaking to Belshadzar, and said the following...

...till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.

I just look at this as a recognition that God is in full control. That is not a license for those in power to abuse their power.