How exactly did Mary conceive? Overshadow is used in more than one place in the Bible. God has no gender- Talarico 1, Texags 0.

There is some truth in Father Burghardt's ideas of spirituality as genderless. He was a great theologian imho. Not a defense of Talarico of course. I prefer not to assign a human notion of gender to God, nor justice.

After his resurrection, Jesus ascended bodily into heaven.

Therefore, Jesus is still male.

Jesus is God.

Therefore God is still male.

I respectfully think assigning the great 'I AM' a gender is beyond my pay grade, despite his incarnation as Christ, a rabbi. Jesus paid no heed to stature, gender, social rank etc, nor did he destroy the role of male/female in this world. God as a rock, or the 'un-moved mover' even, to me seems fairly gender-less.

This gets contentious in modern politics but I see no reason to assign a human/my own perception of gender to our creator. Linguistically this is almost required in common parlance but most of the 'rocks' in my life have been female, so I don't really buy into the other argument/position.

nortex97 said:

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I respectfully think assigning the great 'I AM' a gender is beyond my pay grade, despite his incarnation as Christ, a rabbi. Jesus paid no heed to stature, gender, social rank etc, nor did he destroy the role of male/female in this world. God as a rock, or the 'un-moved mover' even, to me seems fairly gender-less.

This gets contentious in modern politics but I see no reason to assign a human/my own perception of gender to our creator. Linguistically this is almost required in common parlance but most of the 'rocks' in my life have been female, so I don't really buy into the other argument/position.

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Why not just confess the Nicene Creed and be done with it? It wasn't beyond their pay grade.

I have had the same problem figuring out what "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" means. This was the response I just got from Catholic AI from the hallow APP:

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The "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" refers to a specific and grave sin mentioned by Jesus in the Gospels (Matthew 12:31-32, Mark 3:28-29, Luke 12:10). It is often described as "unforgivable," which can be a source of anxiety for many.

The Church's understanding, particularly as articulated by St. Thomas Aquinas and reiterated by Pope John Paul II, clarifies that this blasphemy is not simply speaking ill of the Holy Spirit in words. Rather, it is a persistent and hardened refusal to accept the salvation that God offers to humanity through the Holy Spirit, especially through the power of Christ's Cross.

Here's a breakdown of what it means:

1. Rejection of God's Mercy: The Holy Spirit is the one who convicts us of sin, leads us to repentance, and offers us God's grace and forgiveness. To blaspheme against the Holy Spirit means to deliberately and obstinately reject this divine mercy, even when it is clearly offered. It's a conscious and final refusal to repent and accept God's saving love.
2. Unforgivable by its Nature: This sin is called "unforgivable" not because God is unwilling or unable to forgive, but because the person committing it refuses the very means by which forgiveness is offered. If someone rejects the Holy Spirit's promptings to repent and believe, they effectively cut themselves off from the possibility of forgiveness, as they are not seeking it. It's a sin that, by its very nature, "excludes the elements through which the forgiveness of sin takes place."
3. Not a Momentary Offense: It's not a casual word or a fleeting thought, but a deep-seated, deliberate, and final opposition to God's grace. St. Augustine noted that it's not every kind of blasphemy, but a particular way of blaspheming that is meant, one that would remove the hope of forgiveness from those who might err in other ways.
4. Hope for Repentance: The Church teaches that God's mercy is infinite, and He desires that all be saved. Therefore, as long as a person is alive and capable of repentance, the door to forgiveness is open. Often, the very fear of having committed this sin is a sign that one has not, as it indicates a conscience still sensitive to God and a desire for reconciliation.

In essence, the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a radical and definitive rejection of God's saving grace, which is the only path to forgiveness.

Does this explanation help clarify the meaning for you? We could also explore the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives, or how God's mercy is always available to those who seek it.

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Based on this I don't think Talarico blasphemed against the Holy Spirit but definitely against scripture. But I'm still not sure.

KentK93 said:

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I have had the same problem figuring out what "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" means. This was the response I just got from Catholic AI from the hallow APP:

Quote:

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The "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" refers to a specific and grave sin mentioned by Jesus in the Gospels (Matthew 12:31-32, Mark 3:28-29, Luke 12:10). It is often described as "unforgivable," which can be a source of anxiety for many.

The Church's understanding, particularly as articulated by St. Thomas Aquinas and reiterated by Pope John Paul II, clarifies that this blasphemy is not simply speaking ill of the Holy Spirit in words. Rather, it is a persistent and hardened refusal to accept the salvation that God offers to humanity through the Holy Spirit, especially through the power of Christ's Cross.

Here's a breakdown of what it means:

1. Rejection of God's Mercy: The Holy Spirit is the one who convicts us of sin, leads us to repentance, and offers us God's grace and forgiveness. To blaspheme against the Holy Spirit means to deliberately and obstinately reject this divine mercy, even when it is clearly offered. It's a conscious and final refusal to repent and accept God's saving love.
2. Unforgivable by its Nature: This sin is called "unforgivable" not because God is unwilling or unable to forgive, but because the person committing it refuses the very means by which forgiveness is offered. If someone rejects the Holy Spirit's promptings to repent and believe, they effectively cut themselves off from the possibility of forgiveness, as they are not seeking it. It's a sin that, by its very nature, "excludes the elements through which the forgiveness of sin takes place."
3. Not a Momentary Offense: It's not a casual word or a fleeting thought, but a deep-seated, deliberate, and final opposition to God's grace. St. Augustine noted that it's not every kind of blasphemy, but a particular way of blaspheming that is meant, one that would remove the hope of forgiveness from those who might err in other ways.
4. Hope for Repentance: The Church teaches that God's mercy is infinite, and He desires that all be saved. Therefore, as long as a person is alive and capable of repentance, the door to forgiveness is open. Often, the very fear of having committed this sin is a sign that one has not, as it indicates a conscience still sensitive to God and a desire for reconciliation.

In essence, the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a radical and definitive rejection of God's saving grace, which is the only path to forgiveness.

Does this explanation help clarify the meaning for you? We could also explore the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives, or how God's mercy is always available to those who seek it.

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Based on this I don't think Talarico blasphemed against the Holy Spirit but definitely against scripture. But I'm still not sure.

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That is exactly how I see the unforgivable sin. And I agree I don't think he committed it.

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Unless you believe that "God the Father" is a metaphor,

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What is so wrong about that?

God clearly uses metaphor to teach us about divine things. Jesus' teachings were so full of them, we gave them a special name of parable.

Again, I don't think that the choice to refer to God as male is an accident, but I don't think God has male genitalia, either.

KentK93 said:

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Based on this I don't think Talarico blasphemed against the Holy Spirit but definitely against scripture. But I'm still not sure.

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This is one of those areas that is almost impossible to be certain on.

I'm not saying I have the only right answer, but claiming to have the Holy Spirit and performing "miracles" purportedly using the Holy Spirit for evil is probably not a great thing to do.

It would seem like claiming to use the power of The Spirit to perform evil would be a special kind of sin.

Whether it is the specific one referenced is, as someone else said, above my pay grade.

BusterAg said:

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Unless you believe that "God the Father" is a metaphor,

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What is so wrong about that?

God clearly uses metaphor to teach us about divine things. Jesus' teachings were so full of them, we gave them a special name of parable.

Again, I don't think that the choice to refer to God as male is an accident, but I don't think God has male genitalia, either.

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It's a weird space to be, man, when you can't confess the creed without putting a bunch of asterisks in it for 'metaphor this', 'but His divine nature that', 'see my first note again…and again…and again…and again…and again, how have they not tired of saying Father when he's clearly genderless, and don't get me started on the Son who isn't always male either, after He leaves earth.'

I think when someone can't confess The Nicene and assent to it without ther personal clarification, they're out of bounds.

BusterAg said:

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Unless you believe that "God the Father" is a metaphor,

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What is so wrong about that?

God clearly uses metaphor to teach us about divine things. Jesus' teachings were so full of them, we gave them a special name of parable.

Again, I don't think that the choice to refer to God as male is an accident, but I don't think God has male genitalia, either.

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I'm a little more literal in my understanding of the Bible. However, now that you've explained your reasoning, I understand where you are coming from a little better.

We will have to agree to disagree on our interpretations.

We in the Catholic Church believe in the trinity. Agree with you that Jesus was a man- the other two persons in the trinity not so much.

The mistake, IMO, some on here are making is reducing God to our level as humans that are embodied spirits. God is not this, he is not pure spirit either. We have bodies that are male and female. Angels don't and neither does God.

PabloSerna said:

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We in the Catholic Church believe in the trinity. Agree with you that Jesus was a man- the other two persons in the trinity not so much.

The mistake, IMO, some on here are making is reducing God to our level as humans that are embodied spirits. God is not this, he is not pure spirit either. We have bodies that are male and female. Angels don't and neither does God.

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I agree and disagree.

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The foundational Scripture passage that states God created man in His own image is found in the Book of Genesis:

"Then God said, 'Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness...'" (Genesis 1:26).
"So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them" (Genesis 1:27).

This passage highlights the unique dignity of humanity, reflecting God's own nature in a special way. It's a profound truth that underpins much of Catholic teaching about human life and purpose.

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