Refusal to flip-flop might be the sin against the Holy Spirit

Over dinner last night, my wife and I agreed it's unfortunate that political candidates get excoriated for changing their minds: if they don't cling rigidly to whatever position they happened to take in the past, they're accused of flip-flopping.

I ventured that someone who categorically refuses to change his mind, even when new evidence or new insights are revealed to him, might well be guilty of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, the sin that Jesus said would not be forgiven (Mk 3.22-30; Mt 12.31-32).

And it won't be forgiven, I speculated, precisely because it's an ongoing sin, meaning that at the time in question, there's no repentance.

I did a quick Google search, and wasn't surprised to find that others, including Augustine, have expressed somewhat similar views.

Comments

[dmh]

Glad to see you and Augustine are in sync.