The Blasphemy Challenge
The Blasphemy Challenge[1], started in December 2006, an Internet-based project which aimed to get atheists to come out and declare themselves as atheists. The challenge asks atheists to submit videos to the website YouTube, in which they record themselves blaspheming or denying the existence of the Holy Spirit. The Blasphemy Challenge has had a total of over 1 million views and has been covered by many national news outlets.
The Blasphemy Challenge cited Mark 3:28-29 and Matthew 12:30-32 in which the Bible says that blasphemy of the holy spirit is an unforgivable sin. Thus, people who took the challenge saw themselves as crossing a point of no return to prove that they truly did not believe in the biblical God and would "accept the consequences." They wanted to show just how sure they were that God didn't exist. The first 1,001 people who took the challenge received a DVD of Flemming's documentary film The God Who Wasn't There. Magician Penn Jillette, author Christopher Hitchens, and philosopher Daniel Dennett participated in the project. It was also the first video of comedian and Internet personality Pat Condell.
Project information
- Organizers: Brian Sapient, (et al. here)
- Sponsors: Brian Flemming, (et al. here)
- Participants: Blasphemy Challenge participants
