1 John 5:16
If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.
All unrighteousness is sin, yet sin is divided into that which is not unto death and that which is unto death. When a brother is seen sinning a sin which is not unto death, prayer is to be offered for him, and life will be given for those that sin not unto death, while prayer is not enjoined for the sin unto death. This is a promise believers have the privilege to realize and may claim with confidence, that if anything is asked according to God's will, God hears, and the petition desired is granted.
Harming souls who need to be strengthened, refined, and ennobled can be a sin unto death. It is committed especially when those in sacred positions descend by trivial conversation to the level of frivolous characters and by unwise, careless, improper attentions and example encourage them on the path to perdition to the ruin of their souls. Such conduct degrades and confuses their conceptions of what constitutes Christian life and character. It confuses their ideas and makes impressions upon them that may never be effaced. It causes them to regard ministers, officers of the church, and all in sacred positions as no better than themselves, leaving them without an example and leading them to despise that example.