What do we know about the DEVIL ?

[StrangerInAStrangeLand]

The word Satan meant the adversary. Each time Satan is mentioned, the authors could have been referring to different entities.

For such a supposedly bad guy, there is only a tiny bit of info in scriptures.

IF an omnipotent supposedly good god created a very powerful being & allowed it to muck about & greatly deceive humans, we could not possibly tell 1 from the other. Perhaps Satan caused the scriptures to be written in order to deceive us. Perhaps theists worship Satan posing as god. As with many other beliefs, this is so tangled there is no possible way out.

<>

 

[Michael 345]

The devil is the COUNTER COMPARISON point

No point in having GOOD god if

there is not a point to compare the GOODNESS against

 

[sideshowbob]

I admit such answers leave me wondering after their purpose. Sure, okay, the Devil is a plot device, a literary element, whatever. Great. Now, what?

Now take responsibility for your own life and stop looking for somebody else to blame.

 

[Tiassa]

Now take responsibility for your own life and stop looking for somebody else to blame.

Sloth itself is not an argument.

 

[sideshowbob]

Sloth itself is not an argument.

Who said anything about sloth?

 

[StrangerInAStrangeLand]

The devil is the COUNTER COMPARISON point

No point in having GOOD god if

there is not a point to compare the GOODNESS against

.

In Christian scriptures, god killed many more people than Satan. God caused more wars. Satan never told anyone to sacrifice their child. It was Jesus, not satan, who said to hate your parents. Satan did not say to kill witches, homosexuals & disobedient children. God did many more things we normally think of as bad than Satan did. With Job, god not only approved but encouraged the horrible things Satan did.
Going by Christian scriptures, Satan is much more good than god.

<>

 

[Michael 345]

.

In Christian scriptures, god killed many more people than Satan. God caused more wars. Satan never told anyone to sacrifice their child. It was Jesus, not satan, who said to hate your parents. Satan did not say to kill witches, homosexuals & disobedient children. God did many more things we normally think of as bad than Satan did. With Job, god not only approved but encouraged the horrible things Satan did.
Going by Christian scriptures, Satan is much more good than god.

<>

True enough

But religious minions paint the picture

god = fluffy clouds = peace and quiet = heaven

devil = hot volcano sulphur = pain and suffering = hell

Put more money in the collection plate and buy your way upstairs

Brain bubble snap

I wonder if in the US you would be able to set up a church to the devil

It might be worth visiting a city in the deep south where in the middle was a cross road

One corner god church

Other corner devil church

Next corner atheists church

Last corner petrol station

No Pat Pend

Go for it

 

[StrangerInAStrangeLand]

True enough

But religious minions paint the picture

god = fluffy clouds = peace and quiet = heaven

devil = hot volcano sulphur = pain and suffering = hell

Put more money in the collection plate and buy your way upstairs

Brain bubble snap

I wonder if in the US you would be able to set up a church to the devil

It might be worth visiting a city in the deep south where in the middle was a cross road

One corner god church

Other corner devil church

Next corner atheists church

Last corner petrol station

No Pat Pend

Go for it

.

Well, it is astounding to me that they claim to believe that book yet are so ignorant of what it says.

Why a petrol station?

<>

 

[Michael 345]

.

Well, it is astounding to me that they claim to believe that book yet are so ignorant of what it says.

Why a petrol station?

<>

If I was in the business of selling petrol I would think of all the church meetings

I might even run a competition

The church which buys the most petrol in a month get a donation based on amount bought

Have three of those large boards showing the quantity of petrol bought by each church

 

[StrangerInAStrangeLand]

If I was in the business of selling petrol I would think of all the church meetings

I might even run a competition

The church which buys the most petrol in a month get a donation based on amount bought

Have three of those large boards showing the quantity of petrol bought by each church

But the god church would stop buying from you if you donate to the other churches.

<>

 

[Michael 345]

But the god church would stop buying from you if you donate to the other churches.

<>

Might

But they just might also buy more petrol to beat those

other heathen religions

 

[Seaman]

The devil is the COUNTER COMPARISON point

No point in having GOOD god if

there is not a point to compare the GOODNESS against

I can't believe God would create an opponent, just to show his goodness.

 

[Michael 345]

I can't believe God would create an opponent, just to show his goodness.

I can't believe you believe in god

Again how would you measure goodness if you don't have a reference point?

Good against what?

Also I have never heard anything about how god created angels. And isn't the devil a fallen angel. That would make him a self made evil (evil because he wanted a shot at being the big boss in heaven)

 

[davewhite04]

The Devil, in Christian mythology, is a competing God, one we only know about from the slanderous stories in the Bible. God says we can have slaves, Satan says we can have knowledge.

How did you come to the conclusion that the devil is actually God too?