The so called "Evil" antagonist of the Bible. The question comes to this: Why is he the evil one? He killed a mere ten people in the Bible, possibly more to around fifty at most, while God, the supposed good one, killed billions. The only "negative" thing he did was rebel against god, but it was a just rebel. Who would want to live under that tyrant?
So the question comes down to: Why do Christians think Satan is evil?
This interpretation as refers to predetermination as well. In my opinion, the only time free will will be broken is when God decides it's time for the Rapture.
God issuing commands and punishing those who don't follow sounds like effecting free will to me.
Interesting history lesson. It wasn't until the New Testament that Lucifer was considered a villan. In fact the Old Testament respects Lucifer and does not consider him to be evil. In fact, Lucifer himself is unwilling to do harm to those who walk the earth. In Job God must force Lucifer into the position, wherein God then turns it around and tells Lucifer that He, God, was forced by Lucifer to hurt Job, when in fact, the opposite is true. (Side note God gave Lucifer the power to hurt Job).
It was until the New Testament that people started hating Lucifer. Why? Well during the time it was writen Christians were under the influence from several outside creeds. Many of these creeds had an advesary to combat their god or gods. In order for Christianity to "fit in" so to speak they took a respected figure of their past and turned him into what we consider Lucifer today. Evil.
I'll have to break up this run-on sentence. Christians are taught that Satan goes by many names so I have no idea what you're talking about when you say "most people consider Lucifer and Satan as separate entities"?
Actually they all started as separate entities, some of them being gods them self of different religions. They ended up being demonized by Christianity mainly to get people to convert and they ended up becoming Satan's generals and later being viewed as a single being, Satan himself.
Seeing as satan is literally translated into adversary, it makes sense that any demon against God would be called satan. Thus the mistake of them all being a single entity.
he tried taking over Heaven, he wanted to overthrow the creator, the one who provides for everyone, thats why he is evil
He tried to overthrow someone who committed genocide on a daily bases, killed anyone who did not call him awesome, and flipped out killing at a funny look. He did not do it out of evil.
Also, the people that God killed were all sinners, and the people that Satan killed were not all sinners
Satan killed a few people, WITH GOD'S HELP AND BLESSING, if god did not do it himself, in a bet with said deity. Satan killed no one that god did not approve of.
And why would an all powerful being have to kill someone? Why not some divine prison? And how could every man, women, babe, and donkey all be sinners? God killed nations that pissed him off, not all were sinners. I will take a quote from the Brick testament, the one on the census that either god or Satan told him to do. " This worked out well. Killing 70,000 Israelites but not harming David will teach him not to make a census when I tell him to take a census!"
I dont think satan is evil. I think his job is to punish those who did wrong in life, and those that attempt to possess humanity are simply demonic souls, as are the ones who tempt humans with a better life through suicide.
Revelation 6:8 I looked and there was a sickly pale horse and its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed behind him. It looks like they share him to.
This is ridiculous. There is no proof here at all. If you want answers to this, you would have to go look at God before the Earth was made. Here are some facts you may not be aware of:
There were Angels before Earth. Humans were not allowed into heaven until after Jesus' death, they were stored in a place called Paradise. Satan was with God while the Earth was made. This means that at one point, Satan was actually a perfect being, like God himself.
This raises another question: Is God flawed? In the bible, it tells us God is not flawed, but wouldn't that just mean that if that were not true, God is flawed? We are flawed, and he created us to be perfect, and now, we are flawed.
ALSOâ"â"â"â" God must have had a counsel before the Earth was made, because the bible states that Humans were not permitted into Heaven until after Jesus was crucified. So Angels like Gabriel must have been around before the Earth was made. So must have had Satan. Made to test us. Or made to be an earthly angel, but flawed. But he's flawed, and God made him, so does that mean God's flawed, or is he not flawed, and created us to see what flawed people would behave like. But he if he is perfect, his brain would have to be able to calculate all of this, thus making us either a figmant of his mind, or God's flawed.
he tried taking over Heaven, he wanted to overthrow the creator, the one who provides for everyone, thats why he is evil Also, the people that God killed were all sinners, and the people that Satan killed were not all sinners
This really supports nothing. Allow me to discredit you.
First off, historically rebellions have often had a long term effect for the positive. The American Revolution was one such rebellion. People did not like how things were run, so they fought over it and eventually won their freedom. Let us then look to the French Revolution. While at first glance it acheived nothing, over the course of time it planted the seeds which helped over throw the Frecnh (and many other) monarchies after WWI. So for Lucifer to rebel against God may be considered not an evil act, but an act for the good of humanity. Lucifer (shown through my last post) was not the type to interfere, and the bible shows him to be an intelligent and wise character, while God is a blood thirsty tyrant. Tyrants need to be overthrown.
Next let's move on to God. God in no way deserves to be worshiped. He makes laws but then contradicts these laws. What kind of sense is that. Why is he allowed to kill but humans are not? Furthermore God openly admits he is a jealous god, BUT, jealousy is considered one of the Seven Deadly Sins. So, I ask you, how is it remotely possible for God not to be flawed? And, since God is flawed and he claims to be perfect (which he isn't) why does he deserve our worship?
he tried taking over Heaven, he wanted to overthrow the creator, the one who provides for everyone, thats why he is evil
Battered wife: "he provides for me."
Also, the people that God killed were all sinners
First two characteristics of a bettered wife seem clear in this statement. "1. The woman believes that the violence was her fault. 2. The woman has an inability to place the responsibility for the violence elsewhere."
and the people that Satan killed were not all sinners
Also keep in mind he only acted with God's permission, all to win a bet. So those deaths are shared with God.
I believe this goes with Adam and Eve. Because of the first sin, man was made to grow his own food and women to have painful births and such. Before that Adam did not know what sin was. If Satan hadn't tempted Cain into killing Abel no one would know what dying is either.
That does not go along with a few nomadic Native American tribes. They followed the herds, they did not grow there own food. If every human had to grow there own food, then how did these tribes live and prosper?
That does not go along with a few nomadic Native American tribes. They followed the herds, they did not grow there own food. If every human had to grow there own food, then how did these tribes live and prosper?
You may be on to something there, it does sound like a transition from a nomadic to a settlement lifestyle. Something you might see happening more and more around the time the story was first concocted. So that might be where some of the stories elements came from.
I find it funny how you guys can debate an issue about a person who probably didn't exist.
I mean, sure, if enough people believe in it, it must be true. Monkey see, monkey do. Yeah, like Bill Maher said, a billion flies can't be wrong, they eat poop, why not us?
Referring Christians to flies is a little extreme, but it's true if you go a little deeper into the analogy. We don't know if Satan existed so stop trying to act as if you know he is real, and stop debating about beliefs because we know it won't resolve anything, nor will it make one belief better or worse than the other.
