So, does he directly influence my thoughts and cause neurons to fire that wouldn't have fired?
(I know Jesus talked about hearts and emotions, but actually our hearts are not involved in generating emotions. Hearts merely respond to emotions)
How powerful is Satan?
- Thread starter El_Machinae
- Start date
So, does he directly influence my thoughts and cause neurons to fire that wouldn't have fired?
(I know Jesus talked about hearts and emotions, but actually our hearts are not involved in generating emotions. Hearts merely respond to emotions)
Random question for you, El_Mac, don't want to get too off topic:
Do you believe in free will?
Do you believe in free will?
I don't know enough about it, actually, to definitively hold an opinion on whether it exists or not.
That said, I live my life with the assumption that free will exists.
(Though, in counterpoint to your 'random question' assertion: I'd suggest that this question of yours was not entirely random, but a product of the fact that this thread exists)
cubsfan6506
Got u
Technically don't you have to exist to be powerful.
Depends on what you mean by choice. We all bear individual responsibility for our actions because we will them with our thoughts. But when you think about how a) all things begin ultimately with God, and b) God sees their final end and has unlimited power to execute his will, we really aren't the deciders of our destiny at all.
Satan fits into this as yet another mechanism of God's ultimate will. He is malevolent, but every evil action he uses against us falls under God's will as much as any action of ours.
MobBoss said:
Fair enough. Predestination is one of my favorite topics of theology, but this isn't the thread for it.
MobBoss
Off-Topic Overlord
Same standard applies.
i.e. everyone who is not of your faith is on the side of Satan????
(I'm literally staring at the screen in amazement here)
MobBoss
Off-Topic Overlord
Again, the bible is fairly explicit on drawing a line between the godless and the righteous. While we are mandated to bring Christs message to as many of the lost as we can, there isnt really any gray area where this is concerned.
Perhaps you should do some bible research and then perhaps you wouldnt be so amazed when discussing Christianity.
Well, it's not so much the Christianity of it (God knows, there's enough flavours of it around, so that one would constantly be amazed if researching them), but rather the dividing of the world into "good" and "evil" like that.
Hopefully the majority of self-professed christians don't think like that.
Wow.. still amazed here.
warpus
Sommerswerd asked me to change this
He can do that without you knowing that it is Satan hardening your heart? Because if you are aware of Satan's existence, there is no way you can deny that God must exist, and by extension can't be an atheist.
MobBoss said:
A lot of us are just not convinced that God exists, so we're unable to choose a side. It would be dishonest.
Simply put, we don't know exactly. Sometimes in the past, but whether it was before Creation or after we don't know. It's all speculation as to when exactly he fell form Heaven.
Personally I think the reason is that God gave Satan, and us, free will, and with that free will comes a certain freedom to act out how we want to, even after we choose to disobey God. (It isn't unlimited, though) I think giving us this freedom does serve God's purpose, but how exactly I'm not sure. I don't claim to know everything, and the Bible doesn't even claim to record all knowledge, even of spiritual matters - it just claims to be enough to tell us about God that we may be saved. That's it.
What exactly astonishes you? That Christians think that non-believers are morally depraved when compared to God? Or that evil acts serve Satan's purposes?
MobBoss
Off-Topic Overlord
Again, he is there whether you are willing to accept that or not.
Not choosing a side is still a choice. Even you should realize that. In this particular battle there are no neutral bystanders.
warpus
Sommerswerd asked me to change this
Just saying that the sides aren't that clear, especially when I'm not convinced that they actually exist.
Just my perspective...
MobBoss
Off-Topic Overlord
If they dont believe in 'good' or 'evil' ala 'God' or 'Satan'....then exactly how good a christian do you think they are? I mean really, God is pretty clear that he wants people to be 'hot' or 'cold' concerning him...the lukewarm he will spat out (the root word of that verse actually means to vomit).
I dont intend to be a merely lukewarm christian, thus I am unwilling to compromise my faith like you think 'good' christians should.
You can be unconvinced all you like - but surely you must see that making no decision is, in effect, a decision in and of itself.
warpus
Sommerswerd asked me to change this
Are you making a decision by not choosing one Hindu deity over another? No, you're simply not interested because you do not think they exist. You chose no sides.
Some people give Satan more power than they should. "Get thee behind me Satan" wasn't meant as a pick up line.
If my not choosing sides serves the purpose of one of those hypothetical Hindu deities, then yes, I am.
Gilder
Deity
The Devil is weaker than the Super Devil.
warpus
Sommerswerd asked me to change this
So then, given how many deities people believe in, I suppose we are all making thousands of indirect decisions. Why should I care about this one then?
