What is your understanding of Satan?

[RubricousMidget]

Satan is a jerk. He's less powerful than God, but he isn't restricted to what God "allows" him to do; he has free will like every other angel and human. Because he came out on the losing end of an "argument" with God, he chooses to take his revenge by tormenting God's creation.

It would be like if you got into an argument with your big strong neighbor and since you knew you couldn't beat him in a fight, you kick his dog every time you get the chance.

Actually, it's more like "you kick his dog ever time you get the chance, while your neighbour is watching. That is, if God is supposed to be omniscient .

 

[Stacmon]

God of Old testament is a far more evil and a far more interesting mythological creature. Satan's character is unfortunately underdeveloped and simplistic.
Old testament reminds me more of Greek mythology so i like it more. New testament is poor in mythological content.

One of my favorite scenes is when GOD (God of OLD testament) decides to
"test" Abraham by ordering him to sacrifice his child. A scene that is extremely similar to Homer's Iliad where Agamemnon is forced by the Gods to sacrifice his child Iphigenia so the plague may stop. When both men are ready to Kill their child as the sadistic Gods order , a lamb appears and is sacrificed instead.
Agamemnon defied the Gods by insulting a Beggar , so that was his punishment. What did Abraham do ?

Another sadistic act is :
God orders the only Good people of Sodoma and Gomora to escape as the sinner's town would be destroyed. Only they shouldn't look back or else they will die. One of them does. He dies.

I disagree with you completely.

You can't say that the God of the Old Testament is "Evil." The examples you cite simply show that God isn't the one-sided "all love, no discipline" God portrayed by some people.

Being tested, for instance, being ordered to kill your son, is hardly "Evil." If one believes that God exists, then the child to be sacrificed would soon be entering paradise/heaven. It would be difficult for a person to do, but as a prophet who has heard God and is convinced of His existence, one could do it.

Furthermore, God deciding to destroy sinful cities and peoples is not all that hard to understand. If God is willing to send sinners to Hell for eternity, is it even a drop in the bucket to take their life in the transitory life of "this world?"

 

[punkbass2000]

I vote for Option 4: Satan does not exist.

 

[Smidlee]

I would vote for option 5 ; He is evil but can only do what mankind allows him to do (so he doesn't seem as evil to us); of course God keeps him in line from going too far. People will often get the ruler that is most like themselves; thus get the ruler they deserve. Satan gains power because we like his dirty tactics and see them good as long we are not the ones paying the price at the time. (A lawbreaker will see a law enforcer as evil.)

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Satan is a symbol of Mans Animal Nature. Thats why he's thought of as being evil.


edit:

Two legs = good. Two horns = bad.

 

[Smidlee]

Satan is a symbol of Mans Animal Nature. Thats why he's thought of as being evil.


edit:

Two legs = good. Two horns = bad.

IIRC This is the Greek version, Wasn't he the ruler of the underworld? In scripture he is beautiful as will as an angel and the ruler of earth, the exact opposide

 

[sysyphus]

He's a naughty boy.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

IIRC This is the Greek version, Wasn't he the ruler of the underworld? In scripture he is beautiful as will as an angel and the ruler of earth, the exact opposide

Is it the Greek version? I dont know. To me it just seems so obvious (that he symbolizes for us our animal nature, and our struggle with our most 'animalistic' impulses). He's even traditionally depicted as having two horns, cloven hooves, and a tail!

 

[Smidlee]

Is it the Greek version? I dont know. To me it just seems so obvious (that he symbolizes for us our animal nature, and our struggle with our most 'animalistic' impulses). He's even traditionally depicted as having two horns, cloven hooves, and a tail!

Hollywood love this version a lot because it easy to see evil vs good. Evil = an ugly beast vs Good= a beautiful angel. Even in the Wizard of Oz you have Ugly= evil witch vs Beautiful = good witch. In this case I must be more on the evil side.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Evil witches have more fun

 

[Stacmon]

Evil witches have more fun

Do you know this from personal experience?

 

[JonnyB]

Bright day
Where is the option: I believe in God, but Satan does not exist?

But Satan does exist! I have proof.

Spoiler :

 

[scy12]

I disagree with you completely.

This is all based on my opinions on a mythological Person , creature . Whether you agree or not it doesn't change that fact.(That i judge it as i would judge Zeus , Hera ,etc not that i am making any other statement. )

You can't say that the God of the Old Testament is "Evil." The examples you cite simply show that God isn't the one-sided "all love, no discipline" God portrayed by some people.

Being tested, for instance, being ordered to kill your son, is hardly "Evil." If one believes that God exists, then the child to be sacrificed would soon be entering paradise/heaven. It would be difficult for a person to do, but as a prophet who has heard God and is convinced of His existence, one could do it

Being ordered to Kill your son is Evil. That order causes agony , fear and sorrow to a father mad enough or weak enough that he has to think about sacrificing what is sacred to him to a Superior foreign entity. Whether the bastard will proceed to kill him or not doesn't invalidate the pain the order itself causes.

God is either insecure and dumb or likes to cause suffering for fun. Sadism.

Furthermore, God deciding to destroy sinful cities and peoples is not all that hard to understand. If God is willing to send sinners to Hell for eternity, is it even a drop in the bucket to take their life in the transitory life of "this world?"

Sorry but eternal damnation , a cataclysm that destroys all humanity that is God's creation is also very evil. That God seriously is such a sadistic freak. Thank God that he isn't real.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Do you know this from personal experience?

Its a nonstop party right up until the house falls on them

 

[Smidlee]

Again to a law breaker, a law enforcer is evil but to the just, law enforcers are a blessing. So I say those who enforce the law is for the good except to those who break the law. This is the same with God; The righteous will praise Him while the unjust will cuss Him.

 

[Bill3000]

Again to a law breaker, a law enforcer are evil but to the Just law enforcers are a blessing.

Laws are not inherintly good or evil - the D&D scale exists for a reason. Plenty of people can agree with the spirit of a law but not the letter. As well, laws can be evil as well - and if you disagree with the assumption that God is benevolent, then it's rather irrelevant.

 

[Gladi]

But Satan does exist! I have proof.

Spoiler :

Ah, no! You have gotten on our Secret Plan to cast USA into a depths of hell!

 

[Stacmon]

Being ordered to Kill your son is Evil. That order causes agony , fear and sorrow to a father mad enough or weak enough that he has to think about sacrificing what is sacred to him to a Superior foreign entity. Whether the bastard will proceed to kill him or not doesn't invalidate the pain the order itself causes.

Of course carrying out such an order would be extremely difficult, but again, if God is speaking to you and has convinced you of His existence, then it's not as though some religious official is issuing the same order and claiming it's source is God.

The way you describe the situation, you seem to hold that there is no afterlife as given, meaning that the death of the son means the disappearance of his soul.

We're talking about this story from a scriptural point of view. This means that we take the assumption as given that God exists and that this child will have a place in the afterlife.

God is either insecure and dumb or likes to cause suffering for fun. Sadism.

Not at all, that's a completely outrageous interpretation. God doesn't ask Abraham do to this because he wants Abraham to suffer, instead, the purpose is to test his faith and see how deep his trust (and submission) is.

Recall that in the end, the innocent child wasn't killed, instead he was spared at the moment when it was obvious that Abraham was completely willing to do this.

Muslims for example believe that everything we possess is due to the mercy of God. Therefore, should He choose to take it away, we must be prepared to relinquish it. The same applies to children or family members, of course Muslims would be saddened and in mourning, but they acknowledge that "this life" is transitory and that no one, no matter how healthy will live forever.

Sorry but eternal damnation , a cataclysm that destroys all humanity that is God's creation is also very evil. That God seriously is such a sadistic freak. Thank God that he isn't real.

Again, you assume that God does these things (ie: Day of Judgement) to harm and cause pain to people. If God takes a life, and that person was good, they will end up in paradise.

If this life is a test, as Muslims understand it to be, then ending such a test and permitting a person to spend eternity in paradise is a great mercy.

Imagine for a second that paradise does exist, and that if your time there is infinite, any amount of time spent on Earth will seem unbelievably short. Any trials or suffering you endured on Earth are quickly overshadowed.

 

[Stacmon]

This is the same with God; The righteous will praise Him while the unjust will cuss Him.

Agreed .

 

[Smidlee]

Laws are not inherintly good or evil - the D&D scale exists for a reason. Plenty of people can agree with the spirit of a law but not the letter. As well, laws can be evil as well - and if you disagree with the assumption that God is benevolent, then it's rather irrelevant.

I am referring to law enforcers in general not on any given law. (there are bad cops) Even in Jesus day's Roman had unfair laws but he told his disciple to "walk the extra mile" as even though men abuse the legal system (this abuse lead Jesus to the cross ) that generally, laws are good. Without them leads to chaos.
While I see our (USA) courts system a complete joke and badly abused, I still see courts/legal system overall for the good.