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I asked my priest about the devil and he told me that hes not real and is a mythical creature only to be taken figurativly. my question is who is satan and where did he come from? what do you think of what my priest said?
The devil is a metaphor to explain the option of choices. As an example, if you see someone desperately in need of your help, assuming you didn’t ignore the situation, you have two choices. You can help to the best of your capabilities expecting nothing or little in return or you can exploit the situation and profit from someone else’s misfortune.
The first choice has the potential to build a friendship, trust and a positive experience of you and the situation. Those who believe in karma say what goes around comes around. There is no guarantee, but there is a really good chance that the person you helped will have nothing but nice things to say about you. You start to develop a status of trustworthiness in his circle of friends.
If you, on the other hand decide to exploit the situation, and milk it for whatever value it has, usually monetary, instead of friendship and trust, you foster disgust and loathing between the two of you. Instead of a relaxed friendly smile every time you meet, you will probably confront a stiffly postured person with a scowl and matching body language. His friends and acquaintances will not smile when they are in the same vicinity as you are. You will probably start to develop a sense of loneliness and distrust from others around you.
I was fortunate enough to grow up in a small town where people did stop and offer a hand when needed. It was a time for small talk and developing long-term friendships. Today this is not the case, everyone is out for what they can get screw everybody else. Most people don’t even know their neighbor two doors down the street. There is the imaginary need for added security because of the distrust people have with each other. This choice causes division among neighbors, nuisance arguments and often an escalation of petty indiscretions that can lead to out right border disputes and clashes. The small claims courts all around the country are filled to the brim with suits from this situation.
Most people that find themselves in the above scenario have the first choice automatically come across their consciousness. Those that make the second choice do so after discarding the first.
Which situation given above would you rather raise your wife and children in?
People give Satan more credit then he deserves. Such as, "the devil made me do it,"etc. Scripture says 100's of times that Satan was an angel who rebelled against God and other references to his unsavory characteristics. Subsequently the devil was kicked out of heaven and sent to prowl on this earth ,like a roaring lion, seeking to devour those who reject Christ. As for the inferance to Job. God uses Satan for His own perfect will. If you read the whole story about how Satan had to ask God's permission to do something to Job then you would see that Satan's power is only as strong as God allows. Also, at the end of the story, Job's posessions etc, were restored many times over. It was because of his faithfulness to God. As for the comment on God's mercy, well, let's just say that it is not God's will that men and women go to hell, it's because of our own choice. Scripture says that God's mercy is new every morning, but it also says that sin demands justice. You can't have one without the other. It would be like all the murderers, rapists, child molesters etc. all being able to run free with no penalty to pay, ever. There has to be justice at some level. God provides that justice in the form of hell.
Your priest is right, and seems to have a better grasp of proper Biblical interpretation than the vast majority of Christians.
'satan' is not a formal name in the Old Testament, it's simply a word that means 'adversary'. The idea that Satan is some kind of evil angel developed long after the origin of Christianity, when transliteration errors in the Latin Vulgate combined with a failure to recognize the story of Jesus' 40 days in the desert as an allegorical recollection of Israel's 40 years in the desert, to create the idea of Satan as a demon.
"Is the devil real?"
No!
The devil is a "creature of the night (dark)" utilized to instill fear in people so as to gain control over them.
"Is evil real?"
No!
Evil is where we classify those events in out lives that "seem" to be negatives to our existence or reality.
In reality those negatives are events which might be hurdles we are meant to over come but were preordained "possibilities" that were programed into the existence of our current entity prior to our incarnation but with our approval.
The devil isn't real, nothing religious is real...I'm sorry but god is just a mythical person who was made up to give people something to belive in and live for...this was supposed to bring peace and to help people at their time of need by giving people hope that their is someone out there that can help them. Yes people might say that the devil is real but that is just silly...but I do like the phrase from the movie 'when hell is full the dead will walk the earth'-dawn of the dead...amazin film :)
The devil is real it all started in heaven this 'satan' used to be an angel his real name is Lucipher I don't know if I spelt rite but he was God trustworthy angel but this angel got jelouse of God that why doesnt have powers like he does then he became known as satan
my dads a pastor & I've been raised as a christian & things have happened 2 my mum, nan & our family my mum & nan have experience exorcism its freaky anyways you can always read the bible its all there they mention the 'devil`
people...THIS PRIEST IS RIGHT SATAN IS INSIDE PPLS HEAD the bible is figurative not literal theres no hell inside the center of the earth or heaven in the clouds heaven and hell is here on earth you choose...were to be...think about that satan and god is inside u...so in other words is weird because satan is real because it's not a devil with horns and a tail or some rebel angel banned from heaven...true satan is the evil in man's heart and mind...makes you think dosen't it ...
toadaly pretty much summed it up, it's very clear if you read the "Old Testament" that Satan is not at all out of favor with God but is in fact an agent of God who does his bidding (usually the nastier stuff), or in the case of Job, literally plays devil's advocate wtih God as part of some sort of celestial court proceeding.
Elaine Pagel's book "The Origin of Satan" is a very excellent read if you want to know more about how Satan as we know him came to be.
moxt people don't want to acknowledge him becaouse you are serving one or the other, If not God then the Devil and you will spend eternity with one or the other. Catholics don't usually get to far into the word so your priest doesn't really know and He is probably not wanting to put stuff out there that he is not knowledgeable about. satan is a defeated foe and he has already lost the battle. If you read the back of the book We WIN.
that question can only be answered by what feels right to you. some people believe there is an actual evil being. some people believe the devil is a representation of things that are evil. some people don't even believe in evil. I think I've covered my bases. educate yourself with facts, not random people opinions, and you will figure out what works for you. good luck on your quest.
I don't go to church im not a saint I have no pastor I sin but I believe in God, I love God, and I try to do my best to stay away from bad things even though sometimes I do not try hard enough, I have faith and I do pray and read the bible, and I feel that God is in my life and it is the best feeling in the world, I know its right theres no way that God is not real.
Lucifer / Devil / Latin Vulgate / Prince of Darkness, etc - whatever one wants to call him, as stated in the book of Revelation, he and all who's names are not found in the 'Bool of Life' will be cast into the Lake of Fire for all eternity - he has already been defeated - so it matters not - all of this is in the Bible/God's word, if anyone cares to check...Take care !!
the devil is so reall for example we can tale when a person gets posses by demons how do I know their demons because this different voice comes out of their mouth different and way more scarrier than their normal human voices I see a lot of this in other countries like Mexico and south America people down there are really heavey in wicth craft very scarry!
There are may different explainations here but it all boils down to this.
If you believe that the devil is real, then unforgiven sins get you sent to hell. If you don't believe that the devil is real, then unforgiven sins get you sent to hell.
So either way a christian should live the same way, so as not to go to hell. Whats the difference.
I agree with yoworld, and how can you amblessed recite sum silly lines from the bible. It makes me lol. no one cud record all of these lines that you see in the bible...they probably didnt av anythin 2 write wiv bak then, lolz. gid is gay, athiests rock. Yes people hu belive in god are sed 2 av a better life but at least we dont live on a lie!
LMAO! That's a good one. In other words I need a lobotomy.
fyorella, there are people in this world who are willing to deceive, or are willing to pass on misinformation without checking it. You can't simply trust what your pastor says, nor what I say for that matter.
Check it out for yourself.
the devil is real and I think the story to how he came about existence is that God created angels to serve him, and his most beautiful angel was lucifer, and he betrayed him, and tried to actually overpower God and be God. After this, God condemned him to hell so that he would suffer for eternity
Satan is considered real by most of the Christians that I know. Even if you do not believe in him as a person, accept that evil is real. Yes in the Bible the devil has access to God and heaven. His time is running out therefore so his will is redoubled upon the earth. That's what my pastor says.
Pretty arrogant to call God a liar - He says in His word , in the last days:
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
That's all well and good, but on matters of fact, such as whether or not 'Lucifer' is actually a Biblical name, or whether the name originated as a transliteration error from the Latin Vulgate, you are more than capable of verifying whether or not that's true.
He may be real to some people but if you read this book called "The Nephilim" By: Jared Stephen Morgan...you will see that what Christians say, isn't really true. It Just doesn't make sense...
I know what your priest said is contrary to God's word - all the answers you seek and truth about the devil can be found there - in short, YES, he is very, very real...Hope this helps !!
It's kind of funny that for once the atheists are quoting scripture to back up their points and the believers are using appeals to authority (pastors). I just dont' see that everyday.
leoenis, which is more reasonable:
I think your priest should read the bible. If he belives in God, then, he would believe in the devil.
Do you think the evil in the world happens by itself?
Sure pipet. Let me guess what you think you base that on...the Bible?
Wrong. There is nothing in the Bible about living with Satan for eternity.
Which one of those talks about spending eternity with Satan?
I assume you are familiar with what Revelation has to say about the pit of fire?
Psa 30:12; 41:13; 72:17; 90:2; 110:4; 119:142; Mat 6:13; 18:8; 2Cr 9:9; Jud 1:6
LIFE, EVERLASTING
PUNISHMENT, ETERNAL
YOu will either live with him some day or live with the Lord for eternity. and no excuses will be used on that day.
heh, I just noticed the "day and night" part. Do you think you can see the stars when it's night time in hell?
*** and his most beautiful angel was lucifer,
"lucifer" is a transliteration error from the Latin vulgate.
Yes it was made for the devil and his companions. It wasn't made for man. thats why its a choice.
How can someone believe in one end of the Spiritual spectrum without believing in the other?
...after all, most fairy tales do end with "...and they all lived happily ever after".
"shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. "
God's mercy...gotta love it!
of course the devil is wierd not all bad people go to heaven
Shouting doesn't make a delusional rant sound any smarter.
toadaly you just need to find God in your life
...ok. Which one are you reading?
YES HE IS REAL AND SO IS HELL
thats the one your reading
