Thought this would be an appropriate counter question to the god thread in the spirit of Halloween.
Do You Believe in the Devil?
- Thread starter earllogjam
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B_ScaredLittleBoy
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The devil is a metaphor for Emperor Nero. Nero existed but I do not believe in the devil as a supernatural, malign being.
findfirefox
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:firedevil:
^ Look, there he is!
I am aware of two conceptions of the devil. According to one of them, the devil is the source of all evil in the world, moral and natural. According to the other, the devil is a source perhaps of natural evils, but moral evil comes exclusively from the will of human beings. On the first conception, the devil makes human beings do evil. On the second conception, the devil has no power to make us do anything, but can only offer us temptations: human beings do evil of their own free will. I myself do not subscribe to either conception, but I have a certain amount of respect for the second one, the conception of the devil as a tempter. The other, which ascribes moral evil to the agency of the devil, strikes me as infantile and contemptible.
^ Look, there he is!
I am aware of two conceptions of the devil. According to one of them, the devil is the source of all evil in the world, moral and natural. According to the other, the devil is a source perhaps of natural evils, but moral evil comes exclusively from the will of human beings. On the first conception, the devil makes human beings do evil. On the second conception, the devil has no power to make us do anything, but can only offer us temptations: human beings do evil of their own free will. I myself do not subscribe to either conception, but I have a certain amount of respect for the second one, the conception of the devil as a tempter. The other, which ascribes moral evil to the agency of the devil, strikes me as infantile and contemptible.
findfirefox
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I be the Devil in disguise.
Only I work and have a boss.
Evil ain't what it used to be.
As long as oil stays above $98(USD)
Evil will have employees
Only I work and have a boss.
Evil ain't what it used to be.
As long as oil stays above $98(USD)
Evil will have employees
B_Jennuine73
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Rikter8
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I saw him or one of his decipals when I was a young boy. I'll never forget it, but I still to this day wonder why I saw him. That horribly sinful grin from ear to ear and the sharp teeth, looking at me, smiling, then dissapeared behind our shed, and all that was left was a hole in the ground.
True Story.
True Story.
Mr. Snakey
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Yes. You cant believe in one and not believe in the other. The key word here is Believe.
I fail to see the logic of this. There was belief in God for centuries before there was any belief in the devil. Acknowledging the existence of evil is different from personifying it.
D_Gunther Snotpole
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the_reverend
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i go back and forth on this...whether or not i believe in a physical entity of the Devil or not. dramatically, i like the idea of an "opposition," and the tragic Miltonian figure of Lucifer appeals to me. but i don't know if i actually BELIEVE that he exists.
and if he does...what is he? the collective manifestation of our own capacity for evil and cruelty or some malignant entity bent on destroying God and Heaven? or on the opposite side the personification of our own doubt, our need to oppose and question and test ourselves...or the fallen angel who still serves his purpose in the cosmic order by tempting and testing our faith?
about the only time "Satan" appears in the Old Testament is in Job, and he is seen walking about freely in Heaven, almost as an agent of God, testing Job's faith and fidelity. the only other real point at which he pops up in the story is in the New Testament, tempting Christ in the desert. what if his function was not to corrupt Christ, but purify his spirit by having him overcome the natural temptations of his power? what if he did not exist as an external entity, but as a function of Christ overcoming his human fallibility to better handle the divine power at his disposal?
i have no answers...just questions i find interesting. whatever form he takes or whatever he or it might be, external entity or internal manifestation of what's merely within us all, one thing holds true: he holds now power over us that we do not give him.
nuff said.
and if he does...what is he? the collective manifestation of our own capacity for evil and cruelty or some malignant entity bent on destroying God and Heaven? or on the opposite side the personification of our own doubt, our need to oppose and question and test ourselves...or the fallen angel who still serves his purpose in the cosmic order by tempting and testing our faith?
about the only time "Satan" appears in the Old Testament is in Job, and he is seen walking about freely in Heaven, almost as an agent of God, testing Job's faith and fidelity. the only other real point at which he pops up in the story is in the New Testament, tempting Christ in the desert. what if his function was not to corrupt Christ, but purify his spirit by having him overcome the natural temptations of his power? what if he did not exist as an external entity, but as a function of Christ overcoming his human fallibility to better handle the divine power at his disposal?
i have no answers...just questions i find interesting. whatever form he takes or whatever he or it might be, external entity or internal manifestation of what's merely within us all, one thing holds true: he holds now power over us that we do not give him.
nuff said.
I tend to go with the Jungian theory. We create devils and demons in our own collective unconscious. I don't know how it is done but I suspect that as we can manipulate our conscious so can we manipulate our subconscious and thus create the supernatural forms we imagine. "Monsters from the id,' to quote Dr. Morbius.
I've never really believed in religion and watched a film called The Zeitgeist, the first 20 mins are dedicated to how pretty much the whole story of modern day (last couple of thousand years) religions are based on the ancient Egyptians worshipping the sun. My mind is not made up and I don't intend to influence anyone elses, but it's worth a watch. there are lots of videos on youtube blatently names 'jesus is a fake', which is a bit harsh, but who knows. So, if it appears that alol religions and the whole story of jesus' birth is based on the sun rising and falling (watch the film) i'd guess that the devil is probably bs.
However, everyone has a bit of 'the devil' in them in some respects. (I didn;t expect to talk about things like this on lpsg!)
However, everyone has a bit of 'the devil' in them in some respects. (I didn;t expect to talk about things like this on lpsg!)
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