The Devil

[IrrelevantTangent]

Firstly, it absolves God of any blame whatsoever of all of the evil in this world. Starving children in Africa? El Diablo. Serial rapists on a rampage? The Devil did it! Hitler's conquests? The Devil made him do it! Such a concept means it isn't God's fault, or rather, it isn't a supposedly omnipotent deity's fault, that so much is wrong with the world. The Devil is simply a convenient scapegoat.

The thing of using it as a reason to absolve blame is really wrong.

Yes, from the christian standpoint bad things happen because of satan. But every person has free will. People do some REALLY retardedly stupid things.
The good thing about free will: You get to do what you wat
Tha bad thing: You have to deal with the choices of every other wanker out there.

Should God/whatever intervene into EVERY situation where wrong is being done... then free will would only be to the extent "you can do what you want, aslong as it's good. If it's bad... well you won't have a chance to even do it" thus removing free will entirely.
that doesn't mean that there isn't proding from each side, but it still doesn't mean every bad thing is caused by the devil. People just have to accept they are bloody stupid things at times.

You're right about people having free will- the Devil doesn't make people do things, people make people do things. I'm playing the devil's advocate, no pun intended, by pointing out the obvious flaws in the related Christian philosophy.

I didn't say God had to intervene, and deists make their whole viewpoints revolve around the fact that God created the universe and THEN God decided not to intervene.

The Christians would have you believe that the Devil is responsible for the evil in the world and the evil lurking within peoples' hearts, but the Devil didn't invent evil. People did. It was an unfortunate side effect of God giving people free will.

As a Buddhist, personally, I don't really believe in God or the Gods or the Devil or anything like that as much as I believe in a force that created the universe and that's responsible for maintaining it. It's up to us whether or not we want to be evil or good. The Devil doesn't enter into the equation. But Christianity says the opposite, so that's why I'm pointing out the flaws associated with that stance.

 

[Zersy]

I'd say - Devil is nothing compared to the humans. Even he can't kill hundreds of thousands of people so fast.

He's the one that makes us kill hundreds of thousands of people so fast

 

[kaziard]

remember children that lucifer is not satan he's satans sidekick....or the other way round cant remember which

anywho the devil isnt blamed for the things people do wrong (murders rapes etc) the faiths normally just see him as a tempter he cant ACTUALLY force you to do anything. That is why he cant be considered a scapegoat, if christians truely belived the devil makes everything bad happen why would they endorse punishing criminals at all? after all it wouldnt be their fault.

 

[Zersy]

"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."

So true

Damn that was a good movie

and a amazing line

 

[Tarmon'gaidin]

Well if you believe in God then you would have to believe that he created everything, that includes the devil. So why would God create something evil?

 

[Hoxton]

Well he did try to overthrow God.
Still, it's not like we all haven't had a go at some time or another.

i don't remember anything written in the bible about devil overthrowing god...
wtf r u smoking?

 

[IrrelevantTangent]

Well if you believe in God then you would have to believe that he created everything, that includes the devil. So why would God create something evil?

Like someone whose name I can't remember said, God must be wicked or weak.

I just don't think the Devil or Hell exists, because if God is the kindly benevolent deity that the Bible describes him as, he'd never create something so evil.

 

[The Infamous Scamola]

Good ol' Red.

 

[The Infamous Scamola]

I'd say - Devil is nothing compared to the humans. Even he can't kill hundreds of thousands of people so fast.

He's the one that makes us kill hundreds of thousands of people so fast

Free will.

Nuff' said.

 

[Abedeus]

I'd say - Devil is nothing compared to the humans. Even he can't kill hundreds of thousands of people so fast.

He's the one that makes us kill hundreds of thousands of people so fast

Nnno, we are. Maybe he whispers sometimes too loudly, but we have free will to do what we want.

It's like with something like that:

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0435.html


And yeah, most of the people have angel and a devil, some have only angels... and the rest has only devils.

Well if you believe in God then you would have to believe that he created everything, that includes the devil. So why would God create something evil?

He didn't create the devil. He created angels and gave them free will, because without it, there is no love. But since some of them abused that free will, God punished them. And now they are fallen angels, devils if you wish, that always were evil.

I mean, nobody would create his own enemy...

 

[The Infamous Scamola]

Well if you believe in God then you would have to believe that he created everything, that includes the devil. So why would God create something evil?

He didn't create the devil. He created angels and gave them free will, because without it, there is no love. But since some of them abused that free will, God punished them. And now they are fallen angels, devils if you wish, that always were evil.

I mean, nobody would create his own enemy...

Being God though, shouldn't he have predicted that one of his angels would have abused his free will?

Also, why can't God just destroy the Devil and all evi? Is it because he's lazy or just not omnipotent?

 

[Abedeus]

Well if you believe in God then you would have to believe that he created everything, that includes the devil. So why would God create something evil?

He didn't create the devil. He created angels and gave them free will, because without it, there is no love. But since some of them abused that free will, God punished them. And now they are fallen angels, devils if you wish, that always were evil.

I mean, nobody would create his own enemy...

Being God though, shouldn't he have predicted that one of his angels would have abused his free will?

Also, why can't God just destroy the Devil and all evi? Is it because he's lazy or just not omnipotent?

Because that would mean taking away their freedom to exist. Also, he probably did predict that. It's just that if he stopped them... Well, then he'd say "to hell with free will". If he didn't give them free will at all, then there would be no love in the first place.

 

[Zersy]

I'd say - Devil is nothing compared to the humans. Even he can't kill hundreds of thousands of people so fast.

He's the one that makes us kill hundreds of thousands of people so fast

Nnno, we are. Maybe he whispers sometimes too loudly, but we have free will to do what we want.

It's like with something like that:

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0435.html


And yeah, most of the people have angel and a devil, some have only angels... and the rest has only devils.

Well if you believe in God then you would have to believe that he created everything, that includes the devil. So why would God create something evil?

He didn't create the devil. He created angels and gave them free will, because without it, there is no love. But since some of them abused that free will, God punished them. And now they are fallen angels, devils if you wish, that always were evil.

I mean, nobody would create his own enemy...

Thats why Angels no longer have Free will

 

[The Infamous Scamola]

Sorry, I effed up.

 

[Ranooth]

Am i the person that thinks Stephan Fry would make a great devil?

 

[The Infamous Scamola]

Well if you believe in God then you would have to believe that he created everything, that includes the devil. So why would God create something evil?

He didn't create the devil. He created angels and gave them free will, because without it, there is no love. But since some of them abused that free will, God punished them. And now they are fallen angels, devils if you wish, that always were evil.

I mean, nobody would create his own enemy...

Being God though, shouldn't he have predicted that one of his angels would have abused his free will?

Also, why can't God just destroy the Devil and all evi? Is it because he's lazy or just not omnipotent?

Because that would mean taking away their freedom to exist. Also, he probably did predict that. It's just that if he stopped them... Well, then he'd say "to hell with free will". If he didn't give them free will at all, then there would be no love in the first place.

If god is cool with free will and all then why does he punish people with Hell?

 

[fletch_talon]

Its impossible to be literally omnipotent(all powerful) because as in this case if you were all powerful you simultaneously could and could not create something that not even you could destroy.
Or to phrase it more familarily: "could God/Jesus microwave a burrito so hot, that not even he could eat it?"

As for The Devil, I can't help but wonder this too. If The Devil hates God so much, why does he punish people that break GOD'S rules? And if The Devil is evil then why does God let him claim people's souls? Even if we decide that murderers and rapists deserve eternity in hell, what about those who just chose not to believe in God, or those who felt the need to be physically intimate with those they found attractive (who so happened to be the same gender)?

In other words, who is more evil, the torturer or the omnipotent (almost) being that sits back and watches him do his work? Obviously the first guy, but its a close one.

 

[Abedeus]

If God is so cool with free will and all then why does he punish people with Hell?

Because someone already said it.

The good thing about free will: You get to do what you wat
Tha bad thing: You have to deal with the choices of every other wanker out there.

If there were no rules, how would people learn? It would be wasted. Besides, some rules are to stay. Without them, the world would die in chaos. Very, very fast.

It doesn't mean you CAN'T do them. You can, but may not. It means that while you may kill someone, you will have to pay for his death. And God damn it, quote right, you broke apart my post and made it look like I asked why God doesn't destroy the devil.

Thats why Angels no longer have Free will

And people like you are now Gonzos? Woah.

Source or didn't happen.

 

[The Infamous Scamola]

If God is so cool with free will and all then why does he punish people with Hell?

Because someone already said it.

The good thing about free will: You get to do what you wat
Tha bad thing: You have to deal with the choices of every other wanker out there.

If there were no rules, how would people learn? It would be wasted. Besides, some rules are to stay. Without them, the world would die in chaos. Very, very fast.

It doesn't mean you CAN'T do them. You can, but may not. It means that while you may kill someone, you will have to pay for his death. And God damn it, quote right, you broke apart my post and made it look like I asked why God doesn't destroy the devil.

Yes, but then why doesn't he punish the baddest ************ out there i.e. Satan?

And if Satan is against God, then why does Satan punish people who go against God's rules?