Do we believe the devil has horns and a pitchfork

[ThisShouldMakeSense]

Do we think he is active today? If we do, how does he manifests himself (or herself I suppose). How do we recognise his works?

Just look around. Watch the news. He is the ruler of the world. 2 Corinthians 4:4

 

[Malus 12:9]

In reply to your post, That DEFINITLY made sense, frubals ya way.

 

[Merlin]

Just look around. Watch the news. He is the ruler of the world. 2 Corinthians 4:4

which Items on the news do you think are caused by the devil?

 

[jorylore]

The Bible gives no such description of Satan. That is the product of the minds of medieval artists who were influenced by representations of the mythological Greek god Pan and the Inferno written by the Italian poet Dante Alighieri.

 

[ThisShouldMakeSense]

which Items on the news do you think are caused by the devil?

Well, it can go all the way back to the garden of Eden. Satan has effectively challenged God's sovereignty. Who has the right to rule? Is man better off with God or without him? Satan thinks that man can live independently of God, whilst God says that they can't. How do they settle the argument? Let man rule himself. So God stepped back and let them get on with it. And look at the result. Man has tried every type of government and none has been completely successful. Why?
Jeremiah 10:23: O Lord, I know that a man's way is not known by himself. It is not in man to lead his own steps.

 

[Melody]

I was just curious from a verbal picture painted by a different thread on this forum. People also seemed to be reluctant to use the word devil. They kept using the expression 'you-know-who'. Does anybody know why I?

All through the bible there are mentions of Satan and yes I believe he exists. However, I believe he can only tempt us as he tempted Christ. He cannot force us to do something we do not want to do. It is always our free will to choose whether to give in to that temptation. For that reason, I believe that the evil in the world is not Satan's doing, but rather the willful acts of humans.

No, I do not believe he carries a pitchfork and has horns. I think it more likely that he's dressed in a minister's outfit and has his own Sunday morning televangelical hour....or wears the facade of a great muslim imam....or bishop....or rabbi.....or self-designated prophet of God.

 

[MdmSzdWhtGuy]

I have seen him. I have laid mine own eyes upon him.

He is Don King, and he has ruined boxing. . .

So let it be written.

On a serious side note to our illustrious thread starter. Some people are in fact hesitant
to name the Devil, Satan, Lucifer, Beelzebub, MdmSzdWhtGuy's Ex Wife, whatever you
want to call him/her/it. This hesitancy goes back many hundreds of years to the dark
ages when people were even more superstitious than today, and feared that they would
bring the Devil around by mentioning his name.

They often referred to him as "Old Hob" or made vague references to "Him that dwells
below" and that sort of thing. So that might be a bit of a background story as to why
some folks have an aversion to naming him in speach or writing.

And no, he doesn't have a pitchfork and a tail, but does appear to have a funny hairdo.

B.

 

[Merlin]

No, I do not believe he carries a pitchfork and has horns. I think it more likely that he's dressed in a minister's outfit and has his own Sunday morning televangelical hour....or wears the facade of a great muslim imam....or bishop....or rabbi.....or self-designated prophet of God.

Now there's an interesting thought

 

[Malus 12:9]

He cannot force us to do something we do not want to do. It is always our free will to choose whether to give in to that temptation.

That, I tend not to believe so much, but in the risk of being flamed by Christian lynches, I shall not continue.

 

[Ormiston]

I like the little red demons with their wee-wees floppin around. The worst they can do is pull your hair or throw your cat in the oven....

On the naming of the devil, a lot of fantasy novels involve peasants fearful of naming the devil-wanna-be of the story. Must be some truth to primitive superstitions like this. Might even be connected to taking the Lords name in vain...I don't believe in the devil though. Frankly, I can't imagine any entity capable of worse atrocities than humans.

 

[greatcalgarian]

http://www.moderateindependent.com/v2i4devil.htm

And Bush may be able to describe Satan to us as :
http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/images/blbushsatanic.htm
http://politicalhumor.about.com/b/a/141154.htm

And for US$20, you can actually see the devil
http://www.cafepress.com/cp/browse/Ntt-Devil_nr-1_N-20682665_Ntk-All_D-Devil_Nao-1
But no pitchfork.

 

[Scarlett]

I don't believe in a devil with horns and a pitchfork but as temptation within us except I know that with the mentally ill that here voices. That there are good and bad voices. mostly experience with good voices that help those that can not cope defend themselves. They have a tendency to look scary since you can't here the voice talking to them on how to protect themselves. So I am not sure about the devil as an evil force voice what do ya think?

 

[Merlin]

Well, it can go all the way back to the garden of Eden. Satan has effectively challenged God's sovereignty. Who has the right to rule? Is man better off with God or without him? Satan thinks that man can live independently of God, whilst God says that they can't. How do they settle the argument? Let man rule himself. So God stepped back and let them get on with it. And look at the result. Man has tried every type of government and none has been completely successful. Why?
Jeremiah 10:23: O Lord, I know that a man's way is not known by himself. It is not in man to lead his own steps.

But I am curious as to which specific items on the news you think you are inspired by the devil

 

[michel]

I don't believe in a devil with horns and a pitchfork but as temptation within us except I know that with the mentally ill that here voices. That there are good and bad voices. mostly experience with good voices that help those that can not cope defend themselves. They have a tendency to look scary since you can't here the voice talking to them on how to protect themselves. So I am not sure about the devil as an evil force voice what do ya think?

Hi Scarlett;

First off, I haven't 'met' you yeet, and would therefore like to say welcome to the forum.

Indeed, you might like to post on Are you new to ReligiousForums.com? , so as to introduce yourself to the members, and tell us a bit about yourself.

I think the mentally ill that you are talking about are schitzophrenics; and i don't think it is the devil who talks to them; they suffer from a form of disassociation and that is why they have numerous personalities.

I guess the Devil must exist, but I haven't ever spoken to him - I crossed him off my Christmas card list as soon as i was old enough.

I think he may probably be 'the sum of all that is bad in man' - in Spirit, much as God is all that is Good.
Pichforks - nah he's nasty enough as it is, besides, he likes to try and pass himself off as a good guy - that how he traps people - he is subtle.

 

[may]

So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven say:


​

"Now have come to pass the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ, because the accuser of our brothers has been hurled down, who accuses them day and night before our God......revelation 12;9-10.............................
yes he is misleading the whole earth thats for sure

​

(1 John 5:19) We know we originate with God, but the whole world is lying in the [power of the] wicked one

 

[ThisShouldMakeSense]

But I am curious as to which specific items on the news you think you are inspired by the devil

Nothing specific as such, just the general atmosphere of the world and the fall in morals etc, etc. see May's reply below...

 

[michel]

Nothing specific as such, just the general atmosphere of the world and the fall in morals etc, etc. see May's reply below...

Oh, you mean this one ?

So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven say:

Yes, i must admit that one did go a bit far - even for the tabloids.....

 

[Merlin]

Nothing specific as such, just the general atmosphere of the world and the fall in morals etc, etc. see May's reply below...

I think the evidence suggests that God created (or allowed to evolve) a very savage and cruel world.

 

[ThisShouldMakeSense]

I think the evidence suggests that God created (or allowed to evolve) a very savage and cruel world.

Is that what genesis says? He actually created it very nicely. He set the first couple in a paradise garden. It was man who chose to rebel and take side with Satan, essentially…so it was mankind who created a savage and cruel world. He just permitted it. However, he won’t permit it forever. Just like if you were a landlord and your tenants ruined your property, you’d warn them and if they didn’t change, you’d evict them and allow people who’d respect it, to move in. and that is exactly what God’s plan for the earth is…wait and see.

 

[James the Persian]

I think the mentally ill that you are talking about are schitzophrenics; and i don't think it is the devil who talks to them; they suffer from a form of disassociation and that is why they have numerous personalities.

Michel,

To put my psychologist's hat on for a moment, do you mind if I just correct a misunderstanding you appear to have? Schizophrenia isn't actually a syndrome or condition in the medical sense - there really are no typical features that one can use for diagnosis and two 'schizophrenics' can have completely different symptoms with none overlapping at all. This is a failure of clinical psychology and psychiatry and, in my opinion, goes to show the inadequacy of the medical model for describing mental illness.

Having said this, one symptom that is most definitely not part of the rag-tag bag of odds and sods that is schizophrenia is the appearance of multiple personalities. This is quite a different condition known as dissociative personality disorder and it does actually hang together as a syndrome rather better than schizophrenia does. The misunderstanding in the popular mind appears to stem from the fact that the word schizophrenia, if translated, means split mind. This does not, however, refer to multiple personalities. Schizophrenics do not exhibit dissociated personalities, though they may indeed hear voices (this is quite common) and see visions, and patients who do suffer from dissociated personalities are not schizophrenics.

James