Giving the Devil His Due

[Thief]

Still doesn't change the score

Perhaps someone who has only commited 10 murders deserves more respect than someone who has commited more than 2 million, even if you do excuse the 2 million because hour god did it and not another god?

don't forget Noah's Ark

that was really over the top

 

[Father Heathen]

what if He wins?

He then dons a jetpack and flies to the moon.

 

[Tiberius]

I typically list attributes when asked to describe God

I have not attempted the same for the Devil

but now I am tempted

how about a little help?

got some manner to make recognition?
some outstanding attribute?.....only the Devil might be

The Devil is the one who demands you love him and threatens you with punishment when you don't.

The Devil is the one who plays tricks on you to "test" the relationship.

The Devil is the one who claims they only hurt you because they love you.

The Devil is the one who demands you do as they say without question.

The Devil is the one who isolates you from anyone who thinks they are wrong.

The Devil is the one who blames you for their shortcomings.

The Devil is the one who tells you that you that this kind of relationship is true love.

Do you agree?

 

[MonkeyFire]

Violence is the devil in charge of protecting hell.

 

[eik]

Well compared to god the devil doesn't kill so much, in the OT god is responsible for over 2 million deaths, while the the devil can hold his hands up to 10. That's pretty outstanding eh?

No. You're not interpreting this right. The devil is responsible for every death. Think back to the garden of Eden. The command of God was, "do not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for you will surely die." By tempting Eve to disobey God's command, the devil caused the death of all men, "because all sinned" (Rom 5:12).

The death of men was the prescribed response to sin from the beginning. It is still the command of God. It cannot be changed. The devil works within that framework to effect the spiritual death of all men, and works to this day. As physical death is inevitable, the devil isn't so much interested in it directly, for it is but the corrolary to his work started in Eden. Death is the appointed judgement of and preserve of God.

Now however the power of the devil is limited (due to Christ's victory as seen in the christianization of so much of the world down the ages). So he generally tends to work by seduction to sin in libertarian societies, but in authoritarian societies he can work in the traditional manner by precluding the knowledge of God by imposition of false religion or fascist law.

What is the character of the devil? The espistle of Jude is excellent: v8 "In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings."

The devil is a dreamer and a deceiver. Every gnostic doctrine of modern pseudo-science, law, culture, aesthetics etc is from the devil. Love of the world and material possessions is from the devil. Every pseudo religious cult based on superior gnosis is from the devil. Anything that corrupts the reality of human existence is from the devil. The devil asserts that everything in the world is his possession. In reality nothing is his.

 

[ChristineM]

don't forget Noah's Ark

that was really over the top

I haven't forgotten, what devil would commit genocide out of peevish pique?

 

[ChristineM]

You're not interpreting this right. The devil is responsible for every death.

I think the one doing the interpreting here is you. My information comes directly from what is written in the bible, not interpreted.

do not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for you will surely die

So god set the rules, do as i say or die... Nice god you got there

I have not bothered answering the rest of your more of the same excuse for god murder and dump it all on the little guy post

 

[Tiberius]

No. You're not interpreting this right. The devil is responsible for every death. Think back to the garden of Eden. The command of God was, "do not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for you will surely die." By tempting Eve to disobey God's command, the devil caused the death of all men, "because all sinned" (Rom 5:12).

If a parent leaves a loaded gun on the table and tells their child, "Do not play with the gun, or it will fire and kill you," is the parent responsible for the child's death if someone else tells the child to play with the gun?

Surely you'd agree that the parent who left the loaded gun there deserves at least part of the blame.

So why do you make excuses when God does it?

 

[eik]

So god set the rules, do as i say or die... Nice god you got there

I have not bothered answering the rest of your more of the same excuse for god murder and dump it all on the little guy post

If you think the biblical God is a murderer, I feel very sorry for you. May be the biblical devil has something to do with it?

If a parent leaves a loaded gun on the table and tells their child, "Do not play with the gun, or it will fire and kill you," is the parent responsible for the child's death if someone else tells the child to play with the gun?

False simile as Adam and Eve were not children.

Surely you'd agree that the parent who left the loaded gun there deserves at least part of the blame.

So why do you make excuses when God does it?

God does not need to account for giving free will to humanity. The temptation to sin was concomitant with free will being given, and the fall was ultimately for glorifying God's mercy and his overlooking of sin, which is all part of the equation in religion, which provides the comprehensive answer to everything. Adam and Eve did not kill themselves. They just didn't experience heaven on earth. Although they sinned, they didn't necessarily rebel against God to the point of being disowned by God, for they produced a godly lineage.

You see it's not just the sin itself that the devil desires, (becaue God's mercy is greater than indivdual sins unless very grave) so much as outright rebellion against God. The devil wants people to join him in rebellion. That has to be a human decision.

 

[ChristineM]

If you think the biblical God is a murderer, I feel very sorry for you. May be the biblical devil has something to do with it?

Have you actually read the bible?

 

[A Vestigial Mote]

Devil's Advocate?

for someone who didn't make a try at describing the Devil
your depiction of me......rings a bell

ask not for whom the bell tolls.....

Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance

 

[Revoltingest]

A friend tells me that all our woes....covid, creeping socialism,
marxism, etc...are all caused by Satan. Our salvation (the cure)
can come only from enuf Christians praying to convince God to
stop The Devil's heinous antics.

How are Satan & God fundamentally different?
The latter created the former, & can completely
control him, but chooses not to.

 

[Thief]

The Devil is the one who demands you love him and threatens you with punishment when you don't.

The Devil is the one who plays tricks on you to "test" the relationship.

The Devil is the one who claims they only hurt you because they love you.

The Devil is the one who demands you do as they say without question.

The Devil is the one who isolates you from anyone who thinks they are wrong.

The Devil is the one who blames you for their shortcomings.

The Devil is the one who tells you that you that this kind of relationship is true love.

Do you agree?

sounds like that brunette that dumped me.....soooooooo long
ago

 

[Thief]

How are Satan & God fundamentally different?
The latter created the former, & can completely
control him, but chooses not to.

there you go......the power of creation

the Devil became as such for his resentment and envy
God can create
and there can be only One Creator

chaos otherwise

but just for fun.....the Devil is allowed to 'create'.....chaos

 

[Thief]

I haven't forgotten, what devil would commit genocide out of peevish pique?

Hitler?

 

[Revoltingest]

there you go......the power of creation

the Devil became as such for his resentment and envy
God can create
and there can be only One Creator

chaos otherwise

but just for fun.....the Devil is allowed to 'create'.....chaos

God created Satan, knowing full well who Satan is
& his future behavior.
Satan is controlled or at least controllable by God.
Whatever Satan does, is with God's approval.

 

[Thief]

Whatever Satan does, is with God's approval.

nay......it is allowed

not approved

a reckoning is pending

 

[ChristineM]

Hitler?

Good christian who abided by good old testament ideals.

 

[Thief]

Good christian who abided by good old testament ideals.

oh heil no......

 

[Revoltingest]

nay......it is allowed

not approved

a reckoning is pending

To allow that which one can easily prevent is tacit approval.