Origins of Satan/evil

[xxclaro]

I have a question that's kinda been a puzzle to me for a while now. It is simply "How did the Devil come to be?" Now obviously this is from the Christian perspective,so you can just substitute "evil" for Satan if you want.

As Christians we are told that evil thoughts and deeds come from Satan. Temptation is also the work of the Devil. But, the Devils started out as an angel of Light, but fell due to his pride or arrogance. My question is,where did this temptation to Lucifer come from? If all was perfect and good as God created it,how was it even possible for evil thoughts to originate in Lucifers mind? Only God himself could have put them there.

This leads us down the path of "If God put them there,he knew what the results would be but proceeded anyway." Or else "God didn't know what would happen,and is there for not God as we think of him". Maybe if we can resolve the first question, we'll examine this isue, and maybe also why God created man withut first dealing with the Devil and his minions.

I understand the majority here don't believe in God, at least not a Christian God, but I'd still be curious to know if anyone can resolve this question for me,even hypothetically.

 

[Riverwolf]

The experience of evil is necessary to obtain the highest good, hence why "God knew the overall outcome but proceeded anyway."

There's a non-canonical Christian text (the Apocalypse of Peter) that says everyone will ultimately be freed from Hell, so that, according to John's apocalypse, Satan alone will suffer "forever and ever."

Just a (non-Christian) opinion. ^_^

EDIT: Before, Adam and Eve were basically children. Then, as allegorical representations of humanity, they entered into the adolescence of the world. It is by the trials they face there that they will grow and mature, ultimately returning to God with the knowledge of good and evil, and once again able to eat from the Tree of Life.

 

[Madhuri]

To me the idea of 'evil' or the 'devil' is a really simplistic way of seeing reality. Christianity has always seemed ot me a dumbed down version of older religious ideas and philosophy.
I do not believe that 'evil' exists or that 'Satan' exists but I know that many find it much easier to accept that bad things are the fault of some horrible force.

From the perspective of religious politics and control it is very useful to use fear to influence people's behaviour. So the idea of a Devil is a fantastic tool to control the masses.

From the perspective of someone who takes things from a metaphorical outlook, the Devil simply represents something in human nature. The concept is a devise for deeper understanding. Unfortunately, most completely miss the deeper meanings.

 

[Madhuri]

This leads us down the path of "If God put them there,he knew what the results would be but proceeded anyway." Or else "God didn't know what would happen,and is there for not God as we think of him".

I have asked these questions before.
Of course everything comes from God, and the things we consider bad or evil are a part of 'everything'. I can promise you that if you allow your mind to unlearn the conditioning of the evil concept that you can actually look at everything in the world and see only good. There is no such thing as 'evil'. The material universe is full of illusion and everything is temporary here.

 

[LooseEnd]

This leads us down the path of "If God put them there,he knew what the results would be but proceeded anyway." Or else "God didn't know what would happen,and is there for not God as we think of him". Maybe if we can resolve the first question,

No theist can ever give a logical answer to this question. For me this question just says that concept of an Omnimax God is illogical.

 

[James Humphreys]

As a theist, here is my understanding, although certainly not palatable to all...

First, I believe that Adam and Eve grew up from infancy, and that their fall away from God took place in their adolescence. That is, they were not created fully grown and perfect. As Adam and Eve grew the angel Lucifer realized that they were receiving more love from God than him, who until that moment had been in the position to be the closest to God. The jealousy that arose in his heart was natural and inevitable, and not evil in itself. Basically, as a free being, he had two possibilities:to help Adam and Eve achieve full maturity and perfection of their relationship with God, or to try to tempt them into submitting to him, while their love was still immature. The second course, which he took, contained the seed of evil. However, if Eve and Adam had resisted the temptation, evil would not have come into being. Lucifer would have had no choice but to submit to Adam and Eve, and receive God's love through them. Evil is relational, in which a subject other than God is set up.

 

[Mr Cheese]

evil is misplaced Good...

polar opposites, good and evil are essentially the same thing...

For example....

candy to a child is good
too much candy will rot its teeth, thus candy is evil

so good and evil are the same thing.

But there is a place beyond such dualities.

Satan is the tester...

evil is maya, illusion...
sin is missing the mark...

thus the origin of evil, is not submitting to what IS
like a child who commands the sea.
The child has no hope, but in its evilness...it tries
.....

Light and Darkness, life and death, right and left, are brothers of one another. They are inseparable. Because of this neither are the good good, nor evil evil, nor is life life, nor death death. For this reason each one will dissolve into its earliest origin. But those who are exalted above the world are indissoluble, eternal.

--Gospel of philip

 

[Mr Cheese]

Evil is relational, in which a subject other than God is set up.

.

I like this...

not sure the other stuff is somethign one should understand literally though