What Is The Greatest Trick Satan Ever Pulled?

[David1967]

He hid my car keys from me once.

 

[Aldrnari]

I like how Satan is able to pull the very fabric of reality and shape it in such a way where all the evidence that relates to many of the key events found in the bible just... Well... Don't add up (or outright contradict).

Even where Egypt is smitten by various supernatural plagues, one after the other, until all firstborn children are killed; not important enough to record, from a nation obsessed with monuments and record keeping. Vastly lesser tragedies were recorded and remembered, so why not this one?

Not 5 minutes from where I live is a chunk of the world trade center, immortalized for all to see: complete with bronze plaques and other written works that will last for ages. There are other chunks in other nearby cities as well, and there are more scattered all over the country. Surely Egypt could have managed to do something with a tragedy far worse, no?

This is just one archeological point. There are many more. This doesn't even include all the scientific evidence that contradicts a literal interpretation of the bible...

 

[james bond]

Just curious, where does it say Satan wanted or had this conception?

I thought that because he told Jesus that he would give him the kingdom of Earth if he bowed down and worshiped him as king. As the most powerful angel, he probably was given the most difficult and choice jobs such as creating Earth and maybe the Milky Way. He seems to know Earth best.

This guy was the most perfect angel, yet his pride in his looks and abilities made him greedy. He wanted what God had and be his equal.

“You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.” Ezekiel 28:14

In his encounter with Jesus, he wasn't sure if Jesus was really him and tried him. Once he verified it was Jesus, then he wanted to subjugate him. This would've gave him more power as being over God's son. In the same way, he uses people to gain power by leading them to believe God doesn't exist.

The following is the authority he has over us. He has the air power. His words ring out from the unbelievers. They want to bring down the believers and turn them. And then there is temptation -- money, power, drugs, sex, getting rid of people at work, etc.

"In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." 2 Corinthians 4:4

"in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—" Ephesians 2:2

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8

 

[Ponder This]

The U.S. Constitution is absolutely nothing like biblical law.

"IS AMERICA A CHRISTIAN NATION?

By Dan Barker

The U.S. Constitution is a secular document. It begins, "We the people," and contains no mention of "God" or "Christianity." Its only references to religion are exclusionary, such as, "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust" (Art. VI), and "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" (First Amendment). The presidential oath of office, the only oath detailed in the Constitution, does not contain the phrase "so help me God" or any requirement to swear on a bible (Art. II, Sec. 1, Clause 8). If we are a Christian nation, why doesn't our Constitution say so?

In 1797 America made a treaty with Tripoli, declaring that "the government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion." This reassurance to Islam was written under Washington's presidency, and approved by the Senate under John Adams.

The First Amendment To The U.S. Constitution:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . ."
What about the Declaration of Independence?
We are not governed by the Declaration. Its purpose was to "dissolve the political bands," not to set up a religious nation. Its authority was based on the idea that "governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed," which is contrary to the biblical concept of rule by divine authority. It deals with laws, taxation, representation, war, immigration, and so on, never discussing religion at all.

The references to "Nature's God," "Creator," and "Divine Providence" in the Declaration do not endorse Christianity. Thomas Jefferson, its author, was a Deist, opposed to orthodox Christianity and the supernatural.

What about the Pilgrims and Puritans?
The first colony of English-speaking Europeans was Jamestown, settled in 1609 for trade, not religious freedom. Fewer than half of the 102 Mayflower passengers in 1620 were "Pilgrims" seeking religious freedom. The secular United States of America was formed more than a century and a half later. If tradition requires us to return to the views of a few early settlers, why not adopt the polytheistic and natural beliefs of the Native Americans, the true founders of the continent at least 12,000 years earlier?

Most of the religious colonial governments excluded and persecuted those of the "wrong" faith. The framers of our Constitution in 1787 wanted no part of religious intolerance and bloodshed, wisely establishing the first government in history to separate church and state.

Do the words "separation of church and state" appear in the Constitution?
The phrase, "a wall of separation between church and state," was coined by President Thomas Jefferson in a carefully crafted letter to the Danbury Baptists in 1802, when they had asked him to explain the First Amendment. The Supreme Court, and lower courts, have used Jefferson's phrase repeatedly in major decisions upholding neutrality in matters of religion. The exact words "separation of church and state" do not appear in the Constitution; neither do "separation of powers," "interstate commerce," "right to privacy," and other phrases describing well-established constitutional principles.

What does "separation of church and state" mean?
Thomas Jefferson, explaining the phrase to the Danbury Baptists, said, "the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions." Personal religious views are just that: personal. Our government has no right to promulgate religion or to interfere with private beliefs.

The Supreme Court has forged a three-part "Lemon test" (Lemon v. Kurtzman, 1971) to determine if a law is permissible under the First-Amendment religion clauses.

A law must have a secular purpose.
It must have a primary effect which neither advances nor inhibits religion.
It must avoid excessive entanglement of church and state.
The separation of church and state is a wonderful American principle supported not only by minorities, such as Jews, Moslems, and unbelievers, but applauded by most Protestant churches that recognize that it has allowed religion to flourish in this nation. It keeps the majority from pressuring the minority.

What about majority rule?
America is one nation under a Constitution. Although the Constitution sets up a representative democracy, it specifically was amended with the Bill of Rights in 1791 to uphold individual and minority rights. On constitutional matters we do not have majority rule. For example, when the majority in certain localities voted to segregate blacks, this was declared illegal. The majority has no right to tyrannize the minority on matters such as race, gender, or religion.

Not only is it unAmerican for the government to promote religion, it is rude. Whenever a public official uses the office to advance religion, someone is offended. The wisest policy is one of neutrality.

Isn't removing religion from public places hostile to religion?
No one is deprived of worship in America. Tax-exempt churches and temples abound. The state has no say about private religious beliefs and practices, unless they endanger health or life. Our government represents all of the people, supported by dollars from a plurality of religious and non-religious taxpayers.

Some countries, such as the U.S.S.R., expressed hostility to religion. Others, such as Iran ("one nation under God"), have welded church and state. America wisely has taken the middle course--neither for nor against religion. Neutrality offends no one, and protects everyone.

The First Amendment deals with "Congress." Can't states make their own religious policies?
Under the "due process" clause of the 14th Amendment (ratified in 1868), the entire Bill of Rights applies to the states. No governor, mayor, sheriff, public school employee, or other public official may violate the human rights embodied in the Constitution. The government at all levels must respect the separation of church and state. Most state constitutions, in fact, contain language that is even stricter than the First Amendment, prohibiting the state from setting up a ministry, using tax dollars to promote religion, or interfering with freedom of conscience.

What about "One nation under God" and "In God We Trust?"
The words, "under God," did not appear in the Pledge of Allegiance until 1954, when Congress, under McCarthyism, inserted them. Likewise, "In God We Trust" was absent from paper currency before 1956. It appeared on some coins earlier, as did other sundry phrases, such as "Mind Your Business." The original U.S. motto, chosen by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson, is E Pluribus Unum ("Of Many, One"), celebrating plurality, not theocracy.

Isn't American law based on the Ten Commandments?
Not at all! The first four Commandments are religious edicts having nothing to do with law or ethical behavior. Only three (homicide, theft, and perjury) are relevant to current American law, and have existed in cultures long before Moses. If Americans honored the commandment against "coveting," free enterprise would collapse! The Supreme Court has ruled that posting the Ten Commandments in public schools is unconstitutional.

Our secular laws, based on the human principle of "justice for all," provide protection against crimes, and our civil government enforces them through a secular criminal justice system.

Why be concerned about the separation of church and state?
Ignoring history, law, and fairness, many fanatics are working vigorously to turn America into a Christian nation. Fundamentalist Protestants and right-wing Catholics would impose their narrow morality on the rest of us, resisting women's rights, freedom for religious minorities and unbelievers, gay and lesbian rights, and civil rights for all. History shows us that only harm comes of uniting church and state.

America has never been a Christian nation. We are a free nation. Anne Gaylor, president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, points out: "There can be no religious freedom without the freedom to dissent.

Source: https://ffrf.org/outreach/item/18430-is-america-a-christian-nation"​

U.S. Constitution Article I Section 7

"If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law."

Oops! Founders... your Christianity is showing! Do we give them an "A" for effort? Or an "F" for fail?

 

[Buddha Dharma]

Making people think Donald Trump was a Christian.

Yep. That's gotta be up there with the biggest and best.

 

[Buddha Dharma]

The greatest trick Satan ever pulled? Convincing people the material world is all there is, so they can't escape Samsara. I'm not kidding...

See: Mara (demon) - Wikipedia

 

[Sha'irullah]

Greatest trick he ever pulled is evident when I go to the grocery store and see a sign that says . . . "buy one get one free"

They are NEVER FREE! They are just HALF price off!!!!

 

[BSM1]

I thought that because he told Jesus that he would give him the kingdom of Earth if he bowed down and worshiped him as king. As the most powerful angel, he probably was given the most difficult and choice jobs such as creating Earth and maybe the Milky Way. He seems to know Earth best.

This guy was the most perfect angel, yet his pride in his looks and abilities made him greedy. He wanted what God had and be his equal.

“You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.” Ezekiel 28:14

In his encounter with Jesus, he wasn't sure if Jesus was really him and tried him. Once he verified it was Jesus, then he wanted to subjugate him. This would've gave him more power as being over God's son. In the same way, he uses people to gain power by leading them to believe God doesn't exist.

The following is the authority he has over us. He has the air power. His words ring out from the unbelievers. They want to bring down the believers and turn them. And then there is temptation -- money, power, drugs, sex, getting rid of people at work, etc.

"In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." 2 Corinthians 4:4

"in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—" Ephesians 2:2

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8

Kind of a stretch, but okay...

 

[Truly Enlightened]

Convincing people that having brown skin is punishment for disobeying God.

 

[james bond]

If you stop being led then you can't be misled. Make your own decisions based on the best information you have available to you.

Right or wrong, take responsibility for those decisions and learn for them when appropriate.

Folks have all the energy they'll ever need. Even though folks believe otherwise, nobody can steal their energy. Belief makes it true, makes people feel they are being stole from, depleted.

Believe otherwise, feel otherwise. If one belief leaves you feeling depleted, find another.

>>N: If you stop being led then you can't be misled. Make your own decisions based on the best information you have available to you.<<

I think the worst case today is in science where God, the supernatural and the Bible has been eliminated in a systematic manner. Thus, the so-called "best" theory isn't the best one. Science believed in God, the supernatural and the Bible before atheist scientists and uniformitarianism took over. Science believed in God, the supernatural and the Bible, but they could not use them to demonstrate their hypothesis. That is the true God of the gaps argument from Christians.

 

[ChristineM]

>>N: If you stop being led then you can't be misled. Make your own decisions based on the best information you have available to you.<<

I think the worst case today is in science where God, the supernatural and the Bible has been eliminated in a systematic manner. Thus, the so-called "best" theory isn't the best one. Science believed in God, the supernatural and the Bible before atheist scientists and uniformitarianism took over. Science believed in God, the supernatural and the Bible, but they could not use them to demonstrate their hypothesis. That is the true God of the gaps argument from Christians.

Science believed in god when not believing would be investigate by the Inquisition with death or incarceration as the penalty for not believing in god. In the early days of science and before with natural philosophy, many a scientists were executed by the church.

However, science, being based on the pursuit of falsifiable evidenced has done what science is designed to do, modifies its results based on falsifiable evidence or in this this case, the total lack of falsifiable evidence.

 

[james bond]

Kind of a stretch, but okay...

I used to wonder what Lucifer did as #1 angel since he was the most powerful. In the Bible, his downfall was to challenge God's authority and request that he be made equal. One could say that he wanted heaven, but we don't know what that entails. What we do know is what Earth entails. He was able to persuade Eve and then Adam to commit the most egregious sin in the eyes of God. In the Bible, Satan is named the “prince,” “god,” or “ruler” of this world. So, for sure he is the king of Earth, but his powers are limited as God limits his powers. I think the worst Satan did was to Job and we still see and hear of the unfair things on Earth that happen to people. That said, I don't think we have seen the worst yet. He still has in store all the things that have been prophecized in the Bible.

 

[james bond]

I suppose that exact argument could be made for the Quran too. Are you Muslim?

>>K: I suppose that exact argument could be made for the Quran too. Are you Muslim?<<

Ha ha. No, I'm not Muslim. Since you made your first statement, what does the Quran state about Satan? What does the Quran state about God's word?

 

[james bond]

Satan and Jesus, one in the same. Jesus basically conquering his internal demon.

What do you base this on? I think you said that Satan doesn't exist earlier, so are you saying Jesus doesn't exist? The Bible would say you were being tricked if you believe Satan doesn't exist.

I can't find the exact passage(s) again, but the Bible does state that Satan's greatest "trick" was to convince the world that he didn't exist. It wasn't just from Verbal Kint's mouth.

 

[james bond]

Science believed in god when not believing would be investigate by the Inquisition with death or incarceration as the penalty for not believing in god. In the early days of science and before with natural philosophy, many a scientists were executed by the church.

However, science, being based on the pursuit of falsifiable evidenced has done what science is designed to do, modifies its results based on falsifiable evidence or in this this case, the total lack of falsifiable evidence.

What have I learned since I started this thread? One, god (lower case) is what Satan is referred to in the Bible. How much of a coincidence is that? Your god exists as Satan.

I think the idea of falsifiability has been debunked already. It just means that a test hasn't been invented yet and just because something isn't falsifiable, it does not mean that it is false. Even some of today's atheist scientists want to make changes to this in order to allow dark energy, wormholes, multiverses, multidimensions, faster than the speed of light and the like. Really don't want to get into science here as this is general religious debates.

 

[Nakosis]

What do you base this on? I think you said that Satan doesn't exist earlier, so are you saying Jesus doesn't exist? The Bible would say you were being tricked if you believe Satan doesn't exist.

I can't find the exact passage(s) again, but the Bible does state that Satan's greatest "trick" was to convince the world that he didn't exist. It wasn't just from Verbal Kint's mouth.

Actually just wondering, as the question was asked who witness Jesus' trials in the desert. The only folks being there as suggested being Satan and Jesus.

Assuming Jesus being the only person able to report on this, maybe he was battling his own internal demon.

So not saying he doesn't exist, just that Satan doesn't exist separate from ourselves.

 

[Nakosis]

>>N: If you stop being led then you can't be misled. Make your own decisions based on the best information you have available to you.<<

I think the worst case today is in science where God, the supernatural and the Bible has been eliminated in a systematic manner. Thus, the so-called "best" theory isn't the best one. Science believed in God, the supernatural and the Bible before atheist scientists and uniformitarianism took over. Science believed in God, the supernatural and the Bible, but they could not use them to demonstrate their hypothesis. That is the true God of the gaps argument from Christians.

I'm just saying use the information in your own personal investigation, don't be led by it though. IOW don't accept it as fact if you don't personally know it as fact.

 

[ChristineM]

What have I learned since I started this thread? One, god (lower case) is what Satan is referred to in the Bible. How much of a coincidence is that? Your god exists as Satan.

I think the idea of falsifiability has been debunked already. It just means that a test hasn't been invented yet and just because something isn't falsifiable, it does not mean that it is false. Even some of today's atheist scientists want to make changes to this in order to allow dark energy, wormholes, multiverses, multidimensions, faster than the speed of light and the like. Really don't want to get into science here as this is general religious debates.

What have i learned since you started this thread? You make up nonsense and claim its mine... I dont have a god to bow down to so dont need to make up bull to justify a delusion

So please provide evidence that falsifiability has been debunked.

And your idea of falsifiability leave you short of much learning

More nonsense, real science doesn't work work like creation (oxymoron) science. In real science, thinking of an idea does not make the main stream until it can be verified in some way,

The effects of dark energy can be observed and measured, so why should it not be offered as natural?

There is also evidence that there "could" be a multiverse, note could. Which is why science is trying to verify. But as it stands its a hypothesis only.

Multi dimensions i know little of other than the usual 4 and the various string theories require more.

And wormholes are hypothetical, currently a sci fi special

And of course you don't want to get into scientific debate yet bring science into a debate. Can i ask how you justify that?

 

[BSM1]

I used to wonder what Lucifer did as #1 angel since he was the most powerful. In the Bible, his downfall was to challenge God's authority and request that he be made equal. One could say that he wanted heaven, but we don't know what that entails. What we do know is what Earth entails. He was able to persuade Eve and then Adam to commit the most egregious sin in the eyes of God. In the Bible, Satan is named the “prince,” “god,” or “ruler” of this world. So, for sure he is the king of Earth, but his powers are limited as God limits his powers. I think the worst Satan did was to Job and we still see and hear of the unfair things on Earth that happen to people. That said, I don't think we have seen the worst yet. He still has in store all the things that have been prophecized in the Bible.

The Urantia Book lays this out completely. I know, I know there's no way to verify it, but it is a very interesting read (all 2256 pages) if you can make it through the first 600 pages.

 

[Faithofchristian]

Well the Greatest trick that Satan has ever pulled, hasn't happened yet.

But it will happen, when Satan comes masquerading by deception to deceive people that is Christ and the whole world believes Satan that he is Christ, That will be Satan's Greatest trick that he will ever pull on the whole world.