Who is Satan? Or what does Satan represent to you?

[Tumah]

For those of you who believe Satan is a real being/entity, who is Satan? Where did he/it/she/they come from? What is Satan's relationship to other beings/entities, including deities, Angels (if you believe in them) and human beings?

Satan is the title of the position held by a group of angels under the angel Sama'el. As the angel Gabriel represents G-d's strength and Michael, G-d's greatness, Sama'el stems from the concept of the unity of G-d's existence: that there is only G-d. Its this concept that wars with the creation and seeks its nullification, to return to a state where there is only G-d's existence. Within the creation, Satan fulfills this by causing mankind to sin, prosecuting against him and executing the punishment, consequently destroying man. As mankind is the purpose of creation, without man, the world would not exist and thus Satan will have fulfilled his purpose.
His rectification will come about with the advent of the messiah, when the world itself reveals and becomes an expression of G-d's existence.

 

[Vinayaka]

There is the concepts of Kali, who is the personification Adharmic (sinful) behavior; which is similar to what some Abrahmics believe about Satan.

Ma Kali is God. Please stop creating fiction to project your personal views into a religion you know nothing about. Even Wiki got it mostly right. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kali

 

[Liu]

Satan is the name of a very huge number of concepts. Some of them might actually be entities or thoughtforms, I don't know.
I call my deity Satan, too, because some of its characteristics that are most important to me also are characteristics of some of the concepts related to this name.

Ma Kali is God. Please stop creating fiction to project your personal views into a religion you know nothing about. Even Wiki got it mostly right. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kali

I guess it was Kali he referred to, and not Maha Kālī. They get confused pretty often (maybe because Kali can mean confusion? ) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kali_(demon)

 

[Thanda]

Satan, the make believe boogeyman created to give Christians a scapegoat for all the bad crap that happens.

Besides, if you know Hebrew then you would know that Satan is not a person/being...it is a title that means "the adversary." If we are playing chess, you are 'ha-satan'...the adversary.

So because the word Satan has a meaning you understand you assume it does not refer to an actual person?

I have actually noticed this with people in cultures that have names with no commonly known meaning - they find it difficult to understand that a person's name can be a commonly used word or sometimes even a whole sentence. Not understanding this leads to people asking questions like "What is God's name?". The underlying thought in the question is that since the word God is a title and has a common meaning it cannot be his actual name. But in the purist terms names are descriptions. And in my culture people often accrue names in their lifetimes according to their nature and deeds. Therefore the name of God is whatever we think properly describes him, likewise the name of Satan. He is Satan because he is the adversary.

 

[Vinayaka]

Satan is the name of a very huge number of concepts. Some of them might actually be entities or thoughtforms, I don't know.
I call my deity Satan, too, because some of its characteristics that are most important to me also are characteristics of some of the concepts related to this name.



I guess it was Kali he referred to, and not Maha Kālī. They get confused pretty often (maybe because Kali can mean confusion? ) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kali_(demon)

Could be. But Goddess Kali is by far the more common one. In fact this is the first time I've cognised the idea you pointed to. Anyways the OP just asked for views on Satan, which most Hindus don't have.

Certainly my version has no Satan, or similar concept at all.

 

[Onyx]

For those of you who believe Satan is a real being/entity, who is Satan? Where did he/it/she/they come from? What is Satan's relationship to other beings/entities, including deities, Angels (if you believe in them) and human beings?

For those of you who view Satan more figuratively or metaphorically, and not as a real being/entity, what does Satan represent to you?

"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do."

Satan represents an acceptance and pursuit of one's self - physically, mentally, and spiritually if one believes in an eternal soul. In any case, the parameters of life are designed by the individual instead of a predefined religion.

A certain amount of responsibility is therefore required. Because one has adopted the ultimate scapegoat as his master and teacher, there is nobody left to blame for one's failures. As a result, ethics is an important aspect of Satanic thought.

Lately I've adopted a more advanced perception of Satan, based on Setian philosophy. My current view is that both physical life and the subjective experience of conciousness have unique origins. Set represents a metaphysically complete picture of Satan as the origin of mankind's individualistic will. It is this incarnate will that makes us sentient beings instead of mere biological robots.

Before inventing religion, mankind existed in it's true original state. Things have come full circle now, and the exploration of self has become a virtue once again.

 

[Neo Deist]

So because the word Satan has a meaning you understand you assume it does not refer to an actual person?

I have actually noticed this with people in cultures that have names with no commonly known meaning - they find it difficult to understand that a person's name can be a commonly used word or sometimes even a whole sentence. Not understanding this leads to people asking questions like "What is God's name?". The underlying thought in the question is that since the word God is a title and has a common meaning it cannot be his actual name. But in the purist terms names are descriptions. And in my culture people often accrue names in their lifetimes according to their nature and deeds. Therefore the name of God is whatever we think properly describes him, likewise the name of Satan. He is Satan because he is the adversary.

I spent 30 years as a Baptist. The whole "Satan is the devil" was indoctrinated into me from an early age, as it normally is in Christian churches.

Then I grew up and started thinking for myself. When I pursued my Th.D., I studied Hebrew, Greek and Latin. The origins of biblical language were covered in depth, and it became apparent that what I read in English was not entirely accurate. There is a lot of traditional practice that goes into translation, even if a more accurate rendering could be used. The YLT is such a translation that strives for greater accuracy.

Satan is Hebrew, and it is always written as 'ha-satan' which directly translates to 'the adversary.' It is most definitely a title, not a name. The concept of this evil, fallen angel working against God is just nonsense. It is obviously man made and follows the typical story line of good vs. evil. I believe that God is omnipotent and as such could simply uncreate any boogeymen that get in the way. We don't need to make up a bunch of mythology in order to explain things that happen on this world, even though humans have been doing just that for millenia.

 

[Thanda]

Satan is Hebrew, and it is always written as 'ha-satan' which directly translates to 'the adversary.' It is most definitely a title, not a name.

Of course it is a title. And whose title is it?

 

[Neo Deist]

Of course it is a title. And whose title is it?

Anyone or anything that is an adversary. It does not belong to any certain being. If we are playing chess, you are ha-satan...the adversary.

 

[wizanda]

Ma Kali is God.

Wow, talk about misconstrue everything; i didn't refer to Kali Ma; was referring to Kali the demon during the time of Kali Yuga.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kali_(demon)

Please stop creating fiction to project your personal views into a religion you know nothing about.

If you learn to stop pointing, as every time we point, 3 fingers point back at our self.

Anyways the OP just asked for views on Satan, which most Hindus don't have.

Again stop speaking for everyone like some authority, as you're learning like everyone else, and keep getting many things wrong; especially about me.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Demons_in_Hinduism

 

[Thanda]

Anyone or anything that is an adversary. It does not belong to any certain being. If we are playing chess, you are ha-satan...the adversary.

So do you believe that all supernatural beings/spirits are good and are worshippers of God?

 

[savagewind]

My opinion is that satan means an adversary who seems to have an advantage. With God there is no one else with an advantage over you, so with God, there is no satan.

Presently, the love of money has the advantage over the World. But when there is nothing more to buy, that will cease. It's just math.

 

[Neo Deist]

So do you believe that all supernatural beings/spirits are good and are worshippers of God?

I do not believe in devils, demons, or any other supernatural boogeymen.

 

[Vinayaka]

Wow, talk about misconstrue everything;

See post 27.

 

[Thanda]

I do not believe in devils, demons, or any other supernatural boogeymen.

But you believe in God and angels?

 

[Neo Deist]

But you believe in God and angels?

God, as the omnipotent creator of the universe. My belief has nothing to do with any man made holy book. Hence deism.

 

[Thanda]

God, as the omnipotent creator of the universe. My belief has nothing to do with any man made holy book. Hence deism.

Ok great. So you don't believe in the bible but you are here to lecture us that there is no Satan in the bible?

 

[Neo Deist]

Ok great. So you don't believe in the bible but you are here to lecture us that there is no Satan in the bible?

Well, I do have a Doctor of Theology degree backed by 30 years as a Baptist.

If you want to know the nature of Satan, ask a rabbi as the OT was written in Hebrew and it is their language/culture/history.

 

[wizanda]

See post 27.

Thanks, will take that as your apology, since you've managed to 'accuse' me so many times.

 

[Vinayaka]

Thanks, will take that as your apology, since you've managed to 'accuse' me so many times.

And I will continue to 'accuse' you if I feel you are misrepresenting my faith, just as many others from other faiths would do. In this case it was apparently a misunderstanding of word usage, which could have more clearly stated in the first place, which wouldn't have led to the misunderstanding.

The OP asked for views, and I gave mine, not expecting a debate at all. As I've maintained many times, mystics don't argue.