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

[The_Fisher_King]

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

But by the same token, one could argue that an omnipotent God is also a made-up, mythological concept that we don't need in order to explain things that happen in this world. Why do you hang onto the notion of an omnipotent God but reject the notion of a boogeyman of the likes of ha-Satan?

 

[The_Fisher_King]

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.

So whilst this appears to rule out Satan as an adversary of God, it doesn't rule out the possibility that Satan could be an actual, real entity that is our adversary. Are you saying that Satan, or a satan, could be a human adversary, or for that matter a supernatural adversary?

 

[The_Fisher_King]

The Christian devil is the ultimate perversion of that which goes against natural order/"God".

I assume by 'natural order/"God"' you mean the Christian notion of 'natural order/"God"'?

The oldest positive understanding of this unnatural force

Unnatural force? What do you mean by 'unnatural' here?

It's relationship to God/Horus is dualistic

Does Horus know where it came from?

And what is the place of Horus in your religion?

 

[The_Fisher_King]

According to traditional Christianity

What about according to your version of Christianity?

And, no - its "original" name was not Lucifer

Glad to hear you say this! To me, Lucifer and Satan are completely distinct beings, the first a Servant of God, the second not.

The closest concept to the Christian Satan is the Zoroastrian Angra Mainyu/Arhiman.

I agree. For me, Satan and Angra Mainyu/Ahriman are different names for the same being.

 

[Tumah]

Your references to Angels representing G-d's Strength and Greatness and to Sama'el stemming from the concept of G-d's Unity, and of this concept warring with Creation, sound like you are saying that these Angels (I assume you are referring to Sama'el as an Angel - please correct me if I am wrong) and this concept are all essentially aspects of G-d - is this what you are saying?

G-d has no definable aspects besides for His Oneness that defies understanding. So no that's not what I'm saying.
The angels are a lower section of the medium through which G-d interacts with the world. So that when for instance G-d wants to exhibit His strength, He pulls a string and Gabriel dances. The angels are more like aspects of the created Divine medium through which G-d runs the world.
Maybe a good example would be a king with his various officials. The king sends them at will to act with his authority according to their position.

 

[The_Fisher_King]

Satan is the entity that either triggered or originated from the conception of the universe

I agree.

Satan is made of energy

Again, I agree. But it sounds like you view Satan as a positive entity/force, whereas I do not.

 

[The_Fisher_King]

What I mean is that it is a subjective word, outside of the linguistic usage. So, you can say Satan is a lot of things. The OP question is problematic for me, because I don't really have an association with a ''Satan'', in usage like that. The word meaning does not indicate 'who' that satan is. /necessarily/. Or, if it does, it is specific to a religions interpretation of such. So, my answer, isn't an answer, because the OP question is subjective by necessity.

That is why I asked two questions - the first aimed at those who believe in a 'who' and the second aimed at those who don't. In your usage, what does 'Satan' represent/mean to you? What place does the figure/concept/range of concepts have in your belief system/religion/philosophy (I notice you give your religion as 'Satanic, esoterica/etc.'?

 

[EtuMalku]

What about according to your version of Christianity?



Glad to hear you say this! To me, Lucifer and Satan are completely distinct beings, the first a Servant of God, the second not.



I agree. For me, Satan and Angra Mainyu/Ahriman are different names for the same being.

Where do you find Lucifer to be a servant of any God?

 

[The_Fisher_King]

Jesus may have called one of the Apostles , 'Satan'.

Indeed.

 

[savagewind]

So whilst this appears to rule out Satan as an adversary of God, it doesn't rule out the possibility that Satan could be an actual, real entity that is our adversary. Are you saying that Satan, or a satan, could be a human adversary, or for that matter a supernatural adversary?

Could be? Anything is possible imo. I do not believe that the Bible Satan is an intelligence or human. Maybe it is like a virus.

It is written that Satan is called from going to and fro to be with God. I am sure that is allegory. I might be wrong. I don't know what it means.

There was once that I thought Satan was the power to take over another person's soul. That happens a lot. Doesn't it?

 

[The_Fisher_King]

G-d has no definable aspects besides for His Oneness that defies understanding. So no that's not what I'm saying.
The angels are a lower section of the medium through which G-d interacts with the world. So that when for instance G-d wants to exhibit His strength, He pulls a string and Gabriel dances. The angels are more like aspects of the created Divine medium through which G-d runs the world.
Maybe a good example would be a king with his various officials. The king sends them at will to act with his authority according to their position.

Okay, thanks for the clarification.

 

[The_Fisher_King]

Where do you find Lucifer to be a servant of any God?

That is what God tells me.

 

[The_Fisher_King]

Maybe it is like a virus.

That's an interesting idea.

There was once that I thought Satan was the power to take over another person's soul. That happens a lot. Doesn't it?

I am not quite sure what you are saying here. But certainly I believe that Satan has the power to corrupt us, to trap us in this world, and that some people willingly become Satan's servants.

 

[savagewind]

That's an interesting idea.



I am not quite sure what you are saying here. But certainly I believe that Satan has the power to corrupt us, to trap us in this world, and that some people willingly become Satan's servants.

You say, "Satan has the power". I agree with you about the rest, except I think Satan IS the power.

Satan is a corrupting force. Satan does not own the corrupting force imho. If he did, then there would be many corrupting forces because the force might be HAD. I don't see that.

 

[EtuMalku]

That is what God tells me.

Ouch

 

[1137]

I assume by 'natural order/"God"' you mean the Christian notion of 'natural order/"God"'?

No, Christianity has no place in my religion in any way, shape, or form. I mean the abstract platonic form of order that gives rise to the cosmos.

Unnatural force? What do you mean by 'unnatural' here?

I mean it is not bound to the material, deterministic universe we live in.

Does Horus know where it came from?

And what is the place of Horus in your religion?

I doubt it, I often doubt Horus is aware at all. But Horus, in the end, is equally important as Set.

 

[Desert Snake]

You say, "Satan has the power". I agree with you about the rest, except I think Satan IS the power.

Satan is a corrupting force. Satan does not own the corrupting force imho. If he did, then there would be many corrupting forces because the force might be HAD. I don't see that.

Any reason why you think so? There is nothing in Scripture, as far as I know, to indicate any such thing

 

[savagewind]

Any reason why you think so? There is nothing in Scripture, as far as I know, to indicate any such thing

Are you asking if I have scriptural reason to believe that satan is a force, not has a force? If satan has a force which corrupts, I believe it would have to have been given it by Jehovah. That doesn't make sense to me. That I believe satan IS a force, I can see it in the World.

 

[Desert Snake]

Are you asking if I have scriptural reason to believe that satan is a force, not has a force? If satan has a force which corrupts, I believe it would have to have been given it by Jehovah. That doesn't make sense to me. That I believe satan IS a force, I can see it in the World.

Ok

 

[Satans_Serrated_Edge]

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?

The theist/Atheist divide is so boring.

Does god/Satan have existence? Are they literal or figurative?

Both. They exist as language abstractions. God describes the collective Nomos, while Satan describes what lay outside of it They both exist in the sense that anything can be categorized exists, but not in any anthropomorphic sense.