Who was the devil?

[OneTwo]

Like all pantheons and surfaces beyond comprehension, the Devil came from man.

And as many know, if something comes from man, it must be...within.

In my belief, the devil is inside us as well, that is why we as human beings are attracted or want to do certain things that God has forbade us to do. This is the biggest struggle to mankind, to overcome the 'devils's whispers'

There is no being capable of rivaling God.

The angel who serves as the accuser (ha-Satan) acts under God's authority and serves His will.

Agreed. But in Judaism who was the devil before he became the devil?

 

[Wannabe Yogi]

Both Devils and Angels live in our hearts. The side that we feed and exercise becomes the strongest.

 

[OneTwo]

Does that mean that being evil is swaying to the devils side, and good the angelic side? But then if the devil was originally an angel, then why would angelic be good?

 

[Breathe]

IMO, the devil is our selfish, lower nature; not an adversary of God. I do not believe there is an adversary to God -- or even anything but God.

 

[Tarheeler]

Agreed. But in Judaism who was the devil before he became the devil?

There is no "devil". And any angel can serve in the role of accuser.

 

[beerisit]

What a load of old wives tales.

 

[rusra02]

I agree with you, on the fact that the devil is responsible for the terrible woes that fill the earth, but I do believe in Jinns as I have personally met a man who was possessed by one in a gathering. Could you explain to me how angels have free will? I've never been able to understand fully the role and nature of angels.

The Bible speaks about angels that sinned. (2 Peter 2:4) 1 John 3:8 says "The Devil has been sinning from the beginning." The true God would never create anything evil or sinful. (Deuteronomy 32:4) These angels, as spirit sons of God, have the same free will as humans do, and sad to say, some of them have taken a bad course, just as God's human children did. God does not force any intelligent creature to serve him, either spirit or flesh.
These angels who turned wicked are call demons in the Bible, and the Bible shows they can possess people, causing great physical and mental harm to them. (Matthew 5:1-10) Some of Jesus greatest miracles involved setting people free from demon possession, as he did the man mentioned in Matthew 5.

 

[OneTwo]

Many of you quote passages from the New Testament, which is accounts of what Jesus (pbuh) did or said by other men, yet I haven't yet seen a passage from the word of God himself. How long after Jesus was the New Testament written?

The true God would never create anything evil or sinful. (Deuteronomy 32:4)

This is fact. However the devil was not made by God as 'the devil' he was a being before that, in which he then turned into the devil because of pride and jealousy over man.

 

[beerisit]

Many of you quote passages from the New Testament, which is accounts of what Jesus (pbuh) did or said by other men, yet I haven't yet seen a passage from the word of God himself. How long after Jesus was the New Testament written?



This is fact. However the devil was not made by God as 'the devil' he was a being before that, in which he then turned into the devil because of pride and jealousy over man.

Have you ever quoted passages from the Qu'ran alleging what Allah said? Or do you actually have something that God said?

 

[beerisit]

God does not force any intelligent creature to serve him, either spirit or flesh.

Patently false, if any choose not to serve him he has threatened to destroy them.

 

[Breathe]

Patently false, if any choose not to serve him he has threatened to destroy them.

Depends whose God-concept.

 

[beerisit]

Depends whose God-concept.

Certainly not rusra's

 

[OneTwo]

Have you ever quoted passages from the Qu'ran alleging what Allah said? Or do you actually have something that God said?

I believe that the word of God was the Original Bible, and the Qur'an. I have believed that for many years. I'm not sure what exactly you want me to quote from the Qur'an? Or do you want proof that Qur'an is the word of God?

 

[Super Universe]

Patently false, if any choose not to serve him he has threatened to destroy them.

Do you have proof that those threats actually came from God?

What do you think the chances are that some ancient Rabbi wrote those threats into a book to bring his followers in line? Now, I'm not saying this Rabbi did not believe what he wrote, just that it certainly didn't come from God. Threats and the promotion of fear are a human response.

 

[Gjallarhorn]

Do you have proof that those threats actually came from God?

What do you think the chances are that some ancient Rabbi wrote those threats into a book to bring his followers in line? Now, I'm not saying this Rabbi did not believe what he wrote, just that it certainly didn't come from God. Threats and the promotion of fear are a human response.

Isn't it great to be in a position to deny whatever you find unsavory and replace it with smiles?

 

[beerisit]

Do you have proof that those threats actually came from God?

What do you think the chances are that some ancient Rabbi wrote those threats into a book to bring his followers in line? Now, I'm not saying this Rabbi did not believe what he wrote, just that it certainly didn't come from God. Threats and the promotion of fear are a human response.

And the responses allegedly made by this god are not human responses?

 

[Fiddler]

Frankly speaking , I asume the devil is just bad sides of yours.

 

[arthra]

A world in which naught can be perceived save strife, quarrels and corruption is bound to become the seat of the throne, the very metropolis, of Satan.

(Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 176)

The attributes of God are love and mercy; the attribute of Satan is hate. Therefore, he who is merciful and kind to his fellowmen is manifesting the divine attribute, and he who is hating and hostile toward a fellow creature is satanic. God is absolute love, even as Jesus Christ has declared, and Satan is utter hatred. Wherever love is witnessed, know that there is a manifestation of God's mercy; whenever you meet hatred and enmity, know that these are the evidences and attributes of Satan.

(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 40)

Therefore, there is no satanic tree whatever -- Satan being a product of human minds and of instinctive human tendencies toward error.

(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 230)

The reality underlying this question is that the evil spirit, Satan or whatever is interpreted as evil, refers to the lower nature in man. This baser nature is symbolized in various ways. In man there are two expressions: One is the expression of nature; the other, the expression of the spiritual realm. The world of nature is defective. Look at it clearly, casting aside all superstition and imagination. … God has never created an evil spirit; all such ideas and nomenclature are symbols expressing the mere human or earthly nature of man. It is an essential condition of the soil of earth that thorns, weeds and fruitless trees may grow from it. Relatively speaking, this is evil; it is simply the lower state and baser product of nature.

(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 294)

 

[beerisit]

A world in which naught can be perceived save strife, quarrels and corruption is bound to become the seat of the throne, the very metropolis, of Satan.

Is this your life? If it is then it's no wonder that you have a desperate need for something better in an afterlife. You may want to try and put love in your life.

 

[Super Universe]

Isn't it great to be in a position to deny whatever you find unsavory and replace it with smiles?

I don't fit in the little box you're trying to put me in. The bible is not my book. It's just a book. One of many.