Why exactly is Satan bad?

[Ella S.]

He's the Yetzer Hara, the godless impulse, personified in the fallen Samael ha-Satan, the angel of death and accusation. He's the enemy of humanity because his divine job is to test our character through temptation and tribulation.

In Christianity and Islam, he's often described as fulfilling this role out of sadism. He hopes that humans will fail his tests, revealing their imperfect character in a way that justifies their divine punishment. Kind of like a metaphysical Chris Hansen, now that I'm thinking about it. In these contexts, he's usually described as either oblivious towards or resentful of his larger place in the cosmic order.

Sounds like someone you don't really want to be around to me. Sure, if he tempts you to wear mixed fabrics or something, that's a bit harmless, but he's also the one who tempts people into theft and murder. And he does it out of sadistic contempt for the souls of the people who listen, hoping to condemn them to aeons of torment.

He's not always depicted as sadistic or resentful. Sometimes he's just fulfilling an office that God ordained him to, and he does his job dutifully. Even here, though, he isn't exactly a trustworthy or friendly character from our vantage point. He's still "out to get us" in a sense.

I mean, he's named Satan for a reason. He's the enemy of mankind.

 

[InChrist]

Why exactly is Satan bad?

Why is he "the enemy"?

Because he coveted what he could not possibly have; the place of the Creator. With full understanding and knowledge of God’s eternal power and authority Lucifer chose to rebel. Evil and sin originated in the free will and mind of Lucifer, who became satan, the enemy of God and humanity.

 

[InChrist]

Sure, I doubt many folks would go watch a movie where everyone simply got along.

I would.

 

[Treasure Hunter]

He's the Yetzer Hara, the godless impulse, personified in the fallen Samael ha-Satan, the angel of death and accusation. He's the enemy of humanity because his divine job is to test our character through temptation and tribulation.

In Christianity and Islam, he's often described as fulfilling this role out of sadism. He hopes that humans will fail his tests, revealing their imperfect character in a way that justifies their divine punishment. Kind of like a metaphysical Chris Hansen, now that I'm thinking about it. In these contexts, he's usually described as either oblivious towards or resentful of his larger place in the cosmic order.

Sounds like someone you don't really want to be around to me. Sure, if he tempts you to wear mixed fabrics or something, that's a bit harmless, but he's also the one who tempts people into theft and murder. And he does it out of sadistic contempt for the souls of the people who listen, hoping to condemn them to aeons of torment.

He's not always depicted as sadistic or resentful. Sometimes he's just fulfilling an office that God ordained him to, and he does his job dutifully. Even here, though, he isn't exactly a trustworthy or friendly character from our vantage point. He's still "out to get us" in a sense.

I mean, he's named Satan for a reason. He's the enemy of mankind.

Satan’s first form is as the loving mother who wants you to remain a sleeping baby and forget your divine mission. Think of the sweet singing Sirens in a counterfeit paradise.

 

[Ella S.]

What if Satan's rebellion wasn't much different from American revolutionary war; a fight against tyranny in the name of liberty? Of course the victors write the history.

There are theistic Satanists who take "an enemy of my enemy is my friend" too far in their philosophy, in my opinion. It doesn't matter so much which deity they worship to me, because I don't think either is real. In the case of ex-Christian Satanists, though, it usually feels similar to one of those people who is "rescued" from an abusive relationship by another abuser. If we're too kind to Satan, we end up giving undue legitimacy to theistic Satanism. And I think we risk doing a disservice to people who are recovering from Christian religious abuse to wave away all of the red flags that the Satanic archetype displays and ignore all of the various harmful Satanic cults, ideas, and superstitions.

If we're not careful, we can just enable a new superstition that's just as harmful in a different way. There's a lot of fascism and Darwinism in theistic Satanism. JoS? O9A? ToBL? Even CoS leans in that direction, and they're mostly not even theists. Do we really want to help promote a narrative that can (and does with some frequency) convert Christians into Satanic Neo-Nazis? I'm not sure that I want to give that too much rhetorical weight, personally.

I'm not trying to start a Satanic Panic or anything. Not all Satanists are like this, just like not all Christians are alt-right fundamentalists. But I'm not sure if arguing in favor of the literal personification of evil is really all that helpful, either.

 

[TagliatelliMonster]

He steals,

What did he steal?

kills

According to the bible, Satan killed 10 people (Job's children) and he did that with god's permission.
God on the other hand engaged in, and commanded, genocide after genocide after genocide.

and destroys.

What did satan destroy?

God on the other hand, again, destroyed the world, destroyed cities, etc

Are you sure you aren't confusing Satan with Jawhe?

He is a murderer

Who did he murder without god's permission?

and the father of lies.

According to the bible, what did he lie about when and to whom?

Among other things.

Which other things? And it doesn't seem to me that they are "other" things, because reading the bible, none of what you accused him off is actually correct.
And in the case of destruction and murder, it's actually Jawhe that takes the cake.

 

[TagliatelliMonster]

What if Satan's rebellion wasn't much different from American revolutionary war; a fight against tyranny in the name of liberty? Of course the victors write the history.

Yeah.

Satan's rebellion in the story always reminds me of this picture:

 

[TagliatelliMonster]

I’m sorry… but would you like to start another thread? This is quite off topic.

How is that off topic as it directly deals with your claim that satan is a murderer, while the only kills mentioned in the bible are those 10 which were done with god's explicit permission??

 

[TagliatelliMonster]

Sure, I doubt many folks would go watch a movie where everyone simply got along.

On the other hand, I also wouldn't watch a movie where the bad guy is a puny ant compared to the good guy where the good guy could obliterate the bad guy with a mere snap of his fingers.

An entertaining bad guy / good guy movie is where the bad guy is a powerful one and kicks the sh!t out of the good guy during the entire movie... and then at the end the good guy manages to defeat the bad guy in some epic exausting fight with either trickery, incredible courage, smarts, extreme training or what-have-you


By any holywood standard, it seems to me that god here is the bad guy. The dictator who oppresses everyone with his authoritarian rules and who demands everyone to bend the knee and worship him, while standing up to him seems like an impossible task due to the massive power he holds and wields.

Normally it's the good guy who has to fight a near impossible-to-win fight and emerge victorious against all odds at the end.

Luke Skywalker vs the Empire.
The Avengers vs Thanos
Rambo vs the entire Russian army
Frodo vs a wicked wizard and his army

 

[TagliatelliMonster]

I know you think so. But His standards are farther above yours than you could ever know.

From what you said, it actually sounds like he has no standards of morality at all.
He is as amoral as it gets.

 

[Hermit Philosopher]

Why exactly is Satan bad?

Why is he "the enemy"?

Any answer to this question would entirely depend one one’s definition of “satan”.

To me, it’s the name for a specific type of will, that in worldly term translates to that of the human ego.

It’s “bad” because it consumes one to an extent that risks leading to a life lived in complete blindness to -or disregard for- larger worldly concepts and the opposing wills of others; thereby contributing to the endless cycle of joint human conflict and suffering.

Humbly,
Hermit

 

[Colt]

The colonies were corrupted by their rebellion against the crown, from England's perspective.

"It is not a question of armaments or disarmament. Neither does the question of conscription or voluntary military service enter into these problems of maintaining world-wide peace. If you take every form of modern mechanical armaments and all types of explosives away from strong nations, they will fight with fists, stones, and clubs as long as they cling to their delusions of the divine right of national sovereignty.

War is not man’s great and terrible disease; war is a symptom, a result. The real disease is the virus of national sovereignty." UB 1955

Revelation 12:7-17

King James Version

​

7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

 

[Kenny]

Have you read the book of Job?

Quite a few times. An interesting book.

 

[Eddi]

Every single human life was only ever temporarily lent. All human lives belong to Him and He is within His rights to do with them as He chooses. Since no person owns their life there is no basis for any accusation.

Nope, I'm pretty sure I'm not anyone's possession and that other people aren't too

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I know you think so. But His standards are farther above yours than you could ever know.

So the effects of eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil weren't as advertised, eh?

 

[Kenny]

What did he steal?

He stole the authority of man to become the god of this world
He steals the word of God from people’s hearts and anything that has the semblance of God.

According to the bible, Satan killed 10 people (Job's children) and he did that with god's permission.
God on the other hand engaged in, and commanded, genocide after genocide after genocide.

Yes… it was Satan who killed them. As I read it, it isn’t so much about “God’s permission” as much as it was Job’s giving place to the Devil - Opening the door where the NT says “give no place to the devil"

What did satan destroy?

Ultimately, he lost the battle. He destroys anything that looks like God… like marriages.

God on the other hand, again, destroyed the world, destroyed cities, etc

I think that is a perspective. He saved humanity whereas the devil would love to destroy everything. At least in our belief system, God will restore everything to where it was supposed to be.

Are you sure you aren't confusing Satan with Jawhe?

Did you mean Yaweh? Yes, I’m sure

Who did he murder without god's permission?

Man gave the devil permission. The devil doesn’t need God’s permission

According to the bible, what did he lie about when and to whom?

The list is endless… but he started by lying to Eve when he said “You should not eat or touch the fruit"

Which other things? And it doesn't seem to me that they are "other" things, because reading the bible, none of what you accused him off is actually correct.
And in the case of destruction and murder, it's actually Jawhe that takes the cake.

Things like inciting contention and temptations

 

[Kenny]

How is that off topic as it directly deals with your claim that satan is a murderer, while the only kills mentioned in the bible are those 10 which were done with god's explicit permission??

The guardians have determined it isn’t… I was wrong.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

I think you missed the context - You might reread.

I've read it many times.

 

[soulsurvivor]

Why exactly is Satan bad?

Why is he "the enemy"?

This is like asking why someone evil is bad or why should an evil person be your enemy.

Personally, I don't believe there is a single person like Satan who is the leader of all evil people or angels. There are many such evil 'demons' not just one. And they should all be our enemies because there is no way to reform them, they will always remain evil.

 

[Eddi]

This is like asking why someone evil is bad or why should an evil person be your enemy.

Personally, I don't believe there is a single person like Satan who is the leader of all evil people or angels. There are many such evil 'demons' not just one. And they should all be our enemies because there is no way to reform them, they will always remain evil.

Why exactly is Satan evil?

To me it seems that God is much worse, according to the bible