Religion

DetlefK

(16,423 posts)

10. There was a "Is the devil evil?"-thread a while ago.

Thu Feb 19, 2015, 12:10 PM

Feb 2015

IIRC the devil of the Old Testament was more like a trickster-persona, a trouble-maker to deliver lines and to get the plot going.
(Satan is related to the arabic "shaitan" for evil spirit. The Sata-snake of egypt mythology had the attributes of rebirth and regeneration, which don't fit here.)
That's not that unusual: Judaism was polytheistic before the babylonian exile. Judaism was reformed afterwards and only the main god, Jehova, remained.

A real background-story for the devil is only Lucifer (the lightbringer, "lux"="light", the morning-star) in the New Testament. Lucifer is the bad guy because he disobeys God despite knowing full well that God should be obeyed.

The Anti-Christ is the "final boss" before the apocalypse. The term refers to one or several prophets who fight Christ's message.
The "number of the beast" 666 is what you get if you add up all the letters in the Antichrist's/beast's true name. (In hebrew, every letter also means a number.)
And to come back to "Satan": The Antichrist is sometimes also described as a dragon/snake.

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Highlight:

Who Created The Devil? [View all] Cartoonist Feb 2015 OP

The weird thing about the "free will" argument edhopper Feb 2015 #1

Burning witches Cartoonist Feb 2015 #2

But they thought they were doing God's will edhopper Feb 2015 #3

I want to why God can't do his own will notadmblnd Feb 2015 #54

Cause then we would have proof God exists edhopper Feb 2015 #55

I guess it's all just one big test? God's sick joke to amuse himself notadmblnd Feb 2015 #56

"He who fights monsters might take care, lest he thereby become a monster. Act_of_Reparation Feb 2015 #9

"including Pope Frank" trotsky Feb 2015 #4

This all sounds rational edhopper Feb 2015 #5

That's some Sophisticated Theology® indeed. trotsky Feb 2015 #6

Good luck with that! Cartoonist Feb 2015 #13

That was 4 months ago! Lordquinton Feb 2015 #37

You are right edhopper Feb 2015 #38

Looking forward to reading this discussion underpants Feb 2015 #7

Nobody. Iggo Feb 2015 #8

There was a "Is the devil evil?"-thread a while ago. DetlefK Feb 2015 #10

There is also the Zoroastrian Promethean Feb 2015 #57

The devil is a necessity... TreasonousBastard Feb 2015 #11

As an atheist, I kinda' start with the notion that... stone space Feb 2015 #12

...Man created God in his own image. Cartoonist Feb 2015 #14

Some Gods are penis substitutes. stone space Feb 2015 #16

Please take your anti-gun crusade to the appropriate DU group. trotsky Feb 2015 #19

Why do find critcism of Gods bothersome? stone space Feb 2015 #21

I find your continued personal agenda against guns, carried out here in the Religion group, trotsky Feb 2015 #22

You want to give man-made Gods a pass. stone space Feb 2015 #23

I see your vacation has taught you nothing. trotsky Feb 2015 #24

hmmmm.... Warren Stupidity Feb 2015 #44

You are either using the term "God" as a metaphor edhopper Feb 2015 #26

It's no metaphor. It's reality. (nt) stone space Feb 2015 #28

So you think edhopper Feb 2015 #29

I think that Gods are a creation of man. stone space Feb 2015 #32

"A creation of man"? That's ridiculously sexist. trotsky Feb 2015 #33

How is his gun edhopper Feb 2015 #36

His gun was designed and engineered for Omnipotence. stone space Feb 2015 #46

No it wasn't and I doubt he edhopper Feb 2015 #51

Hicks was a militant atheist Lordquinton Feb 2015 #39

You keep wanting to slander militant atheists. stone space Feb 2015 #47

because militant atheists want to kill believers Lordquinton Feb 2015 #48

I have never killed anybody, not do I want to. stone space Feb 2015 #49

A lot of religious people consider "militant atheists" to be people who Arugula Latte Feb 2015 #52

'Scuse me? Warpy Feb 2015 #58

Taking the question a little seriously rogerashton Feb 2015 #15

Actually edhopper Feb 2015 #17

"While there are a few fundies today who believe in demons and possession... trotsky Feb 2015 #20

Good history Cartoonist Feb 2015 #25

Biblically edhopper Feb 2015 #27

However, 'devil' comes from the Greek diabolos - accuser, calumniator, slanderer, traducer muriel_volestrangler Feb 2015 #65

God, the all knowing and all powerful creator created the Devil Fumesucker Feb 2015 #18

if not for the devil, then what would God have to do other than twiddle his thumbs, TimeToEvolve Feb 2015 #30

Which proves that god is fallible - if you read Hermetic Thought, the universe is created by The ALL Hestia Feb 2015 #40

Is the whole "Lucifer was a fallen angel who became Satan" even in the Bible? arcane1 Feb 2015 #31

then Jesus calls himself the morning stat' '" Brettongarcia Feb 2015 #34

There it is: Isaiah 14:12. arcane1 Feb 2015 #35

There you have it in black & white - "morning star" "son of the morning" it is Venus in her sunside Hestia Feb 2015 #42

Nope, Lucifer is a man-made construct through the catholic church which had to create a nemesis Hestia Feb 2015 #41

Makes sense. Sounds like pro wrestling, but less realistic arcane1 Feb 2015 #43

The GOP! hrmjustin Feb 2015 #45

In the abrahamic faiths, god manufactures all evil. AtheistCrusader Feb 2015 #50

If the Dude is omnipotent, he has to "own" evil. Arugula Latte Feb 2015 #53

Dante, mostly. okasha Feb 2015 #59

Really edhopper Feb 2015 #62

You would be wrong. okasha Feb 2015 #63

You still want to stick with Dante's frozen Satan huh? edhopper Feb 2015 #64

I go with Dante okasha Feb 2015 #68

So who is this guy? Cartoonist Feb 2015 #67

Compare their k/d ratio in the Bible... MellowDem Feb 2015 #60

Just added for your enjoyment Cartoonist Feb 2015 #61

Good recent discussion on this here: muriel_volestrangler Feb 2015 #66