In Christianity, Why is Satan Evil, and God Good? What is Evil?, page 4

This topic is in the Conspiracies in Religions discussion forum. (rss)

In Christianity, Why is Satan Evil, and God Good? What is Evil? << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >>

reply posted on 21-10-2009 @ 09:16 AM by CHA0S
reply to post by rubyeyes WE are living in one possibility. Well I don't think he's gonna choose us... I think your right in a way, we live in a multiverse...
copyright & usage

reply posted on 21-10-2009 @ 09:19 AM by Fromabove
reply to post by CHA0S The mutiverse, yes it exists. WE would be incapable of choosing any pathway if many choices did not exist. Once one is chosen however, that is the one you walk down.
copyright & usage

reply posted on 21-10-2009 @ 09:22 AM by sickofitall2012
reply to post by CHA0S I don't believe that He really destroyed us because we were wicked, I believe that there are mass extinctions that are purely to maintain the delicate balance of life. God works through nature. JMO. I do not think He just sits around watching us, judging us. All that there was, is, and will be was laid out upon His creation. Humans are unable to think on the same level as GOD.
copyright & usage

reply posted on 21-10-2009 @ 09:23 AM by Zeus2573
What is evil? Evil is live spelled backwards. Now, that can't just be a coincidence.
copyright & usage
AboveTopSecret.com is advertising supported.
reply posted on 21-10-2009 @ 09:25 AM by CHA0S
reply to post by Zeus2573 heh...I never did notice that...that's funny though isn't it... EDIT: Not as in, haha funny...just for those who take everything literally... [edit on 21/10/09 by CHA0S]
copyright & usage

reply posted on 21-10-2009 @ 09:26 AM by Fromabove
reply to post by Zeus2573 And what is "devil" spelled backwards...? Lived.
copyright & usage

reply posted on 21-10-2009 @ 09:34 AM by tinfoilman
reply to post by Neo-Dark Well anyway the point is, since you don't believe in Hell, I guess nobody burned in it right? I'm not catholic either. I don't believe in Hell either. I believe you either go to Heaven, or you just die. There's no eternal punishment. When reading the Bible I would basically suggest replacing the words good and evil with new words. They don't mean the same thing today. Back then it had nothing to do with the act or what you actually did. What was good was God's plan and so what was good is doing God's will to make that plan happen. Going against God's will or disobeying him was evil. All that mattered is that God's will was carried out. In other words, good was defined in such a way back then that no matter what he did he was "good" see? Today good and evil mean something else. Today people think that good is what they think is good. What is evil is what they think is evil or what they disagree with. In other words good and evil are defined in much more selfish terms today where we all think we know what's best for the world. But the point is, the definition for good and evil isn't the same anymore. Now they're defined in much more selfish way where it's all about us. What we don't like is evil. What we like must be good. Or, we like to define it as, as long as it doesn't hurt anybody I can do what I want. It's good, not evil just because it doesn't hurt anyone. But since we all disagree about what's good and evil we end up arguing with each other all the time and killing each other over it anyway. So, it's like, did we really solve anything? Doubt it. But back then people were much more focused on God and they were more worried about what he wanted instead of what they wanted so good and evil meant something different to them.
copyright & usage

reply posted on 21-10-2009 @ 09:37 AM by dannyfal
god and satan are not "people" god is not a "he" but to answer your question anyway... one word: fear would it make u feel better if Satan = good and god = bad? its just semantics and symbols. its like asking why is santa clause considered good and why is the boogeyman bad. its not like santas ever given me any good gifts and the boogeyman's never tried to kill me. but we're told this so we can be controlled. be good. be bad.
copyright & usage

reply posted on 21-10-2009 @ 09:38 AM by CHA0S
reply to post by Fromabove haha...that's insane...anyway...I'm going to finish up for now by saying this...most of you Christians have stated that we shouldn't take every word the bible says literally...and because it is a translation/interpretation from another language, which is probably an interpretation/translation from yet another language...how can we trust any of it? Assuming it was the work of God in the first place...how do we know man hasn't edited and changed it do his desire over time? How can we really know what to take as truth? How do we know what sections aren't the words of God? It's a guessing game...and I'm not for it...I don't need a book to tell me how to be a good person...I don't need the fear of hell or the desire for Heaven to help me be a better person...I don't need to be a good person so a God is happy with me...I am a good person without religion in my life...basically what I'm saying is...there is no point...we don't really know how the universe works...if a God exists...if we go to Heaven...etc...we really don't know...and you can't trust that bible to give you those answers...we need to decide for our selves...we need to do our own thinking...that way we might get some where...and maybe one day discover the truth...get some real answers... Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the lord with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding.” If you think that will get you anywhere...think again...good day. reply to post by dannyfal god and satan are not "people" god is not a "he" Yeah...we know...sorry...it's just easy to use those terms... [edit on 21/10/09 by CHA0S]
copyright & usage

reply posted on 21-10-2009 @ 09:44 AM by Zeus2573
reply to post by Fromabove Yes, that one too. We live in an ironic world. Everything in this world to me, seems to be the opposite that things should be. Backwards. This world can't go on forever with things the way they are.
copyright & usage
AboveTopSecret.com is advertising supported.
reply posted on 21-10-2009 @ 09:53 AM by John Matrix
There is a difference between "Killing" and "Murder". The 1611 King James incorrectly translates to read "Thou shalt not Kill" when in fact the correct translation is: "Thou shalt not commit murder". Most modern translations have corrected the King Jimmy translation. Now, as far as blaming God for murder and violating His own law...., I just answered this on another thread....but it appears the assault on God continues with people who want to get ATS points and some satisfaction for having started a new thread. So here is my repsonse to your incorrect assumtions concerning God: Is God's killing justified? To answer the question whether God breaks His own commandments, we need to determine if God committed murder (i.e., killed people without cause). The Bible is quite clear that God has killed people directly (the most prominent example being the flood) and indirectly (ordered peoples to be killed). If God ordered or participated in the killing of innocent people, then He would be guilty of murder. Let's look at two of the most prominent examples. The flood According to the Bible, God killed every human except Noah, his wife, his sons, and their wives in the flood. Were any of these people killed unjustly? The Bible says specifically that all people (except Noah and his family) had become corrupted.12 Not only had all people become corrupted, but they were continually plotting evil!13 Is it possible that an entire culture can become corrupted? You bet! Recent history proves the point rather well. When the Nazis took over Germany before WWII, opposition was crushed and removed. When they began their purging of the undesirables (e.g., the Jews), virtually the entire society went along with the plan. Further examples are given on another page. So, the Bible indicates that no innocent people were killed in the flood. God orders killing What about when God ordered Joshua and his people to kill every man, woman and child in Canaan?14 What crime could be so great that entire populations of cities were designated for destruction? God told Moses that the nations that the Hebrew were replacing were wicked.15 How "wicked" were these people? The text tells us that they were burning their own sons and daughters in sacrifices to their gods.16 So we see that these people were not really innocent. For these reasons (and others17), God ordered the destruction of the peoples whom the Israelites dispossessed. What about the children and other "innocents"Surely God could have spared the children! People tend to assume that children are innocent, even if their parents are doing bad things. The assumption is unfounded. For example, Palestinian Muslim children are officially taught in grammar school to hate their Jewish neighbors.18 They are so well indoctrinated that some of them give up their lives in suicide bombings as children.19 Corruption literally does breed corruption, which is why God did not want the Hebrews tainted by the other corrupt cultures of the Middle East. Surely there must have been other innocent adults in those cities who were destroyed with the wicked! There actually is an example of a time when God was asked if He would destroy the innocent along with the wicked. Prior to destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham asked God if He would destroy the righteous along with the wicked.20 God replied that He would spare the entire city for 50 righteous people.21 Abraham kept reducing the possible number of righteous people, asking God if He would destroy the entire city along with those number of righteous people.22 God's reply in each case was that He would not destroy the righteous along with the wicked. The lowest number Abraham asked about was ten righteous people, although the answer would likely be the same with as few as one righteous individual. How do we know this? God sent two angels to warn the four righteous people in Sodom to flee before He destroyed the city.23 It is quite convenient that such details are usually left out of atheistic sites complaining about the "evil" perpetrated by God. In fact, God saved certain people from being killed in cities such as Jericho.24 Conclusion The commandment "Thou shalt not kill" is really not as general as the King James version would indicate. The commandment actually refers to premeditated, unjustified killing - murder. Although God ordered the extermination of entire cities, He did so in righteous judgment on a people whose corruption had led to extreme wickedness, including child sacrifice. Did God destroy the righteous along with the wicked? In an exchange with Abraham, God indicated that He would spare the wicked to save the righteous. He demonstrated this principle by saving righteous people from Sodom and Jericho prior to their destruction. The charge that God indiscriminately murdered people does not hold to to critical evaluation of the biblical texts. SOURCE
copyright & usage

reply posted on 21-10-2009 @ 09:53 AM by Neo-Dark
reply to post by tinfoilman But you stated there is no death, yet if there is heaven or just dying that creates there the fact there is death. Also, I'm not sure if it was you or someone else who basically said to break God's rule's to do God's will is evil but to not break the rule's if that is God's will is also evil. The twisted thing is that either way, you are supposedly evil. Where in lies the justification? However, my problem is one set of rules for God, one set of rules for man, why can god do what he wants and yet man must follow that God's will. The fact is that God also changes his mind. Inbreeding being ok with Adam and Eve, and obviously would also be the same with Noah if most people were washed away. And yet I'm fair sure part of the bible says it's against god. I don't believe exactly in good and evil, but in people's minds who do, I wonder why one being or entity gets one set of rules to be declared as evil and another just can't be declared, no matter how many of the rules they break and another gets declared evil no matter what they do... be it something to kill people or to help people.
copyright & usage

reply posted on 21-10-2009 @ 09:58 AM by LordBucket
reply to post by Fromabove Summary of post: Hey christians! Try reading your bible for once! Where did Satan go wrong... My my... where do we begin..? Let me see, there was that direct rebellion and rejection of God. Quote me chapter and verse, please. Or are you confusing the bible with the fictional story, Paradise Lost? Then there was the assault of God by the third of all the angels led by Satan. Quote me chapter and verse, please. Or are you simply horribly confused? Then there was the deception of man by Satan. Ahh...you mean in the Book of Job? Have you read it? Job 1:12 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger." Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. Then there was that Nephilim thing where the fallen ones were corrupting all flesh (man and animal) through sexual intercourse creating hideous creatures. Ahh, yes. The only problem is that the bible says nothing about Satan being involved with that. Genesis 6:1-4: The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown. Then there are the countless wars, murders, immoral, acts, stealing, hatred Why do you blame Satan for the choices of man? Since God is Supreme anything that is in opposition to His will is "evil". I see. So in that Job quote above, which clearly states that God explicity gave Satan permission to do everything he did to Job, was that good or evil?
copyright & usage

reply posted on 21-10-2009 @ 10:05 AM by Fromabove
reply to post by LordBucket Satan is the driving force of the evil in the world. The unsaved do his bidding because they are not of God. The unsaved man is a fallen creature. Mere physical. He does and acts like his master the devil and what he sees he does likewise. Satan is evil because he is against God. Man is evil because he is against God.
copyright & usage

reply posted on 21-10-2009 @ 10:06 AM by CHA0S
reply to post by John Matrix Were any of these people killed unjustly? The Bible says specifically that all people (except Noah and his family) had become corrupted. ... So, the Bible indicates that no innocent people were killed in the flood I didn't read through your whole post...but...if you flip a coin 1 million times, what are the chances only one or two of the times you get heads? Even if you did it 100 times? The chances of Noah being the only uncorrupted person on Earth is mind-boggling...and why was his family saved also? Doesn't it seem a bit odd that only people from the same family were worthy of saving? Now what are the chances of that? Maybe his family wasn't pure...but they earned the right to live through Noah? Is that fair? What if Hitler told you everyone he killed had become corrupted? Would you believe him? Would you believe those odds? Sounds like God's trying to pull a fast one to me... EDIT: And what of all the animals that died...surely they weren't corrupted...and why would their life be worth any less than that of a humans? We are all God's creations after all... [edit on 21/10/09 by CHA0S]
copyright & usage

reply posted on 21-10-2009 @ 10:06 AM by tinfoilman
reply to post by Neo-Dark Okay I'll simplify this for you. We don't believe in death for us. For you it might be possible. Also, you read the other part wrong. If he tells you to do something and you don't, that's evil. Doesn't matter what you did or didn't do. All that matters is if you obeyed the command. If he tells you to kill someone and you don't, that's evil. If he tells you not to kill someone and you do, that's still evil. Read it again. Stop talking about rules. There is way to not be evil and that's to do what God says. But it doesn't matter WHAT you do. All that matters is if God told you to do that or not. But like I said, don't use the word evil. Doesn't mean the same thing as it does today. EDIT: Why can God do what he wants? Well, if you don't like it you're welcome to try and stop him. [edit on 21-10-2009 by tinfoilman]
copyright & usage
AboveTopSecret.com is advertising supported.
reply posted on 21-10-2009 @ 10:07 AM by John Matrix
Originally posted by PSUSA He knows "all" including the future so why would he just have not created him in the first place and everything would be straight. Name one virtue that isn't learned by overcoming some form of evil. It seems to me that your words indicate that you believe all would be paradise if only God had been more considerate by not creating Satan. I submit we can't handle a paradise in our weakened state. We need a fight, to struggle to grow and learn. We sometimes need a good push to do this, and evil is a good tool to use to make us do things we don't want to do. You know what happens to people when they get everything handed to them on a silver platter. They turn into spoiled brats. You make a good points. People don't understand the components they require in order to receive the knowledge and wisdom of God which allows them to grow in the knowledge of good vs. evil. There is always a balance. You cannot grow in the knowledge of good without growing in the knowledge of what is evil. The components for this spiritual knowledge and wisdom are found the Divine Nature which believers are made partakers in, and in partaking they receive all that is needed for life and godliness. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 2 Peter 1:3-4 (New International Version) Note: It is by participating in the DIVINE NATURE that we escape the corruption caused by EVIL desires. The DIVINE NATURE can be summed up in humility, meekness, patience, and Love. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 (New International Version)
copyright & usage

reply posted on 21-10-2009 @ 10:13 AM by LordBucket
reply to post by Fromabove Satan is the driving force of the evil in the world. Give me biblical evidence of that. Satan is evil because he is against God. Give me biblical evidence of that. I have already given you biblical evidence that Satan and God are on polite, speaking terms.
copyright & usage

reply posted on 21-10-2009 @ 10:13 AM by Neo-Dark
reply to post by John Matrix So, you say that killing with cause (aka. reason) is not murder? Does that mean because that christians push their faith onto me that to me, if I found that to be corruption breeding corruption, and killed them that to you that isn't murder? I do not see how you can say the difference between murder and killing is a reason. I mean, if I felt like killing someone today and thus go out and kill someone, I have a reason to... so would that make me a murderer or a killer?!?
copyright & usage

reply posted on 21-10-2009 @ 10:20 AM by Zeus2573
reply to post by dannyfal It's funny that you mention Santa Claus. I can't help but to elaborate on that one. It's also no coincidence that Christmas, which is suppose to represent Christ's birth is now about a jolly fat man in a red suit and gifts (material things). Yes, and if you take the N and put it on the end, in Santa you get, yes you got it.................Satan.(sorry couldn't help myself) Who in their right mind would ever tell the poor little children the truth about Santa..........that would just be unthinkable! The point is, for what ever reason Satan is in fact the ruler of this world. He loves to play games. Like having secret little messages hidden right out in plain sight.
copyright & usage