Satan in the World Today

[StuartJ]

The Devil is an actual person rather than a concept, Pope Francis has claimed. Satan is smart and should not be argued with, the Pontiff told TV2000, a Catholic broadcasting network. "This is evil, it is not a diffuse concept, it's a person," he said.

(https://www.independent.co.uk/news/worl ... 10621.html)

And according to Pastor John: "The extent of Satans influence is global; it covers all nations".

(https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/ ... tive-today)

Could it be that Satan has entered the hearts of we Atheists ...?

Could it be the global influence of the smart, evil person known as Satan that drives us to battle the truth of the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ ...?

Are we to blame ... can we shift responsibility ...?

[marco]

You miss the point with respect to Judah/Jews and Ephraim/Israel.

Do I? I have no idea what the point is. The mythical meanderings of Biblical shadows have no bearing on a discussion on Satan, the evil in modern lives. If you are saying that evil often arises from good intentions I agree. Some who place too much faith in God end up destroying humans. I don't think Satan has a say in it.

[Willum]

[Replying to post 13 by showme]

Revelation is simply the history of Carthage put into symbolism.
Rome takes the place of God.

Have a party.

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 1 by StuartJ]

2 CORINTHIANS 4:4



The god who rules this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers. They cannot see the light, which is the good news about our glorious Christ, who shows what God is like. - Contemporary English Version

JOHN 12:31


Now the ruler of this world will be thrown out. - ISV

1 JOHN 5: 19

We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. - NIV

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[showme]

You miss the point with respect to Judah/Jews and Ephraim/Israel.

Do I? I have no idea what the point is. The mythical meanderings of Biblical shadows have no bearing on a discussion on Satan, the evil in modern lives. If you are saying that evil often arises from good intentions I agree. Some who place too much faith in God end up destroying humans. I don't think Satan has a say in it.

There are many gods. The God of Abraham simply states that you shall not have any gods before me. Julius Caesar was declared a god by the Roman Senate. Yet according to Revelation 13:4, his "authority" came from the "dragon"/devil. While as is shown by the U.S. Senate, the "dragon" does seem to have sway with Senates. Keep in mind that the dragon is the father of lies, and as seen in the U.S. senate, lies, and false witnessing, seem to be the basis on which they operate. If they should turn from their evil, they would be spared, if not, they will be crushed.


Caesar in "modern times" means emperor/dictator. You will find that the evil in modern times seems to stem from emperors/dictators, people with power. As for the God of Abraham, any digression from his Laws, by his people, brings judgment on his people. The same goes for Caesar/dictators and their gods.

The point of the Law and the prophets, is that Satan, the source of authority for the dictators, will along with his dictators, be crushed completely, whereas Jacob (Judah and Israel), will only be "chastened" "justly". (Jeremiah 30:11)

[StuartJ]

[Replying to post 1 by StuartJ]

2 CORINTHIANS 4:4



The god who rules this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers. They cannot see the light, which is the good news about our glorious Christ, who shows what God is like. - Contemporary English Version

JOHN 12:31


Now the ruler of this world will be thrown out. - ISV

1 JOHN 5: 19

We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. - NIV

So, you've quoted the cult propaganda to tell us that "the whole world is under the control of the evil one".

Can you verify the authenticity of the claim ...

Either now, or 2,000 years or so ago when it was written ...?

Good hard evidence would be great ...

Or maybe just demonstrating that these words were inspired by your version of "God".

Because the world is full of charlatans and deceivers, and you will understand that it's only safe and reasonable to check that people are not passing spurious cult propaganda off as the "Word of God" ....

[showme]

[Replying to post 13 by showme]

Revelation is simply the history of Carthage put into symbolism.
Rome takes the place of God.

Have a party.

Where do the elephants come in?

[FWI]

Willum responded to the question: Can you prove that Satan is only a fictional being?

He answered in post 9

Too easy.
1. He was created by God, and God doesn't exist, so he does not exist.
2. He is immortal and immortality is impossible.
3. He and demons were supposed to breed with humans to create Nephilim, but interspecies breeding is impossible.
4. He cannot change his mind. That is impossible.
5. The Earth has not fallen to his persuasion, and given his alleged powers, that is also impossible.
6. The troubles of the world are caused by people.
7. Many more I haven't thought of...


(1) It is true that Satan was created by God, because all living creatures (physical and non-physical) come to be through God's will. However, the opinion that God doesn't exist is not provable by any means related to scientific research or any other types of research. The reality that God exists, is proven by the "fact" that the universe and life (physical and non-physical) also exist. This did not occur by accident. Because, "design" is only possible by means of intelligence

(2) Again, this is only an opinion and can't be used as proof.

(3) The idea presented here is related to mythological propaganda. Genesis 6:4, is not claiming that a celestial being can copulate and procreate, with a human being. Even, Willum claims that this is impossible. However, this isn't proof that celestial beings don't exist. So, the false belief that the term "sons of God" is used to address angels (in Genesis 6:4) is unfounded. Hence, accepting his claim that breeding, between different species is impossible would lead us to conclude that it's the "belief of others" that he is referring to. Which, is the problem, not Genesis 6:4. This can't be use as proof that angels don't exist.

(4) There can be no connection between what affects a "physical human being" and what affects a "non-physical being." This is what's being introduced and is known as misdirection. Science tells us that there are many unknowns and some of the forces, which affect the mind, is among them. So, to suggest that changing one's mind is always available is truly stretching the truth, as related to the statement.

(5) (6) The simple rebuttal to these comments is: How does he know? If humans were to become deceived by a force unknown to them, they wouldn't believe it possible. Yet, this is the purpose of being deceived: Not realizing that you are deceived.

Therefore, the task presented isn't as easy, as he may have thought.

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 1 by StuartJ]

2 CORINTHIANS 4:4



The god who rules this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers. They cannot see the light, which is the good news about our glorious Christ, who shows what God is like. - Contemporary English Version

JOHN 12:31


Now the ruler of this world will be thrown out. - ISV

1 JOHN 5: 19

We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. - NIV

So, you've quoted the cult propaganda to tell us that "the whole world is under the control of the evil one".

Can you verify the authenticity of the claim ...

Do I have to? I took the OP in asking contributes "what COULD be..." to be an invitation for opinion and speculation, so I posted the opinion of some bible writers on the topic.

In any case I made no claim at all, so I don't know why you are asking me for authentication. I'm happy to make a claim though, I claim those quotations are taken from the bible canon.



J W

[William]

[Replying to post 1 by StuartJ]

The idea of a main protagonist has been essential to the grow and development of Christendom through the ages, without which it could not have ever become the powerhouse it evolved into.

Essentially the devil explains the existence of evil, but from what I can gather the Jews did not develop the idea of the devil as a separate entity from their GOD but another side to their GOD's personality.

This is where one can have 2 choices as to which side of the GOD one will serve..."it may be the devil or it may be the lord - but you're ganna haveta serve somebody."

This is where the idea for 'The Force' in the Star Wars franchise developed from.

But where religion developed from was through interaction with the Astral Realm, whereby individuals who could do so, where made aware of a hidden attribute to this physical reality which appeared alternate, and where it was seen to be 'that which created this' and had - not only layers of realities within it (which includes our own) but these layers were determined to be structured according to the whole spectrum between (and including) 'good' and 'evil'.

These layers are essentially 'ruled' by the dominant 'vibration of attitude' and the vibrations are distinct from each other, even that they all reside in the same overall space. In essence they are 'entities' in their own right, and are personified BY the 'vibration of attitude' which can also manifest as form within the space of that vibration.

Many - if not all human cultures - speak about this alternate reality and consign various definitions as to what it is in relation to our own reality, which the astute student can identify as being the same stories framed through referencing the same alternate reality, and only differ in the way these stories present through the individual lens of the cultures.

On this planet, both 'sides' of the overall entity directly interacting with our physical reality experience (which we are all aspects of whether we like it or not) are active and are represented in the actions of we individuals. This is where the power of the Local GOD comes from in those terms. Our choices directly effect Its trajectory...whether IT likes that or not...

They may give the reader the impression that we are dealing with someone rather weak and ineffective, who has no control over the whims of human politics, but the Entity is a free agent who has unseen advantages and is the overall 'decider' because even as our individual and collective actions might not be something which helps Its own agenda to manifest easily, the advantage of Its position ensures that such are merely minor set-backs and one is best positioned to develop wisdom in relation to that and support Its good side, because essentially it is THAT side which It supports as the preferred attribute to develop in the long haul.

My personal preference is to adopt the 'grey path', where the light is not too bright, and the dark not too blinding, and therein there is a great deal of room to explore and risk free fun to be had...as well as it tends to take care of the confusion.

Satan in the world today? GOD in the world today? All your choice how you personally bring that about.

[marco]

It is true that Satan was created by God,

Man made Yahweh and in his mythologies man has suggested Yahweh made Satan. Man has imagined a big fight and Satan stamping off in a huff. Man is omniscient!

"design" is only possible by means of intelligence

In winter my windows sometimes display the most amazing frost patterns. I never supposed that some intelligent entity designed them. To read design in a snowflake is to invent a designer, just as we might invent a voice behind thunder. Pattern and beauty exist in many things; poetry exists in man's mind.

This can't be used as proof that angels don't exist.

And giving angels names doesn't prove they do exist.

There can be no connection between what affects a "physical human being" and what affects a "non-physical being."

Since we haven't examined what affects a "non-physical being" we can hardly make specific claims. The Biblical God seems to have been "affected" by man's supposed lawlessness but then this is man's imaginative account of an imagined effect on an imagined God.