Miracles and Belief

[Purple Knight]

A Question for Christians:

If, rather than Jesus, a prophet of Satan had been the one performing miracles and healing the sick, would you be a Satanist?

If someone did this in modern day, and actually provably had magic powers, using them to convert people to Satanism, would you change your religion?

[Purple Knight]

Personally I wouldn't change my beliefs about right and wrong based on magic.

The only belief I would change would be that I would now believe in magic.

And if God appears, I still won't change my beliefs about right and wrong. I will simply believe God exists. I expect most religious people would feel the same if God appeared and declared his existence, but he wasn't your god.

I would also have a great amount of respect for any (for example) Christian who remained Christian even if Allah appeared and declared himself.

Though I wonder how people would react if it turned out that God was the deceiver and Satan was the one who truly had humanity's best interests in mind.

I always wondered if perhaps all of Christian theology was true, and an interesting bit was left out.

"And the Devil said to God, 'You shall have but one restriction in this game: That you may not give the humans rewards, and I shall be permitted to. And I shall do naught but evil unto them and reward naught but evil, and watch that because I give them candy, they shall reject you and call me God," and God accepted Satan's challenge."

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 1 by Purple Knight]

A Question for Christians:

If, rather than Jesus, a prophet of Satan had been the one performing miracles and healing the sick, would you be a Satanist? No

If someone did this in modern day, and actually provably had magic powers, using them to convert people to Satanism, would you change your religion? No

Personally I wouldn't change my beliefs about right and wrong based on magic.

Neither would I

The only belief I would change would be that I would now believe in magic.

Most Christians I know believe in magic ie believe magic is something that exists; not least because it was prohibited under the Mosaic law.



JW

[JehovahsWitness]

Though I wonder how people would react if it turned out that God was the deceiver and Satan was the one who truly had humanity's best interests in mind.

Both "god" and "satan" are descriptive titles not personal names. Satan means deceiver and God powerful one. If the individual called "Satan", turned out not to be a deceiver then he was never Satan to begin with.

To illustrate: Its like wondering how people would react if it turned out that "The Murderer" didnt murder anybody. One is not a murderer if one is caught and labeled a murderer, one becomes a murderer when one unlawfully kills someone.

JW

Go to other posts related to...

FREE WILL, SATAN THE DEVIL and ...THE ORIGINAL SIN

[The Tanager]

A Question for Christians:

If, rather than Jesus, a prophet of Satan had been the one performing miracles and healing the sick, would you be a Satanist?

If someone did this in modern day, and actually provably had magic powers, using them to convert people to Satanism, would you change your religion?

No, but I didn't become a Christian because of being convinced that Jesus performed those things. I became a Christian because I had what I believe to be a personal experience with God. Since then I continue to be bolstered in that belief, including through intellectual exploration.

But if one wanted to go down that line of thinking, I would say that the important miracle is the Resurrection. That is what I think is the kind of miracle that, if true, points to the truth of the one speaking.

[1213]

A Question for Christians:

If, rather than Jesus, a prophet of Satan had been the one performing miracles and healing the sick, would you be a Satanist?...

I believe Jesus, because I think his message is good and truth. Bible itself tells that there will be also others who do great signs, so the signs are not the main point.

For there will arise false christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.
Matt. 24:24

[Menotu]

A Question for Christians:

If, rather than Jesus, a prophet of Satan had been the one performing miracles and healing the sick, would you be a Satanist?

If someone did this in modern day, and actually provably had magic powers, using them to convert people to Satanism, would you change your religion?

Why would Jesus be considered good while Satan bad? Because someone (aka the bible) says so. There's no real other reason.
It's quite possible that all this 'good' that God's done was a farce. How do we know good is more powerful than bad? Maybe Satan was really the good guy, but God was more powerful and cast Satan as bad?

What if evil was more powerful than good and tricked everyone in to thinking they are good and what's really good is bad?
Most people can't grasp that concept because they've always grown up with GOOD IS MORE POWERFUL THAN EVIL thinking.

Looking around, it sure doesn't seem that way. Seems bad is kicking good's rear end around the world.

Maybe, all the 'do-gooders' have been tricked?

[Purple Knight]

What if evil was more powerful than good and tricked everyone in to thinking they are good and what's really good is bad?

This is pretty much my last hope... that this would be true.

If I were to latch onto a belief out of emotion, it would be this.

[1213]

…
Why would Jesus be considered good while Satan bad? Because someone (aka the bible) says so. …

Jesus says in the Bible:

Jesus asked him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good, except one-God.
Luke 18:19

I think God is good, because of what He has done and said, not because someone says He is good. Because God’s teaching is that we should love even our enemies, I think God is good. By what I know, Satan has not said or done anything good. So, why would anyone think he is good?

[brunumb]

[Replying to post 9 by 1213]

By what I know, Satan has not said or done anything good. So, why would anyone think he is good?

What has Satan verifiably done or said that is bad or evil?