Do You Believe in a Literal Satan?

[praying]

Do think he/it is a physical being? Is he figurative?


Do yuo beleive in evil, do you think humans can be pure evil?

 

[dlamberth]

Do yuo beleive in evil, do you think humans can be pure evil?

Yes, I believe that evil acts can happen. No I do not believe than any human being can be pure evil.

They reason why is because all human being have the capacity to feel tenderness, to experience heartbreak, pain and uncertainty. Even the cruelest person has that soft spot in their heart where they are able to love. Everyone loves something, even it it’s only tortillas. No one is completely evil

.

 

[DailyBlessings]

I believe that Satan is a description of a real and even literal phenomenon, but not that Satan is a person somewhere. Certainly not the God of Evil that is frequently posited, with creative power and infinite control over every so-called evil aspect of the universe. It is something more visceral than that- a part of human nature and its propensity to stray from that which is virtuous. I suspect the attraction people feel towards the personified concept is largely a desire to evade responsibility for our actions. Satan means "adversary" and I use it in that sense, to refer to anything which steps between myself and the will of God.

And yes, evil is real, but not something that can be attached to an object. A person's actions can be evil, but not the person themselves, nor any other object. No evil rocks, trees, animals, or viruses.

 

[praying]

Yes, I believe that evil acts can happen. No I do not believe than any human being can be pure evil.

They reason why is because all human being have the capacity to feel tenderness, to experience heartbreak, pain and uncertainty. Even the cruelest person has that soft spot in their heart where they are able to love. Everyone loves something, even it it’s only tortillas. No one is completely evil.

So you don't think there could be a "Bad Seed". Someone born evil. Just because someone may love certain things does not mean they are not evil.

I believe that Satan is a description of a real and even literal phenomenon, but not that Satan is a person somewhere. Certainly not the God of Evil that is frequently posited, with creative power and infinite control over every so-called evil aspect of the universe. It is something more visceral than that- a part of human nature and its propensity to stray from that which is virtuous. I suspect the attraction people feel towards the personified concept is largely a desire to evade responsibility for our actions. Satan means "adversary" and I use it in that sense, to refer to anything which steps between myself and the will of God.

This is how I believe also.

And yes, evil is real, but not something that can be attached to an object. A person's actions can be evil, but not the person themselves, nor any other object. No evil rocks, trees, animals, or viruses.

If evil is real, a force why can't become attached to something, to become a living force?

 

[Stinker]

Do think he/it is a physical being? Is he figurative?


Do yuo beleive in evil, do you think humans can be pure evil?

I believe that there is a supernatural intelligence that Merriam Webster's Dictionary identifies as an evil (moral evil) cosmic force.

I do believe that this moral evil cosmic force is the Satan- Lucifer named in the Bible.

I believe that C.S. Lewis said it best about moral evil, that it is "spoiled goodness" that it is something negative that a person thinks and or acts out, in order to achieve a positive attribute to themself.

Satan temps us so easily because we have what the Bible calls a carnal or (animal) nature that is easily inflamed to rush downward into negativity. This is what I call a condition of 'spiritual poison ivy' .

I think it is impossible for Satan, his demons, or any human to be pure moral evil.

 

[dlamberth]

So you don't think there could be a "Bad Seed". Someone born evil. Just because someone may love certain things does not mean they are not evil.

You asked about the possibility of someone being "pure evil"...That's the image I'm responding to. And I don't think it's possible that any human being can be all pure evil. All human beings have an innate ability to love and to care about things. This soft spot is like a crack in the walls we erect. In looking through that crack in the wall, we can see the there is no one who is pure evil.

.

 

[Soul Searcher]

Do think he/it is a physical being? Is he figurative?

Figurative.

Do yuo beleive in evil, do you think humans can be pure evil?

Evil things do happen. I do not think anyone is pure evil. Is it possible? Perhaps but I have never saw anything to make me believe that this is the case.

 

[KCDAD]

Do think he/it is a physical being? Is he figurative?


Do yuo beleive in evil, do you think humans can be pure evil?

Satan as talked about in The Bible is not a physical / mortal being. No intelligent argument can be made otherwise.

According to The Bible, of course he is figurative, Jesus calls Peter Satan, Jesus is tempted by Satan in the wilderness (that's a little hard to believe... God's creation tempting God).

Evil is self-centeredness... selfishness. It is our nature, it is that part of our nature we need to have changed in order to be like Jesus. It is the "original sin". So yes, some people are totally into themselves and therefor tee-toe-tully evil! Deny yourself, die to self...love God and others the way you do yourself, now... that's what they were talking about!

Pure evil... why not? However, they usually end up committing suicide because it is impossible for a human being to exist long without social interaction... we go mad without "others" in our lives.

 

[BillR]

Do think he/it is a physical being? Is he figurative?


Do yuo beleive in evil, do you think humans can be pure evil?

Yes he is a physical being and yes a human can be pure evil.

Bill

 

[elman]

Do think he/it is a physical being? Is he figurative?


Do yuo beleive in evil, do you think humans can be pure evil?

No I do not believe in a literal Satan. I think the idea of Satan is figurative and relates to our own capacity for evil. No humans cannot be pure or absolute evil but the can sometimes come close.

 

[UberLutheran]

Satan wouldn't be so obvious as to run around in a red suit looking like the Devil in Underwood's Deviled Ham.

Satan's a LOT more subtle than that.

When I run into the practitioners of "nasty-nice" -- you know what I'm talking about, the ones who "love the sinner and hate the sin" and who "pray for the salvation" of anyone who happens to disagree with something they happen to believe -- then I know I'm in the presence of Satan.

When I run into people who have absolutely no problem humiliating other people -- in offices, grocery stores, out in public (which adds to the effect of the recipient's sense of humilation) -- and in particular those people believe have less status or less power than they and thus "deserve" to be abused, then I know I'm in the presence of a devil.

When I'm in a church and someone has tipped off the pastor that a gay person is in the audience so the Scripture verse suddenly becomes one of the seven "bullet passages" in the Bible, then I know a force of evil has been very much at work.

Do I believe in evil? Absolutely. Have I seen people behaving in an evil, despicable manner? Absolutely. Have I seen people justifying behavior which is absolutely unjustifiable using the cloak of religion? Absolutely. Do I believe that people can, over a period of time, lose the choice between choosing good and choosing evil so that choosing evil becomes second nature and as such, these people become evil? Absolutely: look at the Nazis, especially those who oversaw the concentration camps.

Satan would not be so cheap as to run around in a red suit. Red suits are for Santa Claus, and Santa Claus is a myth. But I absolutely do believe that there is such a thing as "evil": I have seen it in action, and it is appalling.

 

[Im_A]

Do think he/it is a physical being? Is he figurative?

i really don't know. if he was a physical being, he'd be seen in this world beyond some metaphorical context. the effects of being a physical being i suppose.

sometimes i wonder if the literal method of explaining evil in our world is just some method of trying to understand why evil things happen. if we put the devil/evil as a literal being, then it's easy to deal with it and we just dismiss it or change from it because it is something eassily avoided.

but it brings up too many conflictions in my opinion. God's all-powerfulness gets questioned. competition kind of self-defeats a being, being all powerful as far as i'm concerned.

so i find myself along more of a figurative understanding of the devil/HaShem/evil. i could be wrong tho, it's just the only thing that makes sense to me.

Do yuo beleive in evil, do you think humans can be pure evil?

again i don't really know. if we are supposedly created by God, to be born purely evil seems a bit of a contradictin to be created by a holy being.

but then again if people revel in evil too long, i wonder if the cause and effect may lead to something that is "purely" evil. no one is outside of cause and effect. that's why it is important to be very careful with our the implications our social life will give to us, and why it is important to make good and holy desicions. cause and effect is severely terrifying and immensly amazing. use it wisely i suppose. (i hope i stayed on topic.)

 

[praying]

i really don't know. if he was a physical being, he'd be seen in this world beyond some metaphorical context. the effects of being a physical being i suppose.

But do you think that evil as a force could take on any sort of physical presence, a person (being), a tornado etc.?

I don't think there is a literal Satan, I do think that there is/are evil forces. Metaphysical forces that can and do cause harm, from the simple to the extraordinary.

again i don't really know. if we are supposedly created by God, to be born purely evil seems a bit of a contradictin to be created by a holy being.

I agree but I do think that, as Uber stated evil can overcome us.

 

[KCDAD]

Physical things can take on evil but evil (or good) are concepts and can not take on a physical presence. Think about what you are asking... it is literary and science-fiction fantasy.

 

[Im_A]

But do you think that evil as a force could take on any sort of physical presence, a person (being), a tornado etc.?

I don't think there is a literal Satan, I do think that there is/are evil forces. Metaphysical forces that can and do cause harm, from the simple to the extraordinary.

the more and more i think about it, no.

i mean sure, "anything" is possible, but the likelihood of it? i don't believe it is very likely.

because it is mere explanation of everything that we deal with as human beings. it's symbolism.

and secondly, have we seen evil forces take upon a physical form in our history yet?

i don't see a reason that we have. all we have seen is people making wrong choices that break the 2 greatest commandments of Christ and thus that createing and effect of evil.

point is, we experience goodness and evilness by the choices we make, thus i see no real reason why evil could ever form up to some physical entity.

I agree but I do think that, as Uber stated evil can overcome us.

that's why i mentioned about the cause and effect part further in my post


another reason why i question the idea of evil taking form in a physical prescense because what i wonder is if we are to believe it is possible for that to happen, have we undermined what Christ did through His incarnation, death and resurrection?

i mean such an act as the Incarnation of God, the Son of God fulfilling the Will of the Father and the Son taking away the keys of life and death, to believe that it is still possible for such things as evil coming on its own accord, outside of the accord of the Father actually hapapens, i just wonder if it undermines or demisses what Christ did on the cross.

 

[praying]

Physical things can take on evil but evil (or good) are concepts and can not take on a physical presence. Think about what you are asking... it is literary and science-fiction fantasy.

Literature and science fiction may contain it, but there is/are unexplained phenonema in this world, but that (unexplained phenomena) isn't what I am asking about. Why is it that some can be so completely devoid of empathy and can inflict terrible horrors on others?

 

[Im_A]

Literature and science fiction may contain it, but there is/are unexplained phenonema in this world, but that (unexplained phenomena) isn't what I am asking about. Why is it that some can be so completely devoid of empathy and can inflict terrible horrors on others?

the only reason i can think of is because people make bad choices. those choices are, or so it seems, based on some kind of desire/greed. keep making those choices, that becomes realitiy.

 

[praying]

the only reason i can think of is because people make bad choices. those choices are, or so it seems, based on some kind of desire/greed. keep making those choices, that becomes realitiy.

So you think bad choices created Hilter, or Pol Pot or Idi Amin, etc?

 

[Im_A]

So you think bad choices created Hilter, or Pol Pot or Idi Amin, etc?

actually yes i do.

should excessive amounts of evil deem it worthy that they are controlled by evil forces?

what about the social implications?

what about family implications?

what about the constant amount of choices that are evil and what that can create?

 

[KCDAD]

Literature and science fiction may contain it, but there is/are unexplained phenonema in this world, but that (unexplained phenomena) isn't what I am asking about. Why is it that some can be so completely devoid of empathy and can inflict terrible horrors on others?

Because we act selfishly and in what we think is our own interests... we are taught to hate, to mistrust, think only about ourselves.

See, it's easy to explain. The Bible calls it sin, Iprefer to call it self centeredness.