Selling one's soul....

[StormyOne]

A comment in another thread regarding the Holy Spirit living within us prompted me to share the following:

My nephew said something that I wish to explore. His statement:

I think people think the worst thing that can happen to them is to be poor. So many celebrities in the music industry have sold their souls to Satan its sickening.​

The first question that comes to mind is how does one sell their soul to Satan? How would you know if you had or had not? There is a popular speaker who goes around making the claim that this singer is a devil worshiper, or that person engages in satanic rituals to be famous, etc... Again, how would they know that? Is there something else at work here, and if so what would it be? Do we give "satan" too much credit and/or power?

Thoughts?

 

[BigRedBus]

Interesting how the music industry is the one that generally gets these types of accusations made against it. You don't hear any rumours that well known people in the engineering or even (!) the banking industry have sold their souls. Is it because there is a long standing fear about the way popular culture is (supposedly) undermining the morals of our youth?

There was that issue about "backward masking" some years ago, where corrupting subliminal messages are supposedly inserted into popular songs -- the messages are said to play backwards when the track is played forward. [I did think that rumour was nonsense, if an artist was going to put anything subliminal in, it would be surely be along the lines of “buy more copies of this record!” And who was the person who played these records backwards in the first place? Someone had to, or how would anyone know they had discovered such a wicked plot?]

And there were once preachers ranting furiously about Elvis Presley, rock’n’roll and all the evil that brings. Jazz, ragtime… they attracted their fair share of disapproval too, once, even though the music sounds innocuous now.

Commonsense tells me that a person wouldn’t tell anyone if they had sold their soul to the devil. Because (with most people) if they knew, they’d avoid that person.

As for how you would sell it, and how you’d prove it. Well I really don’t know the answer to that.

The entire premise that popular entertainers sell their souls is one that we can do without. There’s enough evil in the world already, without us inventing any more.

 

[Avonia]

Commonsense tells me that a person wouldn’t tell anyone if they had sold their soul to the devil.

I've always found it humorous that we assume the Master of Darkness wants to recruit anyone and everyone - indiscriminately.

I would image a creature with the abilities we assume he has would wish to enlist highly-developed, highly-disciplined, high-spiritual people. Why have lazy drunkards mucking up the work?

How humiliating if devil doesn't want us.

 

[StormyOne]

another view.....

I see no logic in God creating a wondrous planet, crowning it with his majesty and glory, creating men and women in his image to "dress and keep" his creation, and then unleashing the diabolical being painted by Christianity to work full time in an effort to destroy everything he had built. It would be like a man or woman planning, building and laboring on a successful business and then hiring their worst enemy to work full time to destroy it all.

As for we humans, God's turning "Satan" loose on us would be tantamount to a loving mother and father bringing an evil, cunning person into their home, whose ultimate goal was to destroy their defenseless children, and then just sitting back and watching the predictable and horrible scene unfold. According to Christian doctrine this is the situation that God, in his wisdom and mercy, has allowed. I say that it makes no sense! I say that Satan is a fable invented solely for the benefit of a priesthood.

Satan: The Lies, the Myths, the Human Tragedy

 

[AzA]

There’s enough evil in the world already, without us inventing any more.

Well said.

As to the OP, yes there are many other things at work. Insecurity is a big one. Christianity began as a minority sect of an unpopular religion in a thriving marketplace of ideas. It began with an inferiority complex and such a complex tends to drive an average person to dichotomize the world: "The Bullies, The Strong, The Evil are against us The Persecuted, The Weak, the Good..."

And then a myth is necessary to block fatalism: "We the Persecuted will not be downtrodden forever; the Enemy will be under our feet."

And then a caution to hold the ranks steady: "But in the meantime the Enemy will try to undermine us. Stay on your guard and give the Bullies no refuge."

The Bully can never be anything other than Other, because then the Bullied would have to redefine themselves.

 

[max1120]

I've always found it humorous that we assume the Master of Darkness wants to recruit anyone and everyone - indiscriminately.

I would image a creature with the abilities we assume he has would wish to enlist highly-developed, highly-disciplined, high-spiritual people. Why have lazy drunkards mucking up the work?

How humiliating if devil doesn't want us.

Now that would be quite humiliating. Can you imagin being labled a "junk" soul not worth a farthing?..lol How depressing that would be to be told by Satan that their very souls have no value, not even on ebay..lol

 

[max1120]

Actually this is an interesting question. How would someone sell ones soul? I mean it is not as if you can sell it on ebay. On one hand I have always thought it was something of publicity stunt by musicians when they have declared that they gained fame and fortune by selling their souls to Satan. Seriously did they draw up a contract or deed of conveyance for "one used soul"? Can just anyone summon Satan up out of the depth and play lets make a deal? I have always been facisinated by such things if anyone has information I would like to know how this has occurred and if they think it is true or not?

 

[StormyOne]

Actually this is an interesting question. How would someone sell ones soul? I mean it is not as if you can sell it on ebay. On one hand I have always thought it was something of publicity stunt by musicians when they have declared that they gained fame and fortune by selling their souls to Satan. Seriously did they draw up a contract or deed of conveyance for "one used soul"? Can just anyone summon Satan up out of the depth and play lets make a deal? I have always been facisinated by such things if anyone has information I would like to know how this has occurred and if they think it is true or not?

exactly.... inquiring minds would like to know....

 

[AzA]

Also funny how all the million theological definitions of "soul" get collapsed into "thing that can be bought or sold if Satan is on the market for some new stuff."

Money can do anything!

 

[StormyOne]

can we revisit this and add a twist... can one sell their soul, and if they do is that devil possession? Or is "devil possession" even possible?

 

[AzA]

I don't believe in "the devil"; I do acknowledge spirits.

I do not believe we have souls as much as we are souls, and while we can be sold wholesale, I do not believe we can be sold in parts unless we are dead (in which case we are organ donors).

There is ample evidence of hyper psychic disturbance that is labeled "devil possession" -- but as we know, what a thing is called and what it actually is need not be aligned at all.

It is also often true that the very young, the very old, and those we call disturbed or delusional are simply less able to filter out aspects of the universe that we ritually block.

To some of our friends, our God is an imaginary friend.

 

[StormyOne]

I don't believe in "the devil"; I do acknowledge spirits.

I do not believe we have souls as much as we are souls, and while we can be sold wholesale, I do not believe we can be sold in parts unless we are dead (in which case we are organ donors).

There is ample evidence of hyper psychic disturbance that is labeled "devil possession" -- but as we know, what a thing is called and what it actually is need not be aligned at all.

It is also often true that the very young, the very old, and those we call disturbed or delusional are simply less able to filter out aspects of the universe that we ritually block.

To some of our friends, our God is an imaginary friend.

Would there be different kinds of spirits? Are the designations good and evil too limited when it comes to comprehending "spirits?"

 

[k4c]

A comment in another thread regarding the Holy Spirit living within us prompted me to share the following:

My nephew said something that I wish to explore. His statement:

I think people think the worst thing that can happen to them is to be poor. So many celebrities in the music industry have sold their souls to Satan its sickening.
​

The first question that comes to mind is how does one sell their soul to Satan? How would you know if you had or had not? There is a popular speaker who goes around making the claim that this singer is a devil worshiper, or that person engages in satanic rituals to be famous, etc... Again, how would they know that? Is there something else at work here, and if so what would it be? Do we give "satan" too much credit and/or power?

Thoughts?

Your soul is your life as seen in your character. God equates the soul with the self of the person, in other words, who you are as a person.

Listen to Jesus in how He equates self with the soul or the life of the person.

Matthew 16:24-26 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. "For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Remember, when Adam was created he became a living soul, he wasn't given a soul.

When we, as they say, sell our soul to the devil, we give ourselves to reflect the will and image of the devil over the will and image of God. In this, the devil will be our father, rather than God. This does not mean will will be mean or ungodly it only means we will be absent the influence of the one true God.

 

[StormyOne]

Your soul is your life as seen in your character. God equates the soul with the self of the person, in other words, who you are as a person.

Listen to Jesus in how He equates self with the soul or the life of the person.

Matthew 16:24-26 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. "For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Remember, when Adam was created he became a living soul, he wasn't given a soul.

When we, as they say, sell our soul to the devil, we give ourselves to reflect the will and image of the devil over the will and image of God. In this, the devil will be our father, rather than God. This does not mean will will be mean or ungodly it only means we will be absent the influence of the one true God.

Interesting, I like the idea of our lives being a reflection of the one we give allegiance to. There is one problem though, we don't know what the devil's character or personality look like. We have given life to a caricature of "the devil" however who has really seen and interacted with the devil enough to say what he is like?

 

[AzA]

Would there be different kinds of spirits?

For the same reason there are different kinds of flower.

Are the designations good and evil too limited when it comes to comprehending "spirits?"

Yes.

 

[AzA]

When we, as they say, sell our soul to the devil, we give ourselves to reflect the will and image of the devil over the will and image of God. In this, the devil will be our father, rather than God. This does not mean will will be mean or ungodly it only means we will be absent the influence of the one true God.

This was well done k4c. Thanks.

 

[k4c]

Interesting, I like the idea of our lives being a reflection of the one we give allegiance to. There is one problem though, we don't know what the devil's character or personality look like. We have given life to a caricature of "the devil" however who has really seen and interacted with the devil enough to say what he is like?

There are many verses that give us a glimps of what the devil is like for example:

James 3:13-18 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

The main thing is if what we are doing is done to bring glory to God or self.

Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

 

[Gregory T kallok]

This is such a loaded statement but here goes. For non believing people Satan doesnt need to spend a nickels worth of energy on them BECAUSE he already has them "locked up". At the moment one becomes a Christian and given salvation with the belief that Jesus did die on the cross and arose from death. This person believes in his heart of Gods merciful salvation through his son , Jesus. This person goes on to live his life being a Christian, sometimes falling, but getting back off , dusting him or herself off and walking THAT path. This person believes in the power of the Holy spirit and takes it in and becomes a conduit for Good and a good vessel for our lord to do his divine work through. So , as you can see, there isn't any real need to sell your soul and it isn't even really possible. Once your a Christian GOD has your soul which he promises to NEVER let go off. So for that to even be feasible, it would mean Holy God didn't tell the truth which would unmake the universe and all creation which at that point we wouldn't have anything to worry about. But all that said, its not possible , simply Not even remotely possible. THATS the Good news. Gods and Jesus's promises can never be broken AMEN , Halleluiah Halleluiah HALLELUIAH !!!

 

[BobRyan]

A comment in another thread regarding the Holy Spirit living within us prompted me to share the following:

My nephew said something that I wish to explore. His statement:

I think people think the worst thing that can happen to them is to be poor. So many celebrities in the music industry have sold their souls to Satan its sickening.​

The first question that comes to mind is how does one sell their soul to Satan? How would you know if you had or had not? There is a popular speaker who goes around making the claim that this singer is a devil worshiper, or that person engages in satanic rituals to be famous, etc... Again, how would they know that? Is there something else at work here, and if so what would it be? Do we give "satan" too much credit and/or power?

Thoughts?

There are some interesting on-TV or in-book accounts of popular figure claiming they did that very thing.

Just as God has angels all over the place watching what is happening and helping the saints... so the devil has his angels everywhere on earth also watching and working. The wicked have no problem "contacting the devil" or one of his angels.

 

[BobRyan]

This is such a loaded statement but here goes. For non believing people Satan doesnt need to spend a nickels worth of energy on them BECAUSE he already has them "locked up".

True but entertainers and public figures make themselves more useful agents and Satan is willing to work with them to get wicked agendas more efficiently adopted by the masses