John A. Broussard

Whoa!! Quite the contrary. Christians tell me over and over again about how Satan "enjoys" making people sin. Considering the amount of sin going on, Satan must be having a whooping good time. And doesn't he derive a great deal of satisfaction at getting people damned? "Better to rule in hell than serve in heaven."

I know of no other believer in Satan who would claim that Satan isn't having a good time.

Stephen T-B

Satan is one big thorn in God's side. And always getting the better of Christians, too.
God sits there wringing his hands while Satan whoops it up.

Ulrich

If I were omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnibenevolent, I would certainly give the magic "fix-it-all-now" machine a go, so why doesn't God? Oh, because he doesn't have to answer to humanity? Well, if that isn't sacrosanct bullshit, I don't know what is. He wants us to worship him, he damn well better give us a reason.

If God created us, he has the responsibility to care for us, just like your parents had the responsibility to care for you. We obviously aren't grown up enough to care for ourselves, as we are still killing each other wholesale. Playtime is over, if God wants to be a being worthy of worship, he better step up and fix the mess he has created.

Evoken

And how do you know that He didn't already and that we are just seeing the process taking place, given our limited perception/understanding?

Ulrich

Good point PJ, if you had not brought it up, I would have. It is surprising how many Christians do not realize that their own religion was (and still is) polytheistic.

Call it monotheism all you want, but the trinity and Satan argue against you, as well as your own scriptures. If you want a being that is the incarnation of Eeeevil, then that being is by definition a god. It doesn't mean you have to worship it, but the fact that many people do so gives it that much more validity.

There are many gods in Roman, Greek, Norse, etc. mythologies that are far less powerful than Satan. You can close your eyes and plug your ears, and scream as loud as you can "There is only one God!", but that will not change the facts. Christianity is founded in polytheism, and is polytheistic to this day.

John A. Broussard

I sure like the way he's "processing." That recent Indian Ocean tsunami was sure a great cleansing operation. Even with my limited vision, I can see that.

Ulrich

It is a "fix-it-all-now" machine, so if it isn't working now, then God isn't very omnipotent, is he?

Evoken

God is eternal He lives in an eaternal now, so the fix took place already, we are just watching it take place.

Agnostic Theist

Well I guess I was half right - I've been under the impression that Judaism was founded on tribal polytheistic beliefs.

Wallener

Maybe more accurate to say it was an attempt to craft monotheism out of a decidely polytheic culture/backdrop. Hard work, that, and there was undoubtably lots of backsliding. Lots of polytheic echos in the Jewish (and christian) texts, no question.

Judaism did eventually get quite close (no Satan issues in Judaism ), but it has to be acknowledged Islam is the most consistently monotheic of the big 3 Abrahamics. The relatively late starting date probably has much to do with that.