A really hard question on Satan and deception.

[Greatest I am]

A really hard question on Satan and deception.

You all know that I always have answers for everything but these ones have me stumped.
That or Satan is deceiving me. How could I know?

If angels have free will, why has one never shown themselves?

There are apparently good angels and evil angels that have been renamed as demons.

If either of these showed itself, we could not distinguish it from God himself. No one has ever seen God.

Would we accept it as God and be deceived?

After all, it is said by God that Satan has the power to deceive the whole world.
Knowing this, and knowing that most of the world belongs to one religion or another. It follows that most people in these religions have been deceived.

How then can believers be so sure that they follow the right God?
As scripture indicates that most if not all will be following the wrong God thanks to deception.

Are you somehow immune to Satan, who can deceive the whole world?
If atheists are deceived, then there really is a God.
If believers are deceived, then there really is no God.

If a believer, how do you get around this catch 22.

Are morals the only good way around it?

If so, then if you are a believer that believes that Sodom or the genocide of Noah’s day is good justice, does that mean that you have been deceived?

Because on the face of it, since non believers are a minority and think it evil, then you, as part of the majority and think it good, must be wrong.

Is genocide then a good thing or an evil thing?
Careful, you have definitely been deceived if God was right. Satan has deceived you.

Regards
DL

 

[Peter Parka]

Oh another thread about genocide. Yes, I think the genocide of the bible is bad but hasn't this subject been done to death?

 

[BornReady]

After all, it is said by God that Satan has the power to deceive the whole world. Knowing this, and knowing that most of the world belongs to one religion or another. It follows that most people in these religions have been deceived.

I don't believe in Satan any more than I believe in God. However, I think it is a certainty that most people are mistaken about god(s). There are many contradictory religious views in the world, all of them in the minority. In other words, the majority of people disagree with you no matter what your religion is. Therefore the majority of people must be wrong no matter which religion is right (if any).

 

[Greatest I am]

Oh another thread about genocide. Yes, I think the genocide of the bible is bad but hasn't this subject been done to death?

Genocide is only an example of moral thinking that tells me how lost the theist is who will respond.

Most tackle the harder questions of the O P.

Regards
DL

 

[Greatest I am]

I don't believe in Satan any more than I believe in God. However, I think it is a certainty that most people are mistaken about god(s). There are many contradictory religious views in the world, all of them in the minority. In other words, the majority of people disagree with you no matter what your religion is. Therefore the majority of people must be wrong no matter which religion is right (if any).

I can always count on your insightful comments.

Let me add. For religionists of any stripe to go about cursing others to hell, shows that they are definitely in a hate filled theology instead of one of love.

Regards
DL

 

[alice in chains]

Where's a tool to fight the deception? Or are we all doomed or saved by mere chance...it becomes so confusing that the complications itself IS the deception. There's no platform base belief to start from.

 

[Greatest I am]

Where's a tool to fight the deception? Or are we all doomed or saved by mere chance...it becomes so confusing that the complications itself IS the deception. There's no platform base belief to start from.

The only tools to fight deception would be morals judgment of God, logic and reason.
The church is basically against using these.

“Faith must trample under foot all reason, sense, and understanding.

Reason is a whore, the greatest enemy that faith has.”
Martin Luther

Regards
DL

 

[BornReady]

Or are we all doomed or saved by mere chance...

People worry a lot about being saved. Saved from what? Most times the dangers we fear never happen. As FDR famously heartened... we have nothing to fear but fear itself.

 

[AnitaBeer]

I've never known you to have all the answers...

 

[Greatest I am]

I've never known you to have all the answers...

I have answers for everything.
I did not say I was right about everything. A huge difference.

I do not usually put an answer out there without the logic and reason to explain it.
Then I wait and see if it can be refuted. Since I am careful, it is seldom that what I say can be refuted.
If you care to try, find an O P of mine that does not ring true to you and have a go.
You should know though that I'm hard on believers and many do not engage anymore because they cannot compete.

Regards
DL

 

[anathelia]

Having the free will to do something does not automatically mean you will do it. We all have free will. But we don't go acting upon every whim we have. So just because an "angel" or a "demon" hasn't shown themselves doesn't mean they don't exist. There could be societal rules, so to speak, that are expected of them just as there are expected of us, that tell them that showing themselves is wrong, and they follow those rules.

This is all incredibly hypothetical, by the way. I can't speak to the absolute truth of anything as I don't know.

 

[alice in chains]

People worry a lot about being saved. Saved from what? Most times the dangers we fear never happen. As FDR famously heartened... we have nothing to fear but fear itself.

I agree with you. I was speaking from a Christian's point of view who is a believer out of fear, not on what makes sense or isn't corrupt.

 

[Greatest I am]

Having the free will to do something does not automatically mean you will do it. We all have free will. But we don't go acting upon every whim we have. So just because an "angel" or a "demon" hasn't shown themselves doesn't mean they don't exist. There could be societal rules, so to speak, that are expected of them just as there are expected of us, that tell them that showing themselves is wrong, and they follow those rules.

This is all incredibly hypothetical, by the way. I can't speak to the absolute truth of anything as I don't know.

A hypothetical that says that Satan will follow rules is quite the idea.
You are right though.
It is all speculative nonsense unless an angels pops up to confirm our speculations.

The same applies to God.

Regards
DL

 

[anathelia]

A hypothetical that says that Satan will follow rules is quite the idea.
You are right though.
It is all speculative nonsense unless an angels pops up to confirm our speculations.

The same applies to God.

Regards
DL

I'm just operating under the assumption that even bad people in the world will follow some sort of societal rule. They make break other ones, but that doesn't mean they break all of them. The same could be said of God, Satan, or any of the angels.

Interesting question.

 

[Greatest I am]

Thanks.
It seems to irritate theists since they do not seem able to speak to it.
I call that a success.

Regards
DL