Just What Is the Devil, the AntiCrist or Mans Darker Nature?

[Minor Axis]

Anyone here believe in the Devil? If you do, who is he, the classic fallen angel, is he an allegory for Man's dark nature, or is he part of God, the Yang to God's Ying?

As I am agnostic, I don't believe in the traditional view or story of the Devil not to say that it's not possible. Anything in religion is possible, just not all the probable imo. However there could be evil forces that reveal themselves based on Human failings, our dark nature and the attraction of being bad. What do ya think?

 

[satinbutterfly]

I'm agnostic as well... so like you I don't want to classify that darker element of life. I do believe we all have a dark side though... and I'm cool with mine. :cool

 

[StanJon]

I'm agnostic as well... so like you I don't want to classify that darker element of life. I do believe we all have a dark side though... and I'm cool with mine. :cool

I was talking to a Jehovah's witness one day, and he told me the devil is God's son. Apparently, he does not know his bilbe has he claim.

Well, i personally believe in the Devil, and that He is the root of evil. Not money:24: I couldn't help that.

I don't know much about the devil. I only set my mind on the things above, not the things of this earth or what is beneath it.

I would like to her what someone else have to say.

 

[Crackers]

Well it's basically this.

You have presupposed criteria on what is "right" and what is "wrong."

Anything that you find in yourself (feelings, thoughts etc.) that fits in the category of "right" goes in your "good-self" indentity.

Anything that you find in yourself (feelings, thoughts etc.) that fits in the category of "wrong" goes in your "dark-self" indentity.


Now, if there was a person that feels every part of himself is inherently good then he would have no "darker-self". He wouldn't group a collection of feelings/thoughts and label them "dark" as he believes all his feelings/thoughts are already "good."

The reason the "darker-self" is so relatable to most people is because most people have a similar presupposed criteria on what is right and wrong. In general, most people have christian morals in western society (even if they aren't christian, merely because christian morality has been accepted by these societies as correct).

The problem with christian morals is that they are set on the idea that man is evil. So when people get these morals in their heads of course they are going to find a part of themselves which they consider "dark."

It's the result of a conflict between what you believe you ought to be and what you actually are.

 

[Minor Axis]

Well, i personally believe in the Devil, and that He is the root of evil. Not money:24: I couldn't help that.

The devil is symbolic, it is not an external force that preys on us- it is us. Both the devil and divine live within us and the temptations to be bad versus good are our minds sorting through the choices and weighing the benefits of an action mixed in with whatever moral standard the we possess.

 

[Minor Axis]

Bad is what brings the feelings of "sick to your stomach", brings chills up the spine, such as violent murder, one gang beating to death a young innocent boy, things like that.

You have OVERSIMPLIFIED my dear. There is a wide spectrum of bad, from guilty pleasures to mass muder, and in most cases, the sinners are feeling far from bad when they do it although at the extremes they might have misgivings about what they have done.

 

[Peter Parka]

The devil is an mythical invention of man, nothing more.