What is Satan?

Question

Isn't there something basically wrong with our religious teachings? We are in the beginning of the 21st century, and many people do not have a clear understanding of what Satan is. This seems clear from comments posted by a previous question about Satan.

We know that Satan causes suffering. The world is full of suffering. Doesn't it behoove us to understand clearly the cause of suffering and how to overcome it?

Answer 1

First Satan (who goes by many names) IS an angle or angelic being better.
He has great powers and abilities.
He Loathes man, and hates God.
The only way a man can over come Satan is through Christ.
Christ has given them that overcome power over Satan. All others are at the mercy of Satan.

Answer 2

Suffering isn't necessarily caused by Satan. More often than not, people are the cause of their own suffering. As far as Satan, if one has a computer or access to a library then all one has to do is to do a little research on the subject. If not, talk with your pastor, priest or clergy. In other words, STOP BEING LAZY AND DO SOME RESEARCH! If you do the research you'll be amazed at what you'll learn. :)

Answer 3

The cause of suffering (as I understand the arguments presented by people who believe in the bible) is not accepting some guy named jesus into your life.

According to these same people, if you accept jesus into your life you will overcome suffering.

This information comes from a book that was physically written by humans. This book also says god was directly responsible for creating an angel named lucifer who eventually turned on god and became satan.

This same book says that this god is all things. The light and the dark, the good and the bad, etc. Without this god there would be nothing. (Isaiah 45:7)

Draw your own conclusions as to who (or what) is responsible for suffering.

Answer 4

In ancient Jewish tradition Satan is simply an angel doing the work that God assigned to Satan to do.

The word Satan means challenger. With the idea of Satan challenging us, or tempting if you will. This description sees Satan as the angel who is the embodiment of man's challenges. This idea of Satan works closely with God as an integral part of God plan for us. His job is to make choosing good over evil enough of a challenge so that it becomes clear to us that there can be only one meaningful or logical choice.

Contrast this to Christianity, which sees Satan as God's opponent. In Jewish thought, the idea that there exists anything capable of setting itself up as God's opponent would be considered polytheistic or setting up the devil to be an equally powerful polarity to god or a demigod.

Oddly, proof for The Christian satin/devil mythology is supposedly found in the ancient Jewish texts that were borrowed to create the bible. One can’t help but wonder how Christians came up with such a fantastically different interpretation of Gods assistant Satan in their theology.

Other hints about satans role in human relations can be seen if you look at the name Lucifer. It meaning in the original tongue translates as Light bearer or light bringer. Essentially the bringer of enlightenment. The temptations of the satan idea bring all of us eventually into Gods light. Hardly the Evil entity of Christian mythology.

Love and blessings
don

Answer 5

Satan was an angel who fell from Gods grace, as he was rebellious. He wants to be God and cause as much trouble and chaos as he can. He is the greatest deceiver. He takes Gods word and twists it, he deceives people from having a relationship with God. People that do not worship God are worshiping Satan and many don't even realize it.

Yes, there are many things wrong with our teachings.
Yes, it does behoove us to learn more.

Answer 6

Satan was an angel in the kingdom of God and was thrown out because he tried to be better than God. He lives in hell and tries to turn people away from God.

Answer 7

One bright, beautiful Sunday morning, everyone in tiny Jonestown wakes up early and goes to their local church. Before the service starts, the townspeople sit in their pews and talk about their lives and their families.

Suddenly, at the altar, Satan appears!! Everyone starts screaming and running for the front entrance, trampling each other in their determined efforts to get away from Evil Incarnate. Soon, everyone is evacuated from the church except for one man, who sit calmly in his pew, seemingly oblivious to the fact that God's ultimate enemy is in his presence. This confuses Satan a bit. Satan walks up to the man and says, "Hey, don't you know who I am?" The man says, "Yep, sure do."

Satan says, "Well, aren't you afraid of me?" The man says, "Nope, sure ain't."

Satan, perturbed, says, "And why aren't you afraid of me?" The man says, "Well, I've been married to your sister for 25 years."

Answer 8

Satan, used to be called Lucifer. He was the Angel of light. he was the greatest among the ranks of angels in Heaven. Then he, having free will, bacame pridefull, and wanted to be like God. So God kicked him and his followers out of Heaven.

Answer 9

Satan, otherwise known as the devil, used to be an angel of God. Angels are made of fire, and humans are made of clay. So, when Adam was first made, God told the angels ot bow down to him, b/c humans are supposed to be greater than angels. Satan said that he wouldn't, b/c he was made of fire, which is better than clay. God got very mad at him, and told him to leave heaven forever, and to go to hell. Now, satan tries to get people to turn to his side, to do bad things, sins, so they will go to hell. Whoever resists him and goes to God's side, goes to heaven. So, there you go!

Answer 10

existence is suffering
the cause of suffering is desire
to overcome this desire, we must let go of our desires thru the 8 paths of enlightenment.
-buddha
(google the 8 paths pf enlightenment)

"satan" is just a fancy word for despair....
-me