2006-09-04 17:39:28 · 24 answers · asked by BAnne 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
In essence, Satan is a malevolent, "spiritual being." To acknowledge his existence is to acknowledge a demonic force or presence. All throughout history, man has created demons or spirits to explain why certain forces were in motion or why bad things happened in the world. Evil forces are also used in a general sense as a scare tactic. These forces can be the basic volcano spirits, to the local loup garou, to the eloquent demons of Greek and Norse mythology.
These demonic/ malevolent powers are, in essence, "godly." And if you acknowledge the demonic, you must acknowledge their base in the spiritual.
If you believe in Satan, but not God, you are being completely contradictory. For if you believe in Satan, he is a literal "god" in his own right- just like the malicious spirits in myth. So you do believe in a god, per se.
Now, can you believe in a malicious spirit without also believing in the opposite? You could try, but everything has a balance. Just think of the Traditional Chinese view on life and spirit: Yin and Yang. With a malevolent god, there must also be a benevolent god. This is where the belief in God MUST appear if someone believes in Satan.
So yeah: you cannot believe in one without the other.
2006-09-04 18:02:35 · answer #1 · answered by Brandon H 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
There is no reason that you can't believe in God without Satan. Those are two concepts that are not necessarily connected to one another unless you believe good needs to have its mirror- but that is not a truth- it's a belief system of some faiths not all.
Most Jews, for example, probably would not say they believe in Satan. Satan is only necessary if you believe people are inherently evil and so need the threat of damnation to make you behave. Otherwise you can believe in a truly all-powerful good God without any counterbalance or threat.
And you can look around the world and see how well that idea works..look at Islam in the Middle-East, Christianity through the ages, etc. People can always come up with a reason why they are not going to hell for what they do- so even the concept of hell is not really very effective overall.
2006-09-05 01:05:34 · answer #2 · answered by QandAGuy 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I don't know if hypocrisy would be the right word to use.
If you believe in Satan it would make sense for you to believe in God as well because after all, Satan believes in God.
2006-09-05 00:54:28 · answer #3 · answered by stpolycarp77 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I can't see any hypocrisy. Is a person a Hypocrite if he believes in Santa but not his elves? I don't think so. It could be that you are using the word hypocrisy in a way which is not readily apparent as it does not conform to accepted usage. To be a hypocrite is to say one thing and do the opposite. Such a position is logically contradictory. There is no contradiction in acknowledging the existence of Satan but denying the existence of God especially if this 'Satan' is the Nordic fertility God.
2006-09-05 00:53:05 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
In answer to your question Yes absolutely it is hipocracy. But get this if they can believe in the evil one then in a sense they kind allready acknowlege the good one God. Why? Because in order to believe in the evil one they have to use faith the measure of faith God put in us all after His own image. How we use that measure of faith is up to us. Personally I'm using mine to follow God and Christ His Son throught the Bible for living a better life the Christian life. It's also hipocracy and it takes way more faith to be an athiest an anti God beliver that doesn't believe God exist etc. then it does to be a Christain. In the Bible Psalm and other references: "The fool says in his heart there is no God." Well if there is no God you'd better be right. Period. Think it's hot now better behave. church sayings on a bill board here locally.
2006-09-05 00:57:13 · answer #5 · answered by dave_83501 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes, it would be. I'm a LaVeyan Satanist and have had to answer many questions like this. We don't believe in a devil/god/heaven/hell. We are mostly Atheistic. Some are Agnostic. We take the name from a mythological being as a symbol for Wisdom and Human Nature. We do not worship Satan, we don't believe in it. We worship ourselves and Nature.
If Satanism is what you were referring to, I hope I helped you out a bit.
2006-09-05 00:45:07 · answer #6 · answered by Spookshow Baby 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Nothing exist without God first ! Without God , satan does not exist !
2006-09-05 00:49:33 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Yes, you can't have one without the other. God created Satan.
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2006-09-05 00:41:58 · answer #8 · answered by Pashur 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No. But it certainly makes no sense. I'm not aware of people who believe in Satan but not God.
2006-09-05 00:44:21 · answer #9 · answered by lenny 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I wouldn't exactly call it hypocrisy, but it doesn't make much sense, either. The Judeo-Christian concept of a powerful being who embodies evil presupposes a belief in a powerful being who embodies good. That's my take on it.
2006-09-05 00:58:04 · answer #10 · answered by WillyC 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋