Consider this. Satan is said to have fallen from heaven in a disagreement with God and his desire to "be a star in hell" rather than serve in heaven. As such, Satan and God are mortal enemies. Consider further that Satan is believed to punish sinners in hell. For instance, many believe that Hitler, Islamic Terrorists, or even Judas Iscariot are being punished mercilessly by Satan. At the end of Dante's Inferno, Judas is punished directly by Satan himself.
I posit that the concept of the devil punishing sinners is contradictory and illogical. The devil is against God. Hitler and Judas would be the Devil's heroes, not his playthings to torture! If the devil were bent on defeating God, he would put Hitler and Judas as his top generals. They would receive NO punishment from Satan! Assuming the devil punishes evildoers is therefore irrational.
2006-10-22 15:18:04 · 15 answers · asked by doogsdc 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Consider our justice system. For criminals to be punished, we must send them to a prison or to execution that is governed by people who pay allegiance to the judge and jury. We do not pay criminals to run jails! The prison guards must be good guys on our side!
The concept of Satan punishing evildoers in hell is just like hiring criminals to run prisons.
This is completely irrational, unless Satan IS, in fact, a servant of God. This would be entirely contradictory.
Either Satan is God's servant, Satan does not exist, hell is run by God, or there is some other group of angels administering punishment in hell.
2006-10-22 15:21:37 · update #1
I, of course, do not believe in Satan, God, heaven, or hell.
2006-10-22 15:24:06 · update #2
Ah... So God is in charge of hell and dispensing all the punishments in hell?
2006-10-22 15:27:52 · update #3
Satan has no control in hell, he is a victim of it just like everyone else there. God created and controls what happens in hell.
2006-10-22 15:23:42 · answer #1 · answered by Sean 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Don't you have anything better to do than write this tripe?
God had no disagreement with Satan. Satan tried to take the power, control, and the mercy seat from God. He convinced about 4 billion souls to follow him in this revolt. For this, God put a death sentience on him and the fallen angels.
Satan will not rule anywhere. His place of destruction awaits him and his angels. When God is finished with him, Satan, God will allow Satan and his to walk directly into the Lake of Fire and will be totally consumed. He will have never existed.
Everyone and anyone who has died and not accepted God's Saviour is in heaven awaiting the final judgment. There are two sides to the gulf.
You need much reading and repentance in your life.><>
2006-10-22 15:29:37 · answer #2 · answered by CEM 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well you got part of it right, God threw Satan out of heaven because Satan wanted to take over heaven, he was God's most beautiful and most powerful angel, he was cast out of heaven with his followers. Hell was originally made for Satan and his demons, which were also angels at one time. Hell was never meant for humans. It was a punishment for Satan and his followers, this went on before Adam and Eve. But now that people or so evil, and they don't choose to serve God, then they automatically choose the devil and will be case into hell too
The belief that Satan is in Hell has its roots in Christian literature rather than in the Bible. The Bible states that he still roams heaven and earth. It also states that Satan appeared with other angels "before the Lord," presumably in heaven. When God asked Satan where he had been, Satan replied, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it". Satan has not been and is not in Hell. 1 Peter 5:8 declares, "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour".
Passages such as these suggest that Satan is not in Hell and probably spends most of his time seeking to destroy the lives of human beings and to keep them separated from God.
And the devil will also be burning in hell when he is cast into it when Jesus returns, so he want be over Hell ,God will be over hell. And there want be a need for anyone to run hell its a automatic self sufficient, burn for ever , no outs. Not even for the devil.
2006-10-22 15:47:45 · answer #3 · answered by purpleaura1 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
you got a good point...i always thought it rather ridiculous myself. How could god be a merciful God if he was willing to do that to all of mankind knowing that they are going to sin because that is their nature. I would also think that God would be astonished and impressed by our ability to question him and creation (that is, if said god did exist)
What I mean is think of it this way...it was proposed to me a while ago by a very smart person in my life that if you were to look at it from a human perspective...say...when our pets (dogs and cats) do something completely unpredictable from nature any loving owner wouldn't punish and burn their animals in an oven...we would be impressed by whatever it did. (bad or good)
What we have to remember is that the bible is comprised of stories written by people. (People, by the way that we actually have very little account of existing only because it was sooo long ago--not saying they didn't exist...but am saying it was a long time ago)...people since the beginning of existence have this ability to reason and think...we are far more intelligent than any other species on this planet...
in our need to make sense of things and form logic we must always divide things into black and white with little in between and nothing anywhere else...it's all we can understand..we're smart but only so smart and can never know anything for sure (including if we have a creator or not..and if we do who is the creators creator?? etc.) The bible is written so it has a structure...for humans to coexist there must be structure. It's absolutely neccesary for there to be a heaven and hell because that is how people believe..what is to stop people from breaking a commandment without consequence?? Just like, what would stop me from robbing a bank if I didn't have to go to jail (and obviously present day law is based off of moral law and the ten commandments)...I mean the whole fire and brimstone burn in hell, scary !!! didn't happen until the new testement really..
it's logic, it makes sense...to them...and that's all.
Also, the bible has been revised in a whole lotta languages and a whole lotta times since jesus and his apostles and all.
and we've all played that pass it around game in elemtary school whatever somebody starts saying at first sounds completely differant by the end.
2006-10-22 16:51:51 · answer #4 · answered by crisis 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think your question is ridiculous..Maybe you have hell mixed up with the movie little Nicky where satan gave the punishment. He has no power over people but what hes allowed to have here on earth. If you read your bible, hell is a lake of fire where satan and unbelievers will be cast for eternity on judgment day. Total separation from God is your punishment, nothing but pain and sorrow.
2006-10-22 15:25:41 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
You are fully correct.
Satan is a sinner, who gives him the power to punish sinners?
In reality, there is no satan. Man who acts against God is his own satan, and he punishes himself without knowing it.
God says: not to drink. See what punishments the drinkers have brought to themselves and to their brothers and sisters among mankind. But for the one who doesn't know about this evident punishment, he keeps on disobeying other laws and ruins his own life, then some other deeply sorrowful day he looks up and says why God leaves him in such a condition!
The effects of sins are not so simple. Please read the Holy Books and meditate for yourselves.
2006-10-22 15:34:25 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hell is the punishment for Satan. Not the other way around. Satan and Satan's other fallen Angels will be banished to hell.
2006-10-22 15:22:33 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I am sorry - I can't be logical and religious at the same time.
I can do math and be logical, or talk about unicorns and be religious. But I will have to pass on this question, as I know nothing about this subject.
I like your thought process and how you know so much about satan and GOD. (I just wanted a way to track this question.)
Please, keep doing GOD's work.
Peace.
2006-10-22 15:27:48 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hell itself is the ultimate punishment. We could never conceive of the excuciating pain that is eternal in Hell.The inhabitants of Hell will burn in an eternal flame.The fires will never be extinguished,and the unbearable,excruciating pain will be everlasting. Satan isn't the punisher.He,too,will be in eternal torment,but he wants to make sure he takes as many people as he can to Hell with him,because he hates all mankind.
2006-10-22 16:35:39 · answer #9 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
God will punish Satan, demons, and reprobate sinners in hell. Satan will not be in charge of anything at all.
2006-10-22 15:25:56 · answer #10 · answered by Kidd! 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋