I believe in God but only out of fear that if there is a God and all of the things that we are taught about the Armageddon and so forth are true the I'd rather be a believer than not. However why would a loving God allow a mere serpent to tempt his prize creation. Why didn't God protect them from Satan - God is great right, why did he allow his angel to fall from grace and rule on earth as the evil mogul Satan to temp and destroy the children that he so loves. Why then let us suffer for years and years and expect that we know that god love s us and will reward us for believing in him even though we suffer. I just don't get it. why does a loving God continue to test our faith - or is the devil who puts our faith to a test.
For the atheist do you also believe that the devil is a myth?
2006-10-27 08:34:26 · 12 answers · asked by Jazz 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
God DOES protect us from Satan! If he didn't, Satan would have destroyed us long ago.
Understand, God created man on the earth for a purpose, and part of that purpose is to create in us wholesome, strong, good and right character. That, in combination with free will, cannot be done with a snap of his fingers (so to speak).
If God were to stop us or the angels from doing wrong, then we wouldn't have free will; we'd be only machines. God doesn't want machines for companions -- they make poor friends. He wants living beings capable of independent thought and expression, and who have the capacity and desire to do what is right always.
God allows this 'test' to continue until we learn the lesson. (From all appearances, no one is really learning the lesson very well at all.) Of course, in God's love for us, the lesson will not be allowed to get so far out of hand as to destroy his work; but it's going to get very bad before people finally say, "All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient," (Exodus 24:7), and really mean it.
2006-10-27 10:16:46 · answer #1 · answered by BC 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
So you believe out of fear and not honest acceptance? Would that fool God?
To look at it from another point of view, I am afraid that the Great Boar would gore me for all eternity if I do not believe in his prophet, James Brown. It's not that I actually have seen or felt the Great Boar, but I'd hate to be wrong and be impaled for all of eternity.
Is that any different from having a nightlight on because you're afraid the boogeyman will get you if you don't?
To answer the greater question, the short answer is that God is not loving. God allows for evil for whatever purposes he wants (assuming God even exists).
The book of Job pretty much pegs God as a petty, insecure child. He runs into Satan and starts bragging about Job. Then, Satan makes a bet with God (actually, he dares him) that Job will curse him if God wasn't being so swell to him. So, God relents and lets Satan do what he wants to Job just to prove a point.
And when God is proven wrong and Job does curse him, God goes into a hissy fit and reminds Job that he was the one that created the Earth.
No, not exactly a loving god. The Jesus story helps out with that image, but there are still plagues, war, and famine, so it's not like God has decided to turn a loving hand onto the world.
As an atheist, I consider the devil to be in all of us. Everyone is capable of malice.
2006-10-27 08:37:30 · answer #2 · answered by Rev Kev 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
God created Adam and Eve with perfect minds and bodies. He told Adam all the rules. Then he stepped back and allowed Adam to have free will to obey God or disobey God. Then the serpent decieved Eve....he could have killed the snake and satan but all the other angels were watching. He was their father too. Satan was Gods son. But satan wanted Adam to worship him so he called God a liar. He told Eve that she would not die if she ate of the tree. So she ate and gave some to her husband.
The question of God's right to rule was at stake. He had to let things go long enough for Satan to be proved a liar and for all humans on earth to continue to worship their creator Jehovah God.
When Adam sinned..he came under the adamic sin..that he die before reaching 1000 years old.
Jesus came to earth to redeem humankind back so that we may soon live forever as was the original purpose for those in the Garden of Eden. The devil has a short time left and he controls the whole world now..he wants to bring everyone down with him. Resist satan and keep serving God.
2006-10-27 08:47:21 · answer #3 · answered by debbie2243 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You have answered your own question. There is no satan, there is only god. Satan is just representation of what evil is. God does not love us nor should we fear or love him. Humanity as a whole should wage war against god. If god were indeed as powerful as h proclaims to be then why must, his children suffer? would yu allow your children to suffer? no you would not, you would do everything you possibly could to save your children form disease, famine, tyranny and the likes of evil. God is not on our side, we have to open our eyes and realize humanity has done all these evil things to itself. People justify such human atrocities as being "god's plan", I for one believe we must cast this idea of "GOD" out of our heads and live our lives according wo what would be best for humanity, help the starving the diseased ridden, the ones that live in oppression because your god has turned a deaf ear to their cries, but as humans we do not have this luxury if want to save our future from the ideals of a god that we simply cannot live up to. Cast away god and satan and realize that on this earth there is only good and evil and you have to decide which side of the coin you belong, but for better or for worse we need to serve the people we love, our friends and family , neighbors, children....god is not here, we are alone.
2006-10-27 08:52:19 · answer #4 · answered by jhguilford78 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
www.godisimaginary.com
I've seen this site listed several times. It sounds like you're on the right path; you just need a little nudge.
I hope you can overcome your fear, and get your feet on the true path.
That doesn't mean you have to cease believing in god altogether - but I think it would be wise to shun your current religion, and form your own opinions about god.
There are those who believe in a different form, and it's a much healthier one. I speak of pagans, for example. I wish I had been raised in some pagan religion. Not that I have any regrets about who I am now, but it would have been nice to have been spared all the guilt and damnation.
2006-10-27 08:55:11 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
perhaps because he wouldnt be so much of a god if all things were up to him and we didnt have a choice on the matter. and about why he allowed us to fall from grace by the trickery of the devil, i dont think it was something that he allowed. like satan went to his office one day and asked if he could go make people miserable for his entertainment, no. but it is satan's job to tempt and as it is his nature, he will. and for god to not do anything about it does not mean he allows it. he is simply bound by the rule of free will. whatever we do is up to us.
yes he is all powerful and could change all this for us. but this is like in the case of his dying in the cross. it is said, for the wages of sin is death. and for our sins somebody has to die. christ did instead of us. as you can see, he found a way around the rule' for the wages of sin is death.' but in the matter with the devil, it is not something as easy.
and about the atheists and belief in the devil, id say belief in evil is possible. but if you are to say the devil, strictly as reffering to satan, i dont think it is possible. logically at least. god created all things and in effect the angel and as such, lucifer who later became the devil. so how can you believe in the created if you refure to believe in the creator? logically they cannot believe in the devil but maybe just evil per se.
2006-10-27 09:00:28 · answer #6 · answered by vaNDERS 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well now why don't you ask GOD? If he is not big enough to answer your question then why worry about it.? I do not think we see very clearly what is really going on with GOD. Looking back on my life the suffering was where I learned the most. I would not trade that experience for anything. I would not like to go back and repeat it though.
May GOD richly bless you
2006-10-27 08:41:52 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
God, the devil, souls, ghosts, angels, demons, and the tooth fairy are all imaginary. You may have things to fear, but a divinely inspired battle to the death for world religious domination is not one of them.
2006-10-27 08:45:19 · answer #8 · answered by NHBaritone 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I see that you are beginning to doubt and question. Great start, you'll be an atheist in no time.
Yes, i believe the devil is a myth
2006-10-27 08:45:50 · answer #9 · answered by the_talking_donkee 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, the devil is a myth.
2006-10-27 08:50:40 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋