2007-01-21 13:03:41 · 29 answers · asked by Moni B 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
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 Gods 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 satan/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 Satan’s role in human relations can be seen if you look at the name Lucifer. It’s 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
2007-01-21 13:06:50 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 3⤋
Because God theoretically created Satan, there is no possible way for an Atheist to believe in Satan. Atheists have no spiritual beliefs. This does not mean that they do not have deep moral or philosophical beliefs. It simply means that they do not believe in a higher power (or, I guess, in Satan's case, a lower power ^_^).
2007-01-21 13:09:53 · answer #2 · answered by Beezy 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋
In order for the existence of Satan to be acknowledged one must first accept the existence of God. No Atheist in their right mind believes in the existence of any spiritual/supernatural entity.
2007-01-21 13:20:54 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Most of the answers here are correct, but have an important wording problem.
Atheists often say that they "don't believe in" things. That's not really what they mean. What they mean is, they believe that such things do not exist.
I'm being picky, but there is a difference. Atheism is not a lack of belief, but a belief that god does not exist.
2007-01-21 13:10:45 · answer #4 · answered by Huddy 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I see it could be possible, but then again, Satan has to do with the subject of God, so then an atheist might not, since Satan is a somewhat religious figure.
2007-01-21 13:09:32 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
Yes, I totally do. No god, just the mighty satan. Now get to plucking a_blvr. I want photographic evidence of no eyebrows.
2007-01-21 13:13:12 · answer #6 · answered by That Guy 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Atheists do not believe in God. Since Satan is a polar opposite of God, atheists would not believe in Satan.
It's rather like not believing in Santa. Since elves are a part of the Santa myth, you wouldn't believe in elves, either.
2007-01-21 13:08:49 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
No. We don't believe in anything for which there is no evidence of any kind -- god, jesus, satan, heaven, hell, jehovah, allah, Zeus, Thor, etc.
There is no "satan" tempting you and making you do bad things. You're responsible for your own bad behavior.
2007-01-21 13:19:58 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Do you know what an Atheist is? Atheists don't believe in ANY dieties including Satan.
2007-01-21 13:07:45 · answer #9 · answered by Alucard 4 · 9⤊ 0⤋
rotflmao no they don't believe in god or the devil or heaven or hell they believe in no religion at all they believe in evolution and the big bang and science mostly anyway i'm agnostic if anything theistic satanists believe and worship satan and theistic luciferians believe in and worship lucifer
2007-01-21 13:10:43 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋