Was the concept of satan made up?

Question

by peasant farmers, so they can blame something for their crops to fail and then taken up by others so they can blame someone when they messed up?

Answer 1

yes, and the stories told around camp fires increased the myth

Answer 2

All concepts were made up, but that is neither here nor there. I am not aware of any evidence tracing the idea back to peasant farmers. The idea of Satan as a figure who is opposed to God only appears in Judaism after the period in which they were ruled over by the Persians. The Persians were Zoroastrians, and that dualist system influenced Judaism in numerous ways. They never gave up the belief that God is ultimate, however, and so although one could blame things on Satan, God was viewed as ultimately in control, which is why blaming the Devil has never been a satisfactory response to the problem of evil in the Judeo-Christian tradition.

Answer 3

Well, my dear, that depends entirely on who you ask! Many Pagans and Wiccans will tell you that Satan is never actually mentioned (at least by that name) in the Bible, nor is the story of the fall of the Archangel Lucifer. (In fact, I have no idea where that story originated) Many believe that Satan was created to scare people into converting to Christianity from their local Pagan religions. The church craved power, and there is power in numbers. Evidence shows that the modern-day image of Satan is simply a conglomerate of various Pagan gods; namely Pan and Poseidon. They took the concept of a horned, half-goat man from Pan; the God of the Forest and Sexuality. The 'pitchfork' Satan carries is oddly reminiscent of Poseidon's trident. The Christian church surmised (correctly, unfortunately) that by demonizing the Pagan gods they could scare people into conversion.

Also, it merits adding that now many people do blame the concept of Satan for their wrongdoings. Many users have done it just now -- claiming that Satan is to blame for poor parenting and natural disasters. Human beings have the desire to always want to blame their own shortcomings on an outside source instead of taking responsibility for their own actions. Satan does not cause parents to beat their children. Parents cause parents to beat their children. Take responsibility, people.

Answer 4

I Agree with Phoenix's Mommy <3! and pagans have nothing to do with satanism.....if you want the truth, Christians do....its not an insult, its only a fact...don't you see? every bad thing that happens these people are either christian fanatics or satanists....(both likely the exact same)..i mean....you cant have Satanism without Christianity.....they are both one. im trying very hard to nt be offensive but its just the obvious truth......keep in mind other ''religion'' was long awake before the bible was WRITTEN by men who wanted to control ABSOLUTELY everything...i mean they did a good job...everyone is in pain everyday because of all these arguments...if you dont mind id rather go out into nature and pick some flowers for my altar and make gifts for my friends in family rather than go to church to sing about how weak we all are and how strong GOD is... Bless everyone and peace...im sorry. i can stand to believe in god... (most of the time) but not at all Satan....its an evil image...its disgusting..and the man who invented him is having a good time making us all suffer.please just....be at peace...STOP BLAMING everyone..and take care of yourself and the ones you love..even to strangers...

Answer 5

If so, then Jesus was a liar and suffered from delusions when tempted in the wilderness for 40 days.

Oh, and BTW, this "made up" being would also like you to believe that he was made up by farmers. Best to come to terms with who is the Truth and who is the father of lies.

Revelation 12:9
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world...

Answer 6

NO IT CERTAINLY WAS NOT. Satan was an angel.......A very important angel. He could fathom God becoming Christ/Human and how Gods plans for all of mankind could come together. He was beaten out of Heaven by Michael an lower ranking angel to Satan which was humiliating to Satan. When he 'fell' to earth he brought with him 1/4 of all angels from heaven with him. He has many 'servants' on earth. In the film 'Usual Suspects' Kevin Spacey made a genius comment, he stated ' The Devil is so Evil he's convinced the world he doesn't exist.' FRIGHTENING!! You should be!

Answer 7

People felt that something had to be at fault for causing misery. They didn't have things like weather reports, vaccines, centralized heating, sewage systems, or any of the things we take for granted today. It's almost a staple of religion itself...a villain "out there" is making everything go bad and making people do bad things. It was a simple explanation for drought and disease for lack of any knowledge.

So they made up a bad guy and gave him a name.

Answer 8

No - Satan is the name of Lucifer who was an angel cast out by God. He knows his bible just like God and he spritually lives in us. That's why we have evil thoughts daily about a different variety of things. Just keep repenting. If it were a myth, evil things wouldn't happen in the world. Keep praying for yourself as well as others. If this answers sounds crazy, not as crazy as that peasant farmer blaming stuff you wrote LOL.

Answer 9

The concept of "Satan" is not unlike our concept of 'God"; and we are speakingt about concepts and not Truths.

"God" is truth, complete and undiluted.

Satan on the other hand is Valid, by your beliefs alone;however, Satan is not as Valid as you.

This is the nature of reality.

If we all agree today to "creat" a "new personification of evil" it will come to be in any form we choose; however, this personification will have no power over you unless you allow it by belief and that too will be stripped away by truth upon discovery.

A very non-complex path to take.

This is not hocus pocus nor is it intended as such.

Human beings are inherently non-physical; the short story is we are born by choice to undertake certain task we agree to prior to birth; this is our choice alone for our own personal growth.

The nature of reality gives us the ability to creat, to form, to build; as we do this in physical form we do it massivley in non-physical form. On Earth we learn to do it right by self focus and learning mental discipline; for some it takes "longer" and thus is reincarnation.

The very Satan you speak of can easily be "made up" ( and has been) if we so allow it; our physical presence on this Earth is about learning mental discipline and other forms of creative disciplines as "thought creats matter" and "matter does not creat thought".

This physical world is set up to require a perceptively slow process in order to form thought into matter, as matter is perceivebly "made" by man, it is also "put together by hand"; this rule is not so in realms where non-physical personalities reside. This is why that discipline I speak of is 100% manadatory to learn; how you learn it and "when" you learn it is all on you.

Satan will fall away like a weak wind should you mention or even seek Truth; Satan is as false as any facade has no ability to stand up to You as you are valid and Satan is but a thought and those thoughts are governed by You.

Answer 10

Jenny, I dont think you have ever looked at a Bible? You might want to read one. The devil was around along time before peasant farmers...although the devil is blamed alot for things he has no part in at all...he was not "made up" by peasant farmers...knowledge is power...go read a Bible and find out where he came from...hope it helps

Answer 11

Isaiah 14
i guess you didn't notice..eve blamed satan..adam blame god for giving him eve.
so blaming means not taking responsiblity of NOT ASKING or Staying in touch with GOD.
folks lives are SAVED..of danger..car crashes..planes.crashes.ect..that is why joshua 1:8 said..mediate day and night..and do what is right..and then..your way will be prosperous and you'll have good success.