Think about it: God creates man, an innocent, with no knowledge, no real sense of self, no nothing - we're basically a showpiece in a garden.
By tempting us into eating from the tree Satan gives us the capacity to choose, thereby releasing us from God's tyranny.
Incidentally, many Gnostic groups, most notably the Ophidians, believed exactly this.
2007-08-23 05:49:48 · 45 answers · asked by dead_elves 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
For temptation to exists, free will must already exist. Therefore God gave us free will so that we could be tempted. By not following God's plan and accepting temptation instead of resisting it Eve ate the forbidden fruit and then offered it to Adam.
If God had not given us free will we would just follow his plan and never question anything. Sin would not exist.
2007-08-23 05:57:11 · answer #1 · answered by soinlove 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, Ophidians may have but... close enough I guess :)
We had to become free spirits.
We're on a spirit quest.
Blaming things on Satan is a cop out.
Satan isn't the active evil people think he is.
He's more of a spirit of accusation that we read about in Job. Those that accuse should think about whom they serve. The Bible has been so chopped up that "which being is which" can be difficult to discern, if it really mattered we'd be working hard to get it straight but it doesn't matter.
One must ((become Christ)) in love and motivation, then when we awaken this new awareness you may know everything by looking at the "Word" written on your heart it is put there by the Holy Spirit which tells you all things. This is the incorruptible "Word of God" that people confuse with the physical book which is corruptible.
Agape
♥Blessed Be♥
♥=∞
2007-08-23 06:05:22 · answer #2 · answered by gnosticv 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's funny, Mormons believe that Satan was present when God created man and Satan didn't want man to have free will!
I think God created man deliberately with free will. Man could choose to go along with God's teaching or make an alternative decision. But in the beginning no alternatives existed! As you say, it was Satan who provided the alternatives!
(I'm speaking allegorically here. I don't actually believe in Satan).
Many ancient religious traditions (including, I believe, some Gnostic sects), believed in two Gods, one good and one evil, and that the universe was their battleground, a constant struggle between good and evil. I think a lot of fundamentalist Christians elevate Satan to a high level of importance because it's convenient to see the universe in this way, that all believers must be 'warriors' in the struggle between good and evil. To believe this, you can't see evil as just the absence of good, as dark is the absence of light or cold is the absence of heat, you have to believe that evil is a separate powerful force, something that must be actively fought and conquered and suppressed.
2007-08-23 06:00:38 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If God made man and he had the capacity to choose then God gave man the capacity for free will. If Satan exists then Satan merely offered man an opportunity to use that free will.
2007-08-23 05:56:15 · answer #4 · answered by energybuild 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most American adults (59%) consider that Satan is simply a symbol or concept or principle of evil, not an actual personality. Three in four Roman Catholics believe this; 55% of Protestants agree.
A minority of adults (34%) believe Satan to be a living being.
In my humble opiniun satan didn't give us anything.
The right to choose came from Jesus C because when he put us in this world there were already things to choose of.
2007-08-23 06:04:40 · answer #5 · answered by Chiquitita 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No God gave us free will, Satan made people think it was OK to sin, not to feel guilty of their crimes, he made some people believe that God doesn't exist and the worst part is he even tricked people to believe he doesn't exist either.
He brings chaos, disrespect and fills the world with lies, arrogance and ignorance and has a lot of people thinking it's OK not to follow the rules...nothing will happen if you disobey God...He's such a liar.
Look what happened to him for disobeying and following his own path. He drags everyone down while laughing at them for their stupidity.
He did not give us free will, he just abuses it.
2007-08-23 06:00:19 · answer #6 · answered by I'm Here 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We had to have Free Will to go eat of the Tree of Knowledge. Satan gave us sin.
If we were God's garden robots how could we have done this?
I like the sin and redemption story and really have no way to grasp the concept of any other alternative world.
2007-08-23 05:59:43 · answer #7 · answered by uncanny me 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
satan did not give us free will. A VERY LOVING GOD gave us free will to choose and the brains necessary to make our choices. thank GOD HE GAVE us that choice and what you do with the choice is your own personal either gift or problem. who would want to serve and love a GOD THAT HAS CREATED US AS ROBOTS and we are able to know right from wrong. we are designed as to be able to make a choice of our owm preference.
satan is capable of manipulation but not creation-as in satan capable of being the author of free will. sounds like you are mad at god for your thinking you don't have the choice to follow or to not follow. you seem able to chose by the fact you are thinking and by the fact you are computer literate. why blame satan for not having free will? step up to the plate and take responsibility for your own choices.
2007-08-23 05:59:38 · answer #8 · answered by WORKING OLDER SMARTER BLONDE 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The free will that you speak of must have already existed, the fallen angel only utilized it to further his scheme. He didn't create it, it was already there and he simply used it -- for his own purpose.
Just like many other aspects of life, the very essence of life exist, the answer to the question of creation or origin of life exist; once the answer becomes known -- it's not that it is a newly created answer, but simply revealed.
Same as free will.
2007-08-23 05:56:38 · answer #9 · answered by LadyB!™ 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
hahahahaha, OK Satan does not have the capacity to GIVE anything good. God, did not create us w/o knowledge. Otherwise, how would've Adam and Eve been able to hear, see, respond, etc. God is not a tyrant. I know many people believe many things, but does it matter? If I believe that gravity doesn't exist, will gravity not exist based on my belief? No! God help them. Pray pray pray!
2007-08-23 06:01:32 · answer #10 · answered by Brain 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋