Satan greatist trick-convincing people he isn't real....

[bruce]

2nd Corinthians 4:1 - 8. Also vanity and following after teachings of men all the "Einsteins"of the world take note....Colossians 1:8 ---Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit,after the tradition of men ,after the rudiments of the world,and not after christ.

[Vajradhara]

Namaste Bruce,


welcome to the forum and thank you for the post.

the only folks that Satan has to fool are Christians... perhpas Muslims.. though i think Iblis is different than Satan. in any event... the rest of the religious populace of the world doesn't believe in him in the least

of course... that could be because they aren't Christians and thus, do not accept the Bible as "proof" of theological positions, though i suppose it could be for a variety of reasons beyond that.

however... since you bring it up...

i do find the Satan vs. Jesus bit to be very interesting in the Bible...

[I, Brian]

I have never known any radical Christian accept that perhaps they might have been misled by "Satan" - instead it's always finger pointing at other people as being misled by "Satan",

[Mus Zibii]

Bruce kinda started that thread about how philosophy is at odds with Abrahamic religion that I wanted. Again, its a fine line. You have to be a hardcore apologist to not see how Jesus (God or no) conflicted with Judaism, thus leading to 'he's possessed by a devil' line. How much credibility does that old chestnut have if Jesus was accused of it?

And in the Jehovah's witness doctrine if Corinthians and Paul is lying or wrong about Jesus being God, its kinda hard for Paul to hold much water on relating to Satan.

Then you have the definition of Satan and hell. A lot of Christianity and certainly Islam think in terms of dualism, requiring mounds of apologetics. And then hell, is it a place outside of Jerusalem, a place from Greek mythology, a metaphor, something new and undefined?

[I, Brian]

If you're interested, Mus Zibii, I wrote a short article on Hell a while back:
http://www.comparative-religion.com/...jesus_hell.php

It's simply intended as a thought-provoking interpretation.

[Mus Zibii]

Got it saved to my hard drive for reference. LOL Read it a long time ago. Actually, I think that's how I found this site. No, it was the apocrypha.

But it was the best piece I've read on the subject. It gave me a jumping off point to consider that angle.

[Abogado del Diablo]

Actually, Satan's greatest trick was convincing people he exists.


When the people of the world all know beauty as beauty,
there arises the recognition of ugliness.
When they all know the good as good,
there arises the recognition of bad.

Therefore being and non-being produce each other;
difficult and easy complete each other;
long and short contrast each other;
high and low distinguish each other;
sound and voice harmonize with each other;
beginning and end follow each other.

Therefore the wise manage affairs without interfering
and teach beyond the words.

All things rise, and they do not turn away from them.
They give them life, but do not take possession of them.
They act, but do not rely on their own ability.
They accomplish, but claim no credit.
Because they claim no credit,
their accomplishment remains with them.

- Tao te Ching


"The world of the Father typifies and age which is characterized by a pristine oneness with the whole of Nature, no matter whether this oneness be beautiful or ugly or awe-inspiring. But once the question is asked: 'Whence comes the evil, why is the world so bad and imperfect, why are there diseases and other horrors, why must man suffer?' - then reflection has already begun to judge the Father by his manifest works, and straighway one is conscious of a doubt, this is itself the symtpom of a split in the original unity. One comes to the conclusion that creation is imperfect - nay more, that the Creator has not done his job properly, that the goodness and almightiness of the Father cannot be the sole principle of the cosmos. Hence the One has to be supplemented by the Other, with the result that the world of the Father is fundamentally altered and is superseded by the world of the Son."

-CG Jung, "A Psychological Approach to the Trinity"

[Mus Zibii]

Abogado del Diablo, welcome. Good quotes.