I don't really get this... Devil?

A lot of it is myth/folklore. The old testament, as I understand, doesn't really mention much about the devil at all.
 
RDM said:
Considering God is also supposed to be all powerful then there would be no one he couldn't save. If hell exists, God created it and you will only end up their because he decided to send you there. So I am not sure "all-caring" is a good description. :D
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Ah, but the idea is that while he's all-powerful, we have been blessed with free will. It is against said will for God to directly intervene in our actions, so should we choose to turn away from him then that is our own failing. He still cares about us, though -- like a forlorn parent watching a child fall into a life of drug addiction and waste.
 
Yes, I believe most of the theories about the devil and the rebellion against god are not explicitly stated in the bible, they come from philosophy, literature, fables and myths and so on and have evolved over time.
 
Pestilence said:
That makes sense, actually. Considering God is supposed to be all-caring etc., it would be a true affront to him to see those he couldn't save ruthlessly tortured forever.
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that doesn't make any sense if god wanted to save them he wouldn't send them to hell.
 
Pestilence said:
Ah, but the idea is that while he's all-powerful, we have been blessed with free will. It is against said will for God to directly intervene in our actions, so should we choose to turn away from him then that is our own failing. He still cares about us, though -- like a forlorn parent watching a child fall into a life of drug addiction and waste.
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you don't chose to go to hell though you are sent there by him.
 
Isn't the devil locked in hell and can't do anything anyway? Not that he's real or it even matters, but y'know.
 
OriginalJonty said:
The devil and his followers were banished to Hell for daring to go to war against God. Maybe he has people who go to Hell tortured to mock God and show him the people he could not save, showing a weakness in God himself.

It's a good a reason as any.
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I guess that's an explanation that kinda works!

Although strange that God would allow these going ons - considering his stupendous omnipotence. Why not hault hell?

My opinion? Because the phycology of followers changed at one point in history. They rebelled exclaiming heaven, so religion invented this 'stick' method to hold remaining followers in fear and to try and prevent jealousy.

Imagine following a religion; your friends freely disobeying the rules and having a good time (alcohol, adultry etc). It'd be hard for me to stay true to religion with just the feeling of a euphoric 'afterlife', so they invent a method to look down upon those that sin.. hell is that method.

I could go into more detail; how sins are advertised within other religions (Islam) after death.. thousands of virgins is the quote from the Quran - just seems like another evolution of religion to maintain followers.

Anyway, each to their own. I'm an Athiest, sure. But I respect religion for promoting (mostly) humane and beneficial morals to people who may otherwise be immoral.

:)
 
Pestilence said:
Out of interest, what exactly is the "original" idea of hell?
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Well if you take the bible as being true (I don't, i'm not religious. but it's still interesting and can still be discussed, but you have to come from the standpoint that God is real and the bible is the correct text, then argue the merits based on that assumption (regardless of what your own belief is) if that makes sense).

Any way, very brief synopsis.

Then hell is where sinners die by fire

Revelation chapter 20 says that 1,000 years after the saints are resurrected, the wicked will be released from their graves. "And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them"
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The word hell in modern bibles is also a translation error. All translations come from tartaroo, Sheol/Hades, and Gehenna. Ignore tartaroo as it's only translated once and is in refrence to where people are before judgment day.

Sheol/hades simply means the world of the dead

Genhenna
"Hell is translated twelve times from Gehenna (or, as it is sometimes transliterated, Geenna). This is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Hinnom, which is the name of a valley outside Jerusalem where garbage and the carcasses of animals were cast into and consumed by fire constantly kept burning. Thus, Gehenna is the only one of those words translated as "hell" in the Bible, that has any idea of fire or torment
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But it didn't burn for ever it did in fact go out. every bible reference that uses hell is talking about earth not some other place. Is also used as a sign of wikedness and ultimate humiliation of jews.

Tertullian, A.D. 200-220, was originally a Pagan; by birth, an African, and a lawyer by profession. He seems to have believed in the strictly endless punishment of the wicked, and to have argued against the doctrine of their annihilation, or, to use his own words, against the doctrine that "the wicked would be consumed, and not punished," that is, endlessly. He is the first, as far as can be ascertained, who expressly affirmed, and argued the question, that the torments of the damned would be equal in duration to the happiness of the blessed.
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Pestilence said:
OCD. He smashes every mug when he's finished drinking from it.
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True story..

Then I look for parodelia which I use online to convince people of the feat.

Simple answer in fact is that lent most of them to a friend who just moved in. Tea out of a glass isn't too bad a sacrifice - he's sleeping on the floor currently - least he has a mug.
 
Snooble said:
Was thinking today over a glass of tea (ran out of mugs)..

Why does the Devil punish people who are evil?

Surely he'd embrace them and form an alliance to take over the universe?

Or is he partners with God - he hands out the punishments while God helps the good guys..

But then why all that teasing in the desert?

religion is ridiculous /thread
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God kills 10x more people in the bible than the devil, think about that.
 
Metalface Mark said:
God kills 10x more people in the bible than the devil, think about that.
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These quotes don't really interest me.

I prefer analysis of the religion as a whole - they regually disown paragraphs of the bible, or re-interpret any time it doesn't abide by modern society.

Looking into the understanding of Christianity (for me) certified it's manafest. When you compare it from scripture to society you can see the forced evolution of understanding as we developed.

As the majority of posters here seem to be athiests (non-theists) I do feel I should mention the importance of elasticity and transparent thinking when communicating with others that may/may not be religious. The world will work well regardless of religion, as stateside law assures safety (to a reasonable extent) all we can gain from these religions (beside a third person observation of indoctrination and occasional moral hypocracy) is the foundation of our society today.

I've blabbered on with a million spelling mistakes.

Anyway, next question:

Why doesn't god heal amputees?
 
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