For the last day or two, I've spent a good deal of time pondering the concept of Satan. The more I've thought about it, the more it doesn't make any sense at all.
For starters, Satan supposedly is a "fallen angel". How exactly would an angel fall?
Angels are not humans and thus wouldn't be subject to human foibles. They are special beings created by God to carry out specific functions on his behalf. In a manner of speaking, angels (as depicted in the Bible) are extensions of God. They are not independent actors.
So, if Satan merely is an extension of God, how would he even possess the wherewithal to rebel? More importantly, this would seem to indicate that if we accept the notion that Satan DID rebel nonetheless, then it would follow that God is rebelling against himself.
However, if God rebels against himself, then this would indicate that he is neither perfect nor all-powerful. It would indicate that God wrestles with the same battles of morality that humans do.
Along these same lines, we're TOLD that God eventually will defeat Satan, but if anyone cares to look upon the world today, there is no evidence that this is true. In fact, it could be argued that the "bad" part of God has the upper hand on the "good" part of God.
So, it would seem to me that those who believe that humankind is created in the image of the creator should possibly entertain the idea that the connection is based NOT on some lofty conceptualization of perfection, but that humans and the Christian God are waging the same battle simultaneously. Both are trying to figure out if the loving side of their being will win out over their evil side.
For starters, Satan supposedly is a "fallen angel". How exactly would an angel fall?
Angels are not humans and thus wouldn't be subject to human foibles. They are special beings created by God to carry out specific functions on his behalf. In a manner of speaking, angels (as depicted in the Bible) are extensions of God. They are not independent actors.
So, if Satan merely is an extension of God, how would he even possess the wherewithal to rebel? More importantly, this would seem to indicate that if we accept the notion that Satan DID rebel nonetheless, then it would follow that God is rebelling against himself.
However, if God rebels against himself, then this would indicate that he is neither perfect nor all-powerful. It would indicate that God wrestles with the same battles of morality that humans do.
Along these same lines, we're TOLD that God eventually will defeat Satan, but if anyone cares to look upon the world today, there is no evidence that this is true. In fact, it could be argued that the "bad" part of God has the upper hand on the "good" part of God.
So, it would seem to me that those who believe that humankind is created in the image of the creator should possibly entertain the idea that the connection is based NOT on some lofty conceptualization of perfection, but that humans and the Christian God are waging the same battle simultaneously. Both are trying to figure out if the loving side of their being will win out over their evil side.
Ah, you read my post about "Faust?"
ReplyDeleteTo the author of this article , what you have just written is uter nonsense in the highest degree . I am a gung fu practicioner and my art is based upon taoism , my teacher is taoist from hong kong , needless to say i understand taosim to some degree at least enough to know that what you have just written is BS and is the result of you trying to force taoist thinking patterns on the bible. For example you reason that since human beings are created in the image of god , they must be a refelection or counterpart of god ( ying yang theory)if you would educate yourself on a subject before criticing youd know that only adam was created in gods image , when he sinned evil became a part of his inner core and this was passed on to human beings thats why there is battle bewteen good and evil inisde of us , because we partake of adams nature who ate of the tree of good and evil so dualism or conflict became mans nature instead of what was once a perfect nature of light love no conlict at all. So no human beings are not created in gods image any more . And human condition does not reflect gods nature . God is the transcendent perfect god and He is the unchanged one , because He causes the change , He is the uneffected one , because He effects , He is that wich causes the tao , Whom your chinese ancestors once knew but lost .
ReplyDeleteGod is the eternal one , because He needs no cause He is the cause of all things. From who all things originate and to whom the breath of all things return. Why dont you ramble on that vain man , for you are ignorant of your origins , and a man who does not know where he comes from does not know where he is headed and is truly lost . This is the case with taoists today , they have some wisdom of the workings of heaven and earth but do not remember He who sustains all. Therefore pride and vanity has started wich gives birth to disgrace? But humbelness to god the supreme one gives birth to wisdom
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