Is Satan Real

Quote: FrGamble

This person will be like a pseudo-Messiah offering a false salvation.

As opposed to Jesus, who saves people
from a myth. In other words, christ and
anti are exactly the same.

Quote: FrGamble

This person will be like a pseudo-Messiah offering a false salvation.

Perhaps Joshua ben Joseph was his own antiparticle? It would explain much.

Quote: Wizard

1. Will the anti-Christ be of, shall we say, unholy origin, or entirely mortal, like a false prophet?
2. I seem to recall hearing something that there would be two anti-Christs in the "last days," one of the land and one of the sea. Any truth to that?

1. The bible doesn't say, but in later centuries many commentators associated him with the son of Satan
2. Revelations identifies two Beasts, one from the land and one from the Sea. At some point in Middle Ages the bible scholars assocated the Beast with the Sea with the anti-Christ discussed in the letters of Paul. But at one single instance Paul uses antichrists in the plural.

The bible is not very explicit in many cases, but some of the interpretations have been common for sometimes over a thousand years.

To repeat what I said earlier, Isiah is denouncing King Nebuchadnezzar II, a real man who destroyed the Temple of the Jews. The Hebrew text says הֵילֵל בֶּן-שָׁחַר (Helel ben Shaḥar, "day-star, son of the morning") which was translated to Lucifer. Isiah says Nebuchadnezzar will be struck through with a sword, killed, and thrown into a common grave and thrown from the heavens. The ancient interpretation of that description (IDK what century) is that Isiah is talking about both the real King Nebuchadnezzar and also the angel who fell from heaven. Hence we have a tradition of saying that the first name of Satan is Lucifer. But that is not literally from the bible.

Quote: Nareed

Disagreeing with God is evil. Got it.

talk about flippant?!?

The thing is God gave you your brain to use it. That is what the Catholic canon Copernicus was doing when he came up with the Heliocentric theory. You can use your reason to understand that there is a God; which logic, science, philosophy, experience, and history all show us.

God does not force or require your agreement, He is opposite of needy and insecure. He loves you regardless and will patiently forgive us as we learn slowly but surely that His purpose for our lives will ultimately bring us the most happiness, now and forever.

Quote: Wizard

Thanks Padre. A couple more questions, if I may:

1. Will the anti-Christ be of, shall we say, unholy origin, or entirely mortal, like a false prophet?

The devil, being a fallen angel cannot become incarnate or human, nor could he, shall we say, make a son or daughter. However, He can certainly create a twisted false prophet. However the way I see it there are always at least three problems for the evil one. First of all and most importantly, compared to God He is weak and helpless. Don't get me wrong compared to us the Devil is vastly more powerful and cunning, we have no chance against him, but likewise he has no chance against God and we happen to be God's treasured creation so we will ultimately be okay if we trust in and call upon God. Secondly, our nature is good and while it is possible to corrupt someone to the point they can be the anti-Christ and not just commit an act of atrocity, but string together a life of them - it is hard to imagine. How many movies and stories have we seen where the most evil guy in the world comes across a little child or the virtue of a hero and can't pull the trigger? Thirdly, the evil one's blood thirst gets in the way of his plans. He is subtle for sure and convinces us that he doesn't exist or that doing this heinous thing will really be a good thing for you to do, but once the ball gets rolling he doesn't seem to know when to stop. Eventually the blood and gore and sickness of sin will turn enough stomachs to speak out and put an end to the evil. An anti-Christ would seem to me to have to hide very well the true evil taking place, almost in a religious way, and resit the temptation for wanton destruction and death, which is what he would desire most of all.

Okay, that was disturbing to write. I'm taking a little vacation soon and might not be able to respond to many posts. I dub Paco, Face, and the Wizard as the defenders of the faith while I am gone.

one final note the two movies that do the best job in describing the devil are, The Devil's Advocate and House of Cards. To me if you can ignore that the devil could not actually have real sons, Al Pacino's speech at the end of the movie is spot on theology concerning the devil and his thought. House of Cards might be very well shaping up to be the introduction of the Anti-Christ, Frank is pretty much what I envision that person to be like. Peace.

Quote: FrGamble

I'm taking a little vacation soon and might not be able to respond to many posts. I dub Paco, Face, and the Wizard as the defenders of the faith while I am gone.

Lol.

Wait...what? Me? You were talking to me?




Maybe while we're at it we can ask Wiz to give 110% and have Nareed grill us up some seafood. You know, since you seem to be in a miracle mood and all ;)

Yeah,...so,... over to you, Paco =)

Quote: FrGamble

God does not force or require your agreement, He is opposite of needy and insecure. He loves you regardless and will patiently forgive us as we learn slowly but surely that His purpose for our lives will ultimately bring us the most happiness, now and forever.

In the meantime God will patiently torture in Hell those who disagree while they come around to his point of view. If he existed, he'd be no different than any other totalitarian dictator.

My last post for awhile, but I just wanted to say I do not believe in the God you are speaking about either. I'm glad to be taking a break on a note of agreement with Nareed (though she will probably not agree).

Quote: Face

Lol.

Wait...what? Me? You were talking to me?

Here you go Face.

Quote: rxwine

Here you go Face.

I like the part where she passes the cup
down the line and wipes the rim with
the same napkin, putting the germs
of all the previous drinkers onto the
rim. Hilarious.