(no subject)

[alexmegami]

"The enemy has got a face. He's called Satan. He's in Fallujah and we're going to destroy him."

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but Satan (presuming he exists) is around for a reason, isn't he? I mean, the whole idea of a tempter to be resisted? Because if not, I'd kind of like an explanation as to why God bothered with angels that could fall in the first place.

Also, I'm guessing that Osama bin Laden, try as he might, is not actually Satan. (Sources have it that Satan is actually in Hawaii. And if Osama is found in Hawaii, well, there's a blow to that whole counterterrorism thing...)

Anyway.

Comments

[sasuran.livejournal.com]

I seem to recall that there's something in Genesis about Satan coming back (or only appearing to mankind) in the last 7 years of the world in the form of a super-charismatic world leader. I think that would rule Bin Laden out simply because he's not a world leader.

I keep eyeing Bush, but that "super-charismatic" part just doesn't fit. ;P Then again, we'll see if the world ends in 3 years, I guess.

[harukami]

If I remember my Genesis course correctly, Satan wasn't IN Genesis -- Satan is a 'relatively' modern invention (ie, compared to how long the bible was around/being written). There's a number of angels who show up in Genesis who scholars have wondered if it was a mythological pre-runner to the Satan figure (like, the wrestler at the ford, but even then, the opposing angel was pretty certainly on God's side 'cause he could give blessings and benedictions -- mind, the OLDEST incarnations of Satan in the Judeo-Christian story have him as an actual angel, serving a necessary task for God...) but I seem to distinctly recall my prof saying, in response to a student's question, that there *was* no Satan in the stage we were studying, it was just too early for that.

Maybe Revelations? Not many other books of the bible mention the end of the world at all, so... yeah.

(Strangely, a vast portion of the American people find Bush charismatic. I don't know where they get it.)

<3

[sasuran.livejournal.com]

Blah, I meant Revelations!

I shouldn't post when I'm in a rush. Sorry, good call! ^^;;

A Stan or Satan?

[changeinwatrloo.livejournal.com]

I couldn't find that quote, put I presume the speaker is talking about an omnipresent Satan. Just as there's a little Jesus (or Mohammad, or Buddha, or who ever you want to personify as pure good) in all of us there's a little Satan. I would interpret that quote as “There is evil happening. It is happening because of one man in Fallujah, and will kill him.”

Even if we assume the speaker is highly religious, I don't think we can assume that he means to literally “destroy Satan.”

Re: A Stan or Satan?

[alexmegami]

I know. It's just so melodramatic that I find it a bit laughable.

[firstfaerie.livejournal.com]

'Satan', if I'm remembering my Job correctly, can be translated as 'accuser'. In Job, the 'Satan' fulfils the role of the lawyer, essentially (all the while giving credit to a lot of lawyer jokes out there). Ideally an impersonal figure... playing devil's advocate, if you will.

Additionally, as far as I know, the word 'satan' is of ancient Persian origin. See Zoroastrianism for more fun. Which, you know, kind of beats Christianity over the head for lauding such importance to a creature that is predominantly an element of Arabian myth.

[nijikongirl.livejournal.com]

i think if Satan truely wanted to do something evil that would throw the whole world off balance and cause it to explode, he'd ask God for forgivness...and mean it! I mean, I think God would forgive him, seeing how he loves everything... but ending evil would be evil because the world needs both good and evil to balance... without evil we'd have no idea what was wrong or right and thus our heads would explode and humanity would end....

or maybe I'm thinking too hard.