Originally posted by Silver Stardust
Yeah, I heard that the Catholic Church created the concept of hell and the devil in the 14th century to scare people in joining....wouldn't surprise me in the least.
and along with the gory image of hell, they suddenly found themselves facing the problem of those who sinned, but converted (that is, paid a lot of money to the church) later in life, sometimes just before dying. so purgatory suddenly popped up. this trait really did demand imagination 😉
Originally posted by Mr_Famous
The church isnt the only one that believes in the existence of a devil. Ever hear of the church of satan or one of their movements? They worship the devil- maybe u could ask them how they know. What about all the exorcists and those possessed?
🙄 How many times has this come up?
1. The Church of Satan has only come up in recent years; and they do not worship the devil. They are more like atheists than anything. Do some research before making blanket statements.
2. Many polytheistic religions (such as ancient Egyptian and Greek religions) did not have beliefs in the devil; they did have underworlds, but they weren't like the Christian Hell, and they were ruled by a God, not a devil. And belief in evil spirits does not equal a belief in the devil or hell.
Originally posted by Mr_Famous
f**k u man!! i just checked and they have rituals and everything- you go and check.
Take a look at this thread...and while you're at it, look at the Church of Satan's website. Nowhere does it say anything about worshipping Satan or rituals or anything.
Originally posted by Silver Stardust
🙄 How many times has this come up?1. The Church of Satan has only come up in recent years; and they do not worship the devil. They are more like atheists than anything.
They are their own Gods which is why they literally worship themselves and only do things for the betterment of their own lives. It's the ultimate form of conceit.
Lifestyles are subjective. Some might find that a lifestlye rich with Christ's love is *their* paradise. Your surroundings aren't what should ultimately reflect your outlook on life, it should be what drives your life.
Wanting to live lavishly, from a Christian standpoint, depends on how hard you work, your devotions to both Christ and your cause, mixed with blessings as rewards FOR your devotion.
Satanism, like I said before is a cause whenre people live strictly for themselves, as they are their own gods. That begs the question, should it happen, when they win the lottery, was it in their own power, and what do they base their "luck" or "chance" on? Does "Luck" apply to instances where they survive life threatening diseases or other situations? Do they think things just "happen"?
Those are too many inconsistant, unstable variables with which I would feel uncomfortable living my life. I enjoy thinking/knowing I am here for a purpose, things are predestined, and there was always a plan for me. That stability may be viewed as a cruch by most, but it's a good cornerstone for my foundation of beliefs.
The Devil was once once an angel who strayed away and abandoned the teachings. IMO, he doesn't have any authority, other than keeping company the souls of the condemned. He doesn't know the meaning of love or compassion, only greed. While I don't exactly have a solid opinion of Hell or the devil, I don't believe either are actual places or things. I believe Hell is nothing more than a life w/o Christ and the devil is just a personification of sin.
Those are too many inconsistant, unstable variables with which I would feel uncomfortable living my life. I enjoy thinking/knowing I am here for a purpose, things are predestined, and there was always a plan for me. That stability may be viewed as a cruch by most, but it's a good cornerstone for my foundation of beliefs.
See, now, I'm the exact opposite. I used to be a semi-religious person (was raised Catholic), but I was never comfortable with the idea of some higher being that was manipulating my life. As I got older and eventually abandoned the teachings of the Church and became atheist, I felt much more comfortable, because no longer did I believe that I was destined to do everything, but that I was acting of my own free will and was taking control of my own life. No, I cannot say that anything is stable or predictable, but it's how I live. I'd rather live for myself and my friends and family than for some higher being that I don't believe even exists.