--- In [email protected], "authfriend" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "jim_flanegin" <jflanegi@> > wrote: > <snip> > > I think Satan would start out as a cool guy to party with, but > > then he'd just start being a jerk, like drinking all your beer, > > borrowing > > cash and not returning it, starting little fires in your house, > > stealing stuff from you, shit like that...so I'll save myself the > > trouble and not party with him. > > Or perhaps he remains the perfect host, keeping the > party so entertaining that it never occurs to you > to wonder whether there might be a *better* party > going on upstairs. > > Reminds me of a standout episode of the otherwise > late and unlamented TV drama "Touched by an Angel," > in which Mandy Patinkin plays a Satan figure who > tempts the lead angel character with life as a > human, complete with adoring husband and kiddies, > which she can have if she renounces her faith in > God and her angel status. > > (It's really well done; Patinkin underplays > brilliantly. There's a YouTube clip from the > episode. If anybody's interested, I'll get the URL.)
Not trying to convince you of anything, but just checking... You DO realize, do you not, that what you're saying is the standard "party line" spouted by religions for centuries about Satan (or the "mud" of the world, or "succumbing" to normal, everyday desires, or whatever) having some nefarious intent to *divert* you from the "path of righteousness." Think Unity. What is it that would *have* such a nefarious intent that is NOT the infinite? What could it possibly be trying to "distract" or "divert" another aspect of that same infinite (you) *from*? The metaphor you're repeating above is a form of "Keep 'em on the path *we* consider the "best" by instilling FEAR in them. Tell them about all the bad things that could happen if they deviate from what we tell 'em to do enough times, and maybe they'll do what we tell 'em to do." Cool, I guess...if what you like is being told what to do. Some of us prefer to pick our own paths through life...
