Jim wrote:
> Interesting stuff, but this argument of man creating the devil
> has been around for years. There are even offshoots of Christendom
> that maintain the devil is not an actual entitity but something
> bad within us.
Which, of course, dovetails with the Jungian concept of the Dark side of
the Shadow.
> Skeptics claim that within the religious community the concept
> of the devil is not only useful for letting God off the hook,
> but for scaring the living daylights out of people.
Sounds not only reasonable, but completely in line with claims made BY
Christians concerning other religions such as the ancient Norse or the
Celtics.
> Nevertheless, while the devil seems a bit of the stuff that
> myths are made of, there are far too many references in the
> the New AND Old Testament (or Torah, if you prefer) to
> easily dismiss his existence.
That argument is only justified if you can first demonstrate that the
Bible and Torah are both valid and accurate sources of scientific
information, something I would _love_ to see someone try to do (beyond the
basic historical information in them, of course). I could make precisely
the same claim (with just as much justification) to "prove" that the
Moonies are right and that Moon himself is the Second Coming predicted in
the Bible (read "Divine Principle" for proof). I doubt that you would
accept such a claim (nor do I, obviously)--why then should anyone take
claims of a devil seriously simply because they appear in the Bible?
> I am drawn to the words of C.S Lewis, who wrote "There are two mental
> dangers when it comes to the Devil -- thinking of him too much,
> and thinking of him not at all."
How about a third one--"Believing in him in the first place?"
Rick
--
Rick Adams
Department of Social Sciences
Jackson Community College
Jackson, MI
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
"... and the only measure of your worth and your deeds will be the love
you leave behind when you're gone. --Fred Small, Everything Possible "
