Re: Re: Protestant vs. Catholic
PSA mentioned how little we really know of the devil from scripture. Flex mentioned Dante who I think gave us some of our most vivid imagry and tradition but I was interested in reading about the Fall of Lucifer. The bible says almost nothing about it. Apparently though several cultures have maintained a written history of
The Life of Adam and Eve -- otherwise much more of the tales of Satan would be guesswork.
The Koran tells it like this:
[Saad - Sura 38:71] Your Lord said to the angels, "I am creating a human being from clay.
[38:72] "Once I design him, and blow into him from My spirit, you shall fall prostrate before him."
[38:73] The angels fell prostrate, all of them,
[38:74] except Satan; he refused, and was too arrogant, unappreciative.
[38:75] He said, "O Satan, what prevented you from prostrating before what I created with My hands? Are you too arrogant? Have you rebelled?"
[38:76] He said, "I am better than he; You created me from fire, and created him from clay."
[38:77] He said, "Therefore, you must be exiled, you will be banished.
In the Western tradition Satan's arrogance is found out
long before:
For the Devil fell prior to the existence of Adam. It is clear that he fell because of his arrogance as Isaiah the prophet says: "I shall place my throne upon the clouds and I will become like the Most High." (Isa 14:14)
Here is an interesting conversation The Devil once had with The Serpent:
When the devil came to your father's portion, the devil summoned the serpent and told him, "Arise and come to me and I will teach you a useful word." Then the serpent came and the Devil told the serpent, "I (hear) that you are wiser than all the animals and I have come to test your wisdom, for Adam gives food to all the animals, thus also to you. When then all the animals came to bow down before Adam from day to day and from morning to morning, every day, you also come to bow down. You were created before him, as old (as you) are, and you bow down before this young one! And why do you eat (food) inferior to Adam's and his spouse's and not the good fruit of paradise? But come and hearken to me so that we may have Adam expelled from the wall of paradise just as we are outside. Perhaps we can reenter somehow to paradise."
How many knew the devil and the serpent were sometimes considered distinct entities?
After Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden they foraged for food and it was lousy so they went on a 40 day fast to gain favor with God but Eve blew it because she was tricked by the devil as easily as she was by the Serpent. Adam was ticked and demanded to know from the Devil what the heck was going on and the Devil told him:
"When God blew into you the breath of Life," he recounts,"your countenance and likeness were made in the image of God." Satan continues the story by recounting how Michael came forward and presented Adam to God, whereupon Adam did obeisance. Michael then turned to the angels in attendance and said, "Worship the image of the Lord God just as the Lord God has commanded." Satan found this demand an outrage. "I do not have it within me to worship Adam," he replied, "I will not worship him who is lower and posterior to me. I am prior to that creature. Before he was made, I had already been made. He ought to worship me."
This version about angelic Adam worship is not so popular in the West perhaps because of Jesus. Milton, in Paradise Lost, celebrates Jesus as the First-Born, even before Satan, to eliminate sibling rivalrys and to make sure that that the Angels knelt before the true king.
I think it's interesting how myth evolves as it needs to with the Gods who come later actually existing earlier. John, the gospel writer, is first one I know to make the claim that Jesus was there from the beginning:
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.
It's amazing to me how myth transforms itself into gospel truth.
I'm glad that's straight. If the angels had really worshipped Adam before Jesus it would've robbed God's begotten son of a great deal of thunder. And probably confused theheck out of a lot of the angels to boot. I don't like the idea either of angels kneeling before the doomed creature, Man. I like to think of them making fewer mistakes. I know... just a sentimental old fool.
