God vs Satan?

[Rufo]

The main problem with this entire question is that no one really has the right to decide what is good or evil. So God is all good. What exactly is good? Either humans or some kind of sentient beings decide, in which case there are a few millions of definitions, none totally consistant with another, to pick from. If God decides, the expression can lose its original meaning as we know it, and simply mean 'what God is/does'.

The people who believe in the Christian God usually believe that there is one true definition of 'good', that God made it and that it includes letting evil exist, or even creating it. I don't see what's so strange about that.

 

[elaine]

Chef said it best...

Stan : "Why would God let Kenny die, Chef? Why? Kenny's my friend. Why can't God take someone else's friend?"

Chef : "Stan, sometimes God takes those closest to us, because it makes him feel better about himself. He is a very vengeful God, Stan. He's all pissed off about something we did thousands of years ago. He just can't get over it, so he doesn't care who he takes. Children, puppies, it don't matter to him, so long as it makes us sad. Do you understand?"

Stan : "But then, why does God give us anything to start with?"

Chef : "Well, look at it this way: if you want to make a baby cry, first you give it a lollipop. Then you take it away. If you never give it a lollipop to begin with, then you would have nothin' to cry about. That's like God, who gives us life and love and help just so that he can tear it all away and make us cry, so he can drink the sweet milk of our tears. You see, it's our tears, Stan, that give God his great power."


...don't you agree? Unless you have a better explaination.

I love South Park

 

[Fizzer]

Evil is represented by an Angel called Lucifer who fell out of favour with God and was cast out of heaven. He made his own domain, and now battles with God for the souls of humankind by encouraging badness. If you choose the path of evil, you get to go to his place - HELL - where you will suffer for all eternity.

Nowhere does the Bible state that Satan is the ruler of hell.

OK, maybe I'm getting this all wrong, because I can't get it to make sense. Here's my problem; if God is all-powerful, why does he continue to suffer the existence of Lucifer? Surely he could just do away with him and end the suffering of all those poor souls who are trapped within his infernal demesne.

According to Revelation, Satan will be destroyed permanently at the end of the 1000 year reign of Christ.

but isn't it profoundly disturbing that a deity billed as all-merciful, loving and kind could allow you to be condemed for all of time to unimaginable agony?

That concept has probably done more damage to the idea of Christianity than just about anything else. It's not in the Bible either.