Christians don't get it, or am I missing something?

Superman · Post by **Superman** » 2006-05-11 08:08am

Ok, we all know how often Jesus said what basically amounts to, "love and pray for your enemies." Now, to a Christian, who is the biggest enemy of all? Satan, right? So why don't Christians pray for him? So he's evil incarnate, that doesn't mean that Christians shouldn't pray for him! Is his fate so carved in stone that he's basically hopeless and therefore not worth praying to? Are Christians supposed to laugh at him and take pleasure in his imminent demise?

I think that most of us here realize that Santa Clause and Satan have more in common than a red suit… A psychologist would probably say that Satan plays sort of a primal psychological role in the mind of every Christian, and that is to be all of the things that the Christian does not like about him/herself. Just blame it all on Satan and realize that God is going to melt him in a fiery lake, or whatever, and be done with him.

The point still stands though... Why wouldn't Christians pray for him?

Xenophobe3691 · Post by **Xenophobe3691** » 2006-05-11 08:18am

Stop thinking logically, dammit! Logic + Faith = Dead Faith (or a horribly damaged mind.)

Nobody prays for him because nobody thinks of it. Satan was originally God's dark side, and that role hasn't changed at all. It's like asking my angry side to stop being angry. That's its friggin nature!

Post by **Lagmonster** » 2006-05-11 08:25am

As I understand it, Hell has a certain finality to it that praying won't help. I mean, it's not as though God would ever change his mind about all the unbaptised babies he's tossed in there, so certainly he isn't going to budge on the one guy who actively wants to oppose him.

Post by **NecronLord** » 2006-05-11 08:50am

Traditionally, according to the bible (See the book of Job) Satan works for God. He doesn't need to be saved, because he's in God's employ.

Son of the Suns · Post by **Son of the Suns** » 2006-05-11 08:55am

NecronLord wrote:Traditionally, according to the bible (See the book of Job) Satan works for God. He doesn't need to be saved, because he's in God's employ.

ummm that wasn't Satan working for God, that was Satan saying he could get Job to curse God, and God telling him to do his best because Job would not curse God no matter what Satan did to him.

I would say that you don't pray for Satan because the only people that can be saved from hell are those that Jesus Christ came to die for, which was the human race, not the angels. The Bible says that when Jesus Christ returns to this world it will end and those who are saved from their sins by Christ's sacrifice will go to heaven and those whose sins have not been absolved will be judged and sent to hell. I could be wrong, but I believe that Satan and the other fallen angels have already been judged.

Rye · Post by **Rye** » 2006-05-11 09:14am

Son of the Suns wrote:
NecronLord wrote:Traditionally, according to the bible (See the book of Job) Satan works for God. He doesn't need to be saved, because he's in God's employ.
ummm that wasn't Satan working for God, that was Satan saying he could get Job to curse God, and God telling him to do his best because Job would not curse God no matter what Satan did to him.

Actually, it was Satan working for God. Satan was supposed to be a courtroom style prosecutor, ha satan, the adversary, the other side of the argument.

In Talmudic literature, ha-satan's function is to strengthen man's moral sense by lending him into temptation. He is God's worker, though, and is ina a divinely allotted position.

As for the OP, well, in christian mythology, Satan is screwed, so there's no sense praying for him. He is pit-food.

Ariphaos · Post by **Ariphaos** » 2006-05-11 11:10am

Satan is the accuser in Jewish myth. He was only identified with being the Serpent after Jesus took his place. Incidentally, the confusion between Satan and Jesus doesn't end there, most Gnostics did believe that they were one and the same. Jesus practically declares as much in Revelations "I am the Morning Star" - Lucifer.

Darth Servo · Post by **Darth Servo** » 2006-05-21 08:32am

What are all you guys talking about? Satan and God are on GREAT terms with each other. Don't you ever watch South Park?

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2006-05-21 12:20pm

Darth Servo wrote:What are all you guys talking about? Satan and God are on GREAT terms with each other. Don't you ever watch South Park?

Not to mention the Book of Job, which sounds like Satan was making a wager with God over a pint of beer.

Molyneux · Post by **Molyneux** » 2006-05-21 02:14pm

Darth Wong wrote:
Darth Servo wrote:What are all you guys talking about? Satan and God are on GREAT terms with each other. Don't you ever watch South Park?
Not to mention the Book of Job, which sounds like Satan was making a wager with God over a pint of beer.

Well, look at it this way - who the heck else does God have to swap 'shop talk' with?

Darth Servo · Post by **Darth Servo** » 2006-05-21 10:05pm

Molyneux wrote:Well, look at it this way - who the heck else does God have to swap 'shop talk' with?

Good point. Certainly not the angels as their only function is to be God's yes-men and carry out his orders.

Guardsman Bass · Post by **Guardsman Bass** » 2006-05-23 06:34pm

In the later Christian tradition, Satan is the by definition God of Evil, who by definition must be antagonistic utterly towards God, who by definition is the God of Good. Notice all the "by definition"s.

Basically, it amounts to God only be a certain degree of merciful.

Magnetic · Post by **Magnetic** » 2006-05-25 03:43pm

Yeah, I bet it would be quite boring to be surrounded by a bunch of "yes men" and worshippers. Being praised for a job well done is one thing, but too much of anything is less than desirable. I mean, . . . after so long .. . hearing "You are so great!" gets less and less meaningful, I would think. At least it would be to me, if I was on the receiving end. I'd probably long for a good debate or wager from time to time.

drachefly · Post by **drachefly** » 2006-05-25 05:06pm

Or you could, well, stop demanding worship and praise from those you made in your own image.

Incidentally, Casey and Andy has one of the more amusing God-Satan relationships that I know of.

Darth Servo · Post by **Darth Servo** » 2006-05-25 06:34pm

Magnetic wrote:Yeah, I bet it would be quite boring to be surrounded by a bunch of "yes men" and worshippers. Being praised for a job well done is one thing, but too much of anything is less than desirable. I mean, . . . after so long .. . hearing "You are so great!" gets less and less meaningful, I would think. At least it would be to me, if I was on the receiving end. I'd probably long for a good debate or wager from time to time.

I once pointed out to a fundie that praising God for all eternity would get boring after a few millenia. Their response? "We won't know what boring is up there."

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2006-05-26 02:04am

Darth Servo wrote:
Magnetic wrote:Yeah, I bet it would be quite boring to be surrounded by a bunch of "yes men" and worshippers. Being praised for a job well done is one thing, but too much of anything is less than desirable. I mean, . . . after so long .. . hearing "You are so great!" gets less and less meaningful, I would think. At least it would be to me, if I was on the receiving end. I'd probably long for a good debate or wager from time to time.
I once pointed out to a fundie that praising God for all eternity would get boring after a few millenia. Their response? "We won't know what boring is up there."

Ah, so we will no longer be ourselves, eh? I fail to see the appeal of lobotomization.

Superman · Post by **Superman** » 2006-05-26 02:07am

Nobody has really cleared this up though; Jesus never said Satan was the exception to the love rule. Was it just implied?

Zero · Post by **Zero** » 2006-05-26 02:17am

Superman wrote:Nobody has really cleared this up though; Jesus never said Satan was the exception to the love rule. Was it just implied?

I imagine that it's all just because God doesn't have to follow his own rules. If God is the absolute definition of good, something commonly accepted by fundie morons, then anything he does or says is automatically good too, so even if he instructs humans to act one way, his hatred for satan is justified by virtue of him being God. Essentially, God's allowed to be a hypocrite, because he's allowed to be anything and still be good.

Magnetic · Post by **Magnetic** » 2006-05-26 09:57am

Darth Servo wrote:
Magnetic wrote:Yeah, I bet it would be quite boring to be surrounded by a bunch of "yes men" and worshippers. Being praised for a job well done is one thing, but too much of anything is less than desirable. I mean, . . . after so long .. . hearing "You are so great!" gets less and less meaningful, I would think. At least it would be to me, if I was on the receiving end. I'd probably long for a good debate or wager from time to time.
I once pointed out to a fundie that praising God for all eternity would get boring after a few millenia. Their response? "We won't know what boring is up there."

That's a great answer from them.

Regardless of what WE will think, . . . . I can't help but wonder how God could require and desire an eternity of worship from "lower lifeforms". I mean, . . . .my two dogs are constantly eager to "please me". . . . and it's okay for a while, . . . but eventually I want them to just go play with eachother or lie down . . . . or something!

What's so great about constant worship anyway?

I wouldn't want constant worship from even my equal (my wife). . . . but would rather enjoy doing things together. By the way, my wife doesn't ever "worship me". I think it's more like she "puts up with my ways".

I'm getting sidetracked.

Darth Servo · Post by **Darth Servo** » 2006-05-26 08:56pm

Magnetic wrote:By the way, my wife doesn't ever "worship me". I think it's more like she "puts up with my ways".

She doesn't give you blowjobs?

Magnetic · Post by **Magnetic** » 2006-05-30 10:50am

Darth Servo wrote:
Magnetic wrote:By the way, my wife doesn't ever "worship me". I think it's more like she "puts up with my ways".
She doesn't give you blowjobs?

HA!!! Hardly. She's not interested in the physical part of the relationship.