I’m aware that for many Dante’s Inferno may still hold some attraction…
I was on a Christian forum a few years ago and took a poll… How many believed in Satan… In turned out a majority believed in Satan. My view is that a belief in Satan goes along with a belief in the supernatural that many people have… Satan and devils can take possession of people and this was an explanation for many ancient people that such conditions as epilepsy and maybe schizophrenia and such were caused by supernatural entities…
Believing in a dark power is a convenient was to mischaracterise your enemies as well… Recall Mark 3:22 where the Pharisees alleged Jesus was possessed?
But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said,
"He’s possessed by Satan, the prince of demons. That’s where he gets the power to cast out demons."
The other issue that comes up is that some describe themselves as Satanists and adopt for themselves various rituals and symbols of what they believe are various powers.
In the Baha’i Faith there is no such acceptance of these malevolent and dark powers… I recall researching that the struggle between good and evil that is embraced by many may have it’s origin in Manichaeism which was very strong at the time of Saint Augustine.
But anyway so there is no misunderstanding about this as far as the Baha’i Faith is concerned I add a few citations from the Writings:
The attributes of God are love and mercy; the attribute of Satan is hate. Therefore, he who is merciful and kind to his fellowmen is manifesting the divine attribute, and **he who is hating and hostile toward a fellow creature is satanic. **God is absolute love, even as Jesus Christ has declared, and Satan is utter hatred. Wherever love is witnessed, know that there is a manifestation of God’s mercy; whenever you meet hatred and enmity, know that these are the evidences and attributes of Satan. The Prophets have appeared in this world with the mission that human souls may become the expressions of the Merciful, that they may be educated and developed, attain to love and amity and establish peace and agreement.
When the light of Bahá’u’lláh dawned from the East, He proclaimed the promise of the oneness of humanity. He addressed all mankind, saying, “Ye are all the fruits of one tree. There are not two trees: one a tree of divine mercy, the other the tree of Satan.” Again He said, “Ye are all the fruits of one tree, the leaves of one branch.” This was His announcement; this was His promise of the oneness of the world of humanity. Anathema and execration were utterly abrogated. He said, “It is not becoming in man to curse another; it is not befitting that man should attribute darkness to another; it is not meet that one human being should consider another human being as bad; nay, rather, all mankind are the servants of one God; God is the Father of all; there is not a single exception to that law.** There are no people of Satan; all belong to the Merciful. There is no darkness; all is light. All are the servants of God, and man must love humanity from his heart. He must, verily, behold humanity as submerged in the divine mercy.”**
~ Abdul-Baha Promulgation of Universal Peace p. 286
In the Baha’i view there is no such thing as an ontological being such as Satan or the devil opposed to God.
