Is Satan Smart?

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Darrell

My question for you Gilbert, is can you site any reputable Catholic sources for this theory that Satan is a dummy?

Your word, not mine. I don’t know any reputable Catholic source that refers to Satan as a dummy. I also don’t know any Catholic source that refers to him as full of wisdom. Nor do I see how one can have wisdom without being intelligent enough to find the truth … something Satan is notorious for avoiding.

I repeat … Satan’s intellect is only so brilliant as our willingness to let it triumph over us. We have Christ on our side. It is by own own lack of wisdom and our refusal to call upon Christ, not Satan’s genius, that we are defeated. God always gives us trhe grace to resist … we just throw it back in His face.

Fear of Satan’s brilliance is foolishness. Call upon Christ, obey him always … and we have nothing to fear from that so-called Brightest of Angels.

His bulb has gone out. He is now the Prince of Darkness.
 
R_McGeddon said:
I really can’t believe what I’m reading here. There is no satan, it’s just a myth perpetuated by your church to keep you fearful, faithful and in line. Just take at what you’ve all written on this subject to see how well it works, it’s almost as if it’s still the middle ages.

I wonder how many of you believe that heavy metal is the “devil’s music” and that playing it backwards summons up evil spirits.

Incidently, all that I’ve read about this so-called satan is that he has no power to actually do anything at all. The only thing that he can do is to tempt and deceive and then rely on human weakness. Considering that satan is a creation of the church, you should already know this.
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I can believe what i’m reading here, after all, there r actually folks in the world who believe in little green men from outta space…

This is why i’m of the view that religion’s much too crazy a place for me. But it’s fascinating isn’t it?
 
gmarie21 said:
And you have proven Satan’s most effective tool, deceiving people into believing he doesn’t exist.
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You certainly swallowed the church’s story there; hook, line and sinker.
gmarie21 said:
I know for a fact that Satan exists,
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You don’t know it for a fact.
gmarie21 said:
if you want to take that chance and bury your head in the sand, then if you end up in Hell it’ll be too late to change your mind about the existance of God and Satan and you’ll be stuck without God for eternity and stuck with Satan.
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What about other religions that don’t have a God or Satan in them?? Don’t tell me that they’ve got it wrong and that your faith is THE correct one. I’ll bet that followers of other faiths are equally as convinced about as their faith as you are about yours.
 
Gilbert_Keith said:
Darrell

My question for you Gilbert, is can you site any reputable Catholic sources for this theory that Satan is a dummy?

Your word, not mine. I don’t know any reputable Catholic source that refers to Satan as a dummy. I also don’t know any Catholic source that refers to him as full of wisdom. Nor do I see how one can have wisdom without being intelligent enough to find the truth … something Satan is notorious for avoiding.

I repeat … Satan’s intellect is only so brilliant as our willingness to let it triumph over us. We have Christ on our side. It is by own own lack of wisdom and our refusal to call upon Christ, not Satan’s genius, that we are defeated. God always gives us trhe grace to resist … we just throw it back in His face.

Fear of Satan’s brilliance is foolishness. Call upon Christ, obey him always … and we have nothing to fear from that so-called Brightest of Angels.

His bulb has gone out. He is now the Prince of Darkness.
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Fair enough we disagree. This might be a good topic for a pole sometime.

-D
 
R_McGeddon said:
You certainly swallowed the church’s story there; hook, line and sinker.

You don’t know it for a fact.

What about other religions that don’t have a God or Satan in them?? Don’t tell me that they’ve got it wrong and that your faith is THE correct one. I’ll bet that followers of other faiths are equally as convinced about as their faith as you are about yours.
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Question, if you believe that this is all a whole bunch of hooie why is your screen name one that would cause one to conclude that you do believe that there will be a day where there will be a battle between good and evil, the powers of Heaven and the powers of Hell?

If you have never expierenced Satan’s evil or have known anyone who has, then anything I say to you will be wasted breath. You are not open minded and just want a fight. Put your knife away, b/c my dear friend, whether you like it and acknowledge it or not, you’re in a gunfight in this life.
 
porkscratchings and r mcgeddon

I can believe what i’m reading here, after all, there r actually folks in the world who believe in little green men from outta space…

Ah, the atheists are back … as I thought they would be when I put atheism on the top of the priority list for Satan’s seductive techniques.

You have been seduced, it appears.

No God … no devil … no green little men from outta space

You sound a bit like the brilliant Aristotle who thought they were no atoms because he couldn’t see them.
 
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gmarie21:
If you have never expierenced Satan’s evil or have known anyone who has, then anything I say to you will be wasted breath. You are not open minded and just want a fight. Put your knife away, b/c my dear friend, whether you like it and acknowledge it or not, you’re in a gunfight in this life.
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The term ‘open minded’ does not describe a person who blindly accepts what he has been told by other folks. Especially without evidence.

For me the bigger issue is not whether Satan is as intelligent as God or the ordinary joe bloggs, but whether God is intelligent. if God is so intelligent and so wise as many religions claim him to be, then why can’t this God reason with our intellect and prove his truth instead of demanding blind obedience with threats of eternal damnation?
 
porkscratchings said:
The term ‘open minded’ does not describe a person who blindly accepts what he has been told by other folks. Especially without evidence.

For me the bigger issue is not whether Satan is as intelligent as God or the ordinary joe bloggs, but whether God is intelligent. if God is so intelligent and so wise as many religions claim him to be, then why can’t this God reason with our intellect and prove his truth instead of demanding blind obedience with threats of eternal damnation?
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Actually God DOES not demand obedience. I FREELY choose to love Him. Is it better for one to fe “forced” to love or to love by one’s choosing? There are many who try to intellectially defend God and their faith and while you may think they are pathetic attempts you may be the one who lacks the will to seek the Truth. Have you questioned your lack of belief or is it only those who do not believe as you who are the blind obedient fools? You are blind and obedient, your obediences is to NOTHING, mine is to God.
 
porkscratchings

For me the bigger issue is not whether Satan is as intelligent as God or the ordinary joe bloggs, but whether God is intelligent. if God is so intelligent and so wise as many religions claim him to be, then why can’t this God reason with our intellect and prove his truth instead of demanding blind obedience with threats of eternal damnation?

I do resent what appears to be your not-so-subtle attempt to change the subject of this thread to a debate about whether God exists. If that’s where you’re headed, please go start your own thread and I’ll meet you there.
 
Gilbert_Keith said:
Paulwas aggressively anti-Christian before he became Christian. Where does it tell us in Scriptures that Paul was brilliant before he became a Christian?
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Paul tells us himself:
Philippians 3:4-6
4 Though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If any other man thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law a Pharisee, 6 as to zeal a persecutor of the church, as to righteousness under the law blameless.
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You just can’t make up things as you go along.
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Thanks, that’s very charitable of you. :tiphat:

I hope you are not actually leading these RCIA groups you claim you are helping with in prison. Those poor guys are confused enough.

Anyway, I’m done.
Mark 6:11
Matthew 7:6
:banghead:
 
gmarie21 said:
Question, if you believe that this is all a whole bunch of hooie why is your screen name one that would cause one to conclude that you do believe that there will be a day where there will be a battle between good and evil, the powers of Heaven and the powers of Hell?
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I chose my screen name because it stands out.
gmarie21 said:
If you have never expierenced Satan’s evil or have known anyone who has
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If there is a God, I’ve experienced his lack of love and compassion. Two instances come to my mind; the first was when my brother-in-law died from a brain tumour, leaving behind 11 year old twin boys without a father. The second was last week when a work friend’s wife died suddenly, leaving a 10 year old daughter. In both instances the ones that died were under 40 years old.

What sort of loving, compassionate and omnipotent being could allow such things to happen?
 
gmarie21 said:
Actually God DOES not demand obedience. I FREELY choose to love Him. Is it better for one to fe “forced” to love or to love by one’s choosing? There are many who try to intellectially defend God and their faith and while you may think they are pathetic attempts you may be the one who lacks the will to seek the Truth. Have you questioned your lack of belief or is it only those who do not believe as you who are the blind obedient fools? You are blind and obedient, your obediences is to NOTHING, mine is to God.
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He could present himself to us all, then people could make an informed choice.
 
R_McGeddon said:
I chose my screen name because it stands out.

If there is a God, I’ve experienced his lack of love and compassion. Two instances come to my mind; the first was when my brother-in-law died from a brain tumour, leaving behind 11 year old twin boys without a father. The second was last week when a work friend’s wife died suddenly, leaving a 10 year old daughter. In both instances the ones that died were under 40 years old.

What sort of loving, compassionate and omnipotent being could allow such things to happen?
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I am sorry for you loss. I have also witnessed and experienced great losses and I, as well as family and friends, have concluded that God is a loving and compassionate omnipotent being. 1 aunt died at 33 leaving 4 children behind. 1 aunt died at 39 leaving 1 child behind. *(both died from breast cancer) An extremely healthy friend of the family died at the age of 39 leaving two teens behind. He was preceeded in death 9 months earlier by his 5 year old daughter. A friend of the family (and child I had babysat) died at the age of 5 when he was shot by his father. A cousin was beaten to death in his teens. A friend was in a car accident before he graduated high school. A friend of the family died leeaving behind an infant daughter. Many family and friends have lost their children through miscarriage. A coworker lost her 15 year old son when his donated heart failed. A year after her son died her daughter needed a heart transplant. The list can go on, but one thing that remains, all who were in sorrow for their lost loved ones (including myself) were comforted by God and His servants on earth.
 
R_McGeddon said:
I chose my screen name because it stands out.

If there is a God, I’ve experienced his lack of love and compassion. Two instances come to my mind; the first was when my brother-in-law died from a brain tumour, leaving behind 11 year old twin boys without a father. The second was last week when a work friend’s wife died suddenly, leaving a 10 year old daughter. In both instances the ones that died were under 40 years old.

What sort of loving, compassionate and omnipotent being could allow such things to happen?
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Please do not confuse your anger at God as a lack of God existing.
 
gmarie21 said:
Actually God DOES not demand obedience. I FREELY choose to love Him. Is it better for one to fe “forced” to love or to love by one’s choosing? There are many who try to intellectially defend God and their faith and while you may think they are pathetic attempts you may be the one who lacks the will to seek the Truth. Have you questioned your lack of belief or is it only those who do not believe as you who are the blind obedient fools? You are blind and obedient, your obediences is to NOTHING, mine is to God.
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if God does not demand obedience, then why is there a hell and the dude with pitchfork to deliver eternal torture for failing to choose God?

I do not think those who intellectually defend God to be pathetic themselves or their attempts to do pathetic. Why do u feel everything has to boil down to them vs us? Could this be the limitatons of seeing everything in black and white, God and Satan, and nothing in between?

As for the will to seek the truth - there r many truths out there, and as many pple who claim to have the truth. There is truth in all of the religions and in none. i believe only when there is proof and not empty slogans.

u know nothing about my obedience, yet u can infallibly state i serve nothing while u serve God. How do u know this for a fact? or does faith justify denial of reason and denial of someone else’s humanity?

Perhaps the devil is neither intelligent or stupid - or as intelligent and as stupid as the human capacity to hate what he does not know. Perhaps the devil is man himself - with the capacity to lose sight of goodness when he exalts himself so high he recognises only himself as having the truth?
 
Gilbert_Keith said:
porkscratchings

For me the bigger issue is not whether Satan is as intelligent as God or the ordinary joe bloggs, but whether God is intelligent. if God is so intelligent and so wise as many religions claim him to be, then why can’t this God reason with our intellect and prove his truth instead of demanding blind obedience with threats of eternal damnation?

I do resent what appears to be your not-so-subtle attempt to change the subject of this thread to a debate about whether God exists. If that’s where you’re headed, please go start your own thread and I’ll meet you there.
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See post #58, u’ll find it not off topic at all.

BTW I don’t resent at all ur not subtle at all attempts to exercise ur hatred against all atheists on every topic u participate. It amuses me that such a person can then confidently claim to be better than those he disrespects.
 
porkscratchings said:
See post #58, u’ll find it not off topic at all.

BTW I don’t resent at all ur not subtle at all attempts to exercise ur hatred against all atheists on every topic u participate. It amuses me that such a person can then confidently claim to be better than those he disrespects.
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Your off topic. The thread is a question of the devils intellect. Why not go off and start the millionth atheist thread?

-D
 
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