Why doesn't God just destroy the devil?

[Benadam]

I think it’s against the devil’s nature to not exist. That is probably the only thing he wills that is in accord with the nature God created for him. He’s free to will what he wants and what God deems good to allow him to have He allows.

Simpy put, imo the devil doesn’t want to be destroyed and God doesn’t want to destroy him.

 

[chessmane4e5]

Because he was a religious philosopher that had an opinion…one different than my own. Although Paul did meet Peter and other people that actually knew Jesus, he boasts of only seeing them for a short amount of time in Galatians, and says his message is directly from Jesus…so I don’t really think his views are much more valid to mine.

You have left out that Paul was stricken blind by Jesus. Please read Acts.

Well quotes like this make me think that the Buddha was a better moral teacher than Jesus. I personally think that Christian values push many people away because they perpetuate guilt. I mean half the questions on this forum is about someone feeling guilty about something inconsequential. You should always look to better yourself and not dwell on the bad, only try to increase the good that you do. Learn from the bad, don’t dwell on it…and the church doesn’t necessarily say “dwell on the bad things you do” but its teachings lead to that result. I don’t agree with that and I think it does not benefit anyone.
{/QUOTE]

It seems to me that you want an easy religion to follow. You seem to want to create your own religion more than learn about Christianity or Catholicism. Trying to convince people on this forum that Jesus was simply a good moral teacher, is futile. Catholics believe in the divinity of Jesus and in His presence in the Eucharist.

And I may be in the wrong to say this, but I feel I need to. If you are going to reply to other people’s threads, that have questions or concerns, please give them a Catholic answer or do not give them an answer at all. This is a Catholic forum and people who come here for answers are looking for God’s truth, not yours.

 

[prettylarge]

You have left out that Paul was stricken blind by Jesus. Please read Acts.

Well quotes like this make me think that the Buddha was a better moral teacher than Jesus. I personally think that Christian values push many people away because they perpetuate guilt. I mean half the questions on this forum is about someone feeling guilty about something inconsequential. You should always look to better yourself and not dwell on the bad, only try to increase the good that you do. Learn from the bad, don’t dwell on it…and the church doesn’t necessarily say “dwell on the bad things you do” but its teachings lead to that result. I don’t agree with that and I think it does not benefit anyone.
{/QUOTE]

 

[chessmane4e5]

A better question is how can you live the same? If you have different parents, different siblings, different family, and different friends, you would be a different person.

But then what is the point? Is God simply playing a game of chance with our lives? We keep being born until we randomly have a good life?

Sorry, reincarnation is a fools fantasy. Dream about all you like, but it doesn’t make sense.

How about you write down your Theology. Explain the nature of God. Why he created us. How it all works. Devil, Jesus, evil, everything. That way we know what you believe. Personally, I think you are just making it up as you go.

 

[chessmane4e5]

But less arrogant than me claiming that I know everything. God is not arrogant, and I don’t think it’s arrogant to believe that God has revealed His truth to us.

You are also missing the fact that people who visit these forums and ask questions are looking for CATHOLIC answers. Not opinions.

 

[prettylarge]

But then what is the point? Is God simply playing a game of chance with our lives? We keep being born until we randomly have a good life?

Sorry, reincarnation is a fools fantasy. Dream about all you like, but it doesn’t make sense.

How about you write down your Theology. Explain the nature of God. Why he created us. How it all works. Devil, Jesus, evil, everything. That way we know what you believe. Personally, I think you are just making it up as you go.

Reincarnation makes no less sense than Jesus and the Devil.

This is what I believe, in a nutshell: God exists. God is benevolent. I think that once you die, and you are not worthy of heaven, you are reincarnated and come back to earth as many times as needed until you finally get it. I don’t know about the divinity of Jesus, but I do know he was a great teacher that had a very strong connection with God. I don’t know if he was God though. I think that the Buddha is on the same level as Jesus though. The Buddha taught that you must sometimes change your teachings (or at least leave some things out) to help people understand…as in you aren’t going to go into a room full of rich people and demand they sell all their belongings…they would laugh at you and go away. You must adjust your teachings to get through to particular people. I believe that God has sent many special people to us to show us the ultimate reality and that Jesus and the Buddha are just two examples. They teach different things because they are teaching to different people…but deep down their messages are basically the same. Treat others the way you want to be treated. This is basically in all religions in some way or another and I think that is the key to religion. Just being a kind, compassionate, and benevolent person.

 

[youngsaint]

OK, well even if satan cannot be killed (God is all powerful and can do whatever he wants really so I don’t think this is true), couldn’t God just contain him and make sure he has no interaction with humans and doesn’t have hell? As I said before, if hell exists, then God reigns there too. I mean God is omniscient and is everywhere, so God would be in even hell, right?

If God sends people to hell, then he is working with the devil. You might as well call the devil another part of God.

He would still have other fallen angels. But sin doesn’t just come from the devil, although he is a catalyst for it. It can also come from the flesh, or from others.

 

[chessmane4e5]

Reincarnation makes no less sense than Jesus and the Devil.

This is what I believe, in a nutshell: God exists. God is benevolent. I think that once you die, and you are not worthy of heaven, you are reincarnated and come back to earth as many times as needed until you finally get it. I don’t know about the divinity of Jesus, but I do know he was a great teacher that had a very strong connection with God. I don’t know if he was God though. I think that the Buddha is on the same level as Jesus though. The Buddha taught that you must sometimes change your teachings (or at least leave some things out) to help people understand…as in you aren’t going to go into a room full of rich people and demand they sell all their belongings…they would laugh at you and go away. You must adjust your teachings to get through to particular people. I believe that God has sent many special people to us to show us the ultimate reality and that Jesus and the Buddha are just two examples. They teach different things because they are teaching to different people…but deep down their messages are basically the same. Treat others the way you want to be treated. This is basically in all religions in some way or another and I think that is the key to religion. Just being a kind, compassionate, and benevolent person.

Then there are a lot of people in heaven according to your view.

Why did God create us in your view?

Why do we have evil in this world?

When you are reincarnated, why do you not remember your past life, so you know what to change in the next life?

 

[archangel04]

OK, well even if satan cannot be killed (God is all powerful and can do whatever he wants really so I don’t think this is true), couldn’t God just contain him and make sure he has no interaction with humans and doesn’t have hell? As I said before, if hell exists, then God reigns there too. I mean God is omniscient and is everywhere, so God would be in even hell, right?

If God sends people to hell, then he is working with the devil. You might as well call the devil another part of God.

God does not send people to hell,we choose our eternal life. If one chooses to be away from God all their life or most of it and never repent, then why would God (being all loving and merciful) make you suffer for eternity by having you close to Him in His kingdom? You see God loves us so much that even after we die He gives us what we want.

God does not send you anywhere, you make your choice.

 

[prettylarge]

Then there are a lot of people in heaven according to your view.

Why did God create us in your view?

Why do we have evil in this world?

When you are reincarnated, why do you not remember your past life, so you know what to change in the next life?

I don’t know why God created us. But I have not heard a good Catholic explanation for it either. We have evil in the world because of free choice. You will figure out what you need to fix in your life eventually due to the situations you get put in…you don’t have to remember the past lives. And yes, according to my view, there are a lot of people in heaven.

Your view is that lots of people go to hell?

 

[prettylarge]

God does not send people to hell,we choose our eternal life. If one chooses to be away from God all their life or most of it and never repent, then why would God (being all loving and merciful) make you suffer for eternity by having you close to Him in His kingdom? You see God loves us so much that even after we die He gives us what we want.

God does not send you anywhere, you make your choice.

I am going to say that most people that don’t live life according to God actually don’t believe in God. If everyone knew that they would go to heaven if they were good and go to hell if they were bad, there is no DOUBT that people would be good and worship God. But these things are not definite.

 

[chessmane4e5]

OK, well even if satan cannot be killed (God is all powerful and can do whatever he wants really so I don’t think this is true), couldn’t God just contain him and make sure he has no interaction with humans and doesn’t have hell? As I said before, if hell exists, then God reigns there too. I mean God is omniscient and is everywhere, so God would be in even hell, right?

If God sends people to hell, then he is working with the devil. You might as well call the devil another part of God.

It is not that Satan can not be killed, but that God chooses not to destroy him. Why, I don’t know and it doesn’t really matter to me. What matters is that I know he exists.

My understanding is that hell is the one place that God is not. This is what makes it hell, the absence of God. This is Gods choice, He created hell. If God wanted to visit or be present or whatever, in hell He could. But my understanding is that our souls are meant to be with God in heaven, their is no greater pleasure than the presence of God. So the opposite of that, is the absence of God, which would be hell for our souls.

God does not send people to hell. God is not working with the devil. God created the Lucifer as an Angel, Lucifer rebelled against Gods authority, God cast him out of heaven. Lucifer wants to be God, but can never be so he tries to tempt us away from our creator.

 

[chessmane4e5]

I don’t know why God created us. But I have not heard a good Catholic explanation for it either. We have evil in the world because of free choice. You will figure out what you need to fix in your life eventually due to the situations you get put in…you don’t have to remember the past lives. And yes, according to my view, there are a lot of people in heaven.

Your view is that lots of people go to hell?

Wrong about my view on people in hell. The Catholic Church (and myself for that matter) has never condemned anyone to hell. Only God can do that. I will admit it is possible that their is no one in hell (except Satan and his fallen angels) but there could also be millions or billions. I have no idea. In fact, it doesn’t really matter to me. God told the Hebrew people how to live, Jesus came and died for our sins, He founded the Catholic Church so people would know how to live. I try to be a good Catholic and that is all that matters to me.

But you are missing my point with my first questions. Here is what I think you are saying. God created us. He gave us free will. He knew that this would let us do good and evil. In order to go to heaven, we have to be good. If we are evil, we are re-born and try again. Is this pretty much what you believe?

 

[prettylarge]

It is not that Satan can not be killed, but that God chooses not to destroy him. Why, I don’t know and it doesn’t really matter to me. What matters is that I know he exists.

My understanding is that hell is the one place that God is not. This is what makes it hell, the absence of God. This is Gods choice, He created hell. If God wanted to visit or be present or whatever, in hell He could. But my understanding is that our souls are meant to be with God in heaven, their is no greater pleasure than the presence of God. So the opposite of that, is the absence of God, which would be hell for our souls.

God does not send people to hell. God is not working with the devil. God created the Lucifer as an Angel, Lucifer rebelled against Gods authority, God cast him out of heaven. Lucifer wants to be God, but can never be so he tries to tempt us away from our creator.

Do you believe that you can repent at the gates of heaven?

 

[prettylarge]

But you are missing my point with my first questions. Here is what I think you are saying. God created us. He gave us free will. He knew that this would let us do good and evil. In order to go to heaven, we have to be good. If we are evil, we are re-born and try again. Is this pretty much what you believe?

In a nutshell, yes. I don’t believe in Adam and Eve creation either…more like God planted the seeds knowing it would get to us through evolution.

 

[chessmane4e5]

In a nutshell, yes. I don’t believe in Adam and Eve creation either…more like God planted the seeds knowing it would get to us through evolution.

I will answer this first because it is easier

As it stands right now, Evolution is the least likely theory yet.

trueorigin.org/spetner1.asp

trueorigin.org/isakrbtl.asp

trueorigin.org/abio.asp

apologeticspress.org/articles/2575

It is alot of reading, but after you read it, I think you will change your mind.

 

[chessmane4e5]

Do you believe that you can repent at the gates of heaven?

No. It is my understanding that the Church teaches that when we die, that is it as far as our choices go. Now, I am sure we could debate about the exact moment of death. Is it when the heart stops? When the brain ceases to function? What about people that are revived from death? Maybe it like 30 minutes after we die?

I do not know the exact time or soul leaves our body, but it is my understanding that it is only in this life that we can choose God or reject Him.

 

[prettylarge]

I will answer this first because it is easier

As it stands right now, Evolution is the least likely theory yet.

trueorigin.org/spetner1.asp

trueorigin.org/isakrbtl.asp

trueorigin.org/abio.asp

apologeticspress.org/articles/2575

It is alot of reading, but after you read it, I think you will change your mind.

I am going to go with the 99.9% of biological scientists that believe in evolution, and not the .1% that do not.

Anyway, even if evolution is not right, Adam and Eve is even LESS likely.

 

[lost18]

I kind of understand what this poster is talking about. Although I don’t really agree but here is my thoughts on it.

When I was younger probably middle school and I still kind of from time to time wonder this. What if earth is our hell. Though we have experienced good things in this life, we also suffer a great deal, life isn’t fair and it isn’t perfect. As for reincarnation goes, when I was in middle school I didn’t believe you came back as a different person but you come back as yourself. Essentially its your world, your life living it over and over until you choose the right path that leads you to heaven. This was how I would explain deja vu to people, at that point in time the paths cross at the exact same place. Though my little 8th grade theory has flaws I always thought it would be cool because I haven’t experienced heaven and yes it is said to be amazing but the one thing I was sure about was life and that if God gave me the option to live it again I would because I am scared of death…I still am…and what I know how to do is live. I would do anything to be in heaven but if thats not possible let me live.

Now that im older, I know that this won’t happen but its still fun to think about…because like I said im still scared of death, I don’t want to die and end up in hell.

BUT to answer the time to repent after death. I had a friend who died and came back, died in the hospital and they brought him back. He told me he saw a quiet dark tunnel with a light at the end, and that as he made his walk towards the light he reflected on his life and at that point began to regret everything he ever did. I believe that as we walk to the gates of heaven as we walk through that tunnel that is the time to make our decision and to repent. It has to be. How is it that he remembers this if he was dead?

Then again there is NO way to be 100% sure until we die.

 

[chessmane4e5]

God created us. He gave us free will. He knew that this would let us do good and evil. In order to go to heaven, we have to be good. If we are evil, we are re-born and try again. Is this pretty much what you believe?

So you have said, that in a nutshell, this is basically what you believe. And I think you said somewhere else, that you do not believe in hell.

But you also believe that Jesus was just a good moral teacher. (BTW, if you believe this then I think you have to also believe he was crazy. I mean, He did claim to be God. He did not even defend Himself to Pilate, which directly led Him to be crucified.)

With this view, everyone goes to heaven eventually. So, what is the point? Why would God create us and then have us go through multiple lives until we are finally “good” enough for heaven? This doesn’t make sense to me.

I believe that God created Adam in His image. He gave him everything, food, dominion over animals and the land. It was Paradise. Then He created Eve for Adam because it was not good for Adam to be alone. All is wonderful and at this point though, Adam and Eve have free will but do not have the “knowledge of good and evil”. So the way I view this, is they are just happy. They can do whatever they want and do not have to worry about good or evil, because it is not a part of their world. But then they make a choice. Satan tempts them to do it, but nonetheless they disobey God. This completely shatters their relationship with God and now they must live with the consequences.

Fast forward to Jesus. God loves us so much that He takes human form as Jesus, is born, teaches the apostles about how to live, starts His Church with them, is crucified, buried, on the third day He rises from the dead, appears to His apostle (because honestly they were all scared and probably ready to just throw in the towel, I mean their leader that they thought was going to change everything was dead), and ascends into Heaven.

Sound crazy. Well had Adam and Eve not made that choice (Original Sin) God would not have had to do all this. But God loves us so much, that He would take human form and be crucified for our sins. What led me to believe all this was that it is historic fact. We know Jesus lived, we have written accounts of His life and teachings, we know He was crucified. How do we know He rose from the dead? I sort of alluded to it, but for what other reason would 12 Apostles preach that message unless it happened, especially given the fact they 11 of them were killed for preaching it. I could understand 1 or 2 crazy people lying about Jesus being resurrected, but 12?!?