Satan and Paganism

[Neko_Bast]

Nihilistic Seraph

Neko_Bast

I tend to look at Satan as a consept of things in human nature that "good christions" are supposed to avoid; lust, greed, rage, lasyness, exess of physical plesure... Its not that I don't "belive" in Satan, its that I don't recognise him as a god, but an arcitipe(sp?)

Archetype?

Do you then see other deities as archetypal figures? Zeus as representative of a father figure and a ruler, Isis as the mother all strive to be, Ishtar as the sexualized lover?

But they (Zeus, Isis, Ishtar, ect...) have prsonality. They are three dimetional in a way that I've never seen in Satan. Its hard for me to recognise someone as a god when I can't ge a sence of them. He dosn't really have any myths of his own. The only time you hear about him in the bible is when he dose some "evil" or is "tempting" someone.  

[Pelta]

Neko_Bast

Nihilistic Seraph

Neko_Bast

I tend to look at Satan as a consept of things in human nature that "good christions" are supposed to avoid; lust, greed, rage, lasyness, exess of physical plesure... Its not that I don't "belive" in Satan, its that I don't recognise him as a god, but an arcitipe(sp?)

Archetype?

Do you then see other deities as archetypal figures? Zeus as representative of a father figure and a ruler, Isis as the mother all strive to be, Ishtar as the sexualized lover?

But they (Zeus, Isis, Ishtar, ect...) have prsonality. They are three dimetional in a way that I've never seen in Satan. Its hard for me to recognise someone as a god when I can't ge a sence of them. He dosn't really have any myths of his own. The only time you hear about him in the bible is when he dose some "evil" or is "tempting" someone.

Have you read Paradise Lost? It's quite a good read. Satan is very 3-dimensional in it, very much a hero with strengths and flaws for the first few books. You really identify with him. Until, of course, you remember he's the reason we're all doomed to eternal suffering. xd Also, Paradise Lost is the equivalent of Christian mythic fanfiction. Not really canon.

I believe Satan could exist just like many other deities/thoughforms that I don't much care about or work with. They never really enter my sphere of practise.  

[Nihilistic Seraph]

Neko_Bast

Nihilistic Seraph

Neko_Bast

I tend to look at Satan as a consept of things in human nature that "good christions" are supposed to avoid; lust, greed, rage, lasyness, exess of physical plesure... Its not that I don't "belive" in Satan, its that I don't recognise him as a god, but an arcitipe(sp?)

Archetype?

Do you then see other deities as archetypal figures? Zeus as representative of a father figure and a ruler, Isis as the mother all strive to be, Ishtar as the sexualized lover?

But they (Zeus, Isis, Ishtar, ect...) have prsonality. They are three dimetional in a way that I've never seen in Satan. Its hard for me to recognise someone as a god when I can't ge a sence of them. He dosn't really have any myths of his own. The only time you hear about him in the bible is when he dose some "evil" or is "tempting" someone.

Just because they don't have extensive litarature about them, it doesn't exclude them from having a personality. I think Morpheus, Phobetor and Phantasos are not mentioned very much, but I haven't heard of them being denied status as deities. Besides, when has being one-sided ever stopped someone or something from existing. Zeus seems to be fairly onesided as well.  

[Redwing~Shadow]

Satan is what you want to make of him. Just like all other gods, satan can been seen as that to others, and pagensim is such a broad religion it probably could cover satanism. I have a mix of belifes including some christian, druidism and celtic. It really is up to that person on what they want to believe.  

[Elizabeth Tarion]

I just remembered that not all of the Jewish texts are part of the bible, therefore more things about Satan would probably be in there (He's gotta pop up in more than one story xp ), but you'd probably have to understand Hebrew to read them, as English translations just. don't. quite. get it.  

[Nihilistic Seraph]

Eh, I've found recently that there's quite a strong chance that the devil was copied off the Zoroastrians, so meh.

Any translatoin can garble things, but to suggest learning a new language for anything foreign seems a little over the top.  

[Pelta]

Redwing~Shadow

Satan is what you want to make of him. Just like all other gods, satan can been seen as that to others,

Eh... I'm gonna disagree there. The gods are not what you make of them. Kali is not going to be a friendly happy mother god no matter what you think of her. Ishtar is not a Native American Local Spirit no matter how hard you try to think of her as such.... wink

Quote:

and pagensim is such a broad religion term it probably could cover satanism.

It does. 3nodding And paganism isn't a religion.  

[DR490N]

no, i do not believe in satan. I do not believe in the christian concept of god either, believing both to be either made up or misconstrued. i have, however, met gods from other pantheons whom i do not pray to or worship in any way. just the other day i met an entity on the astral plane on an eightlegged horse, who may have been either Freyr or Oden, most likely Oden.  

[Curiously Fruity]

I believe that Satan gets a bad rap. I don't think that most people are open-minded enough to consider his side of the story. Of course it's a little hard when you've got the Christian God's side pushed in your face everytime you turn around (I do not mean the physical act. Insead, the fact that the Bible is everywhere). I do not see the world in black and white, as in good or evil. I do not see God as good, however I do not see him as evil either. Both God and Satan were doing what they thought was best.

Now, would I worship either? No. Do I believe in either? Not really. That is why I've never became a Christian. I understand that one can believe in something and not follow it, but that is my reason for not becoming a Christian.  

[Nihilistic Seraph]

DR490N

no, i do not believe in satan. I do not believe in the christian concept of god either, believing both to be either made up or misconstrued. i have, however, met gods from other pantheons whom i do not pray to or worship in any way. just the other day i met an entity on the astral plane on an eightlegged horse, who may have been either Freyr or Oden, most likely Oden.

My next question is then this - why do you see the Christian pantheon as having been a product of human invention, and not other pantheons as well?  

[Nihilistic Seraph]

.Curiously.Fruity.

I believe that Satan gets a bad rap. I don't think that most people are open-minded enough to consider his side of the story. Of course it's a little hard when you've got the Christian God's side pushed in your face everytime you turn around (I do not mean the physical act. Insead, the fact that the Bible is everywhere). I do not see the world in black and white, as in good or evil. I do not see God as good, however I do not see him as evil either. Both God and Satan were doing what they thought was best.

Now, would I worship either? No. Do I believe in either? Not really. That is why I've never became a Christian. I understand that one can believe in something and not follow it, but that is my reason for not becoming a Christian.

Kinda hard to have a side misrepresented as evil when there's a high possibility of being a carry-over from Ahriman, who is a purely evil entity. sweatdrop  

[Neko_Bast]

Pelta

Have you read Paradise Lost? It's quite a good read. Satan is very 3-dimensional in it, very much a hero with strengths and flaws for the first few books. You really identify with him. Until, of course, you remember he's the reason we're all doomed to eternal suffering. Also, Paradise Lost is the equivalent of Christian mythic fanfiction. Not really canon.

I believe Satan could exist just like many other deities/thoughforms that I don't much care about or work with. They never really enter my sphere of practise.

I acutally havn't read that.....I've been hearing a lot about it lately though. Although you said something interesting, thoughtform. I think that is more of how I think about him than a deitie.

Nihilistic Seraph

Just because they don't have extensive litarature about them, it doesn't exclude them from having a personality. I think Morpheus, Phobetor and Phantasos are not mentioned very much, but I haven't heard of them being denied status as deities. Besides, when has being one-sided ever stopped someone or something from existing. Zeus seems to be fairly onesided as well.

Good point. ^-^  

[Curiously Fruity]

Nihilistic Seraph

.Curiously.Fruity.

I believe that Satan gets a bad rap. I don't think that most people are open-minded enough to consider his side of the story. Of course it's a little hard when you've got the Christian God's side pushed in your face everytime you turn around (I do not mean the physical act. Insead, the fact that the Bible is everywhere). I do not see the world in black and white, as in good or evil. I do not see God as good, however I do not see him as evil either. Both God and Satan were doing what they thought was best.

Now, would I worship either? No. Do I believe in either? Not really. That is why I've never became a Christian. I understand that one can believe in something and not follow it, but that is my reason for not becoming a Christian.

Kinda hard to have a side misrepresented as evil when there's a high possibility of being a carry-over from Ahriman, who is a purely evil entity. sweatdrop

I am very ignorant about most of the Gods and Goddess from many religions. I just feel that what I know of the Christian religion that I don't think Satan is a bad being.  

[Nihilistic Seraph]

.Curiously.Fruity.

Nihilistic Seraph

.Curiously.Fruity.

I believe that Satan gets a bad rap. I don't think that most people are open-minded enough to consider his side of the story. Of course it's a little hard when you've got the Christian God's side pushed in your face everytime you turn around (I do not mean the physical act. Insead, the fact that the Bible is everywhere). I do not see the world in black and white, as in good or evil. I do not see God as good, however I do not see him as evil either. Both God and Satan were doing what they thought was best.

Now, would I worship either? No. Do I believe in either? Not really. That is why I've never became a Christian. I understand that one can believe in something and not follow it, but that is my reason for not becoming a Christian.

Kinda hard to have a side misrepresented as evil when there's a high possibility of being a carry-over from Ahriman, who is a purely evil entity. sweatdrop

I am very ignorant about most of the Gods and Goddess from many religions. I just feel that what I know of the Christian religion that I don't think Satan is a bad being.

Why? You read what he did to Job? Tried to steal Jesus away from the people? He's no nice character at all.