The devil.

Author: secularmerlin

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#61
EtrnlVw
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@secularmerlin
Not in a way where I'm aware, however I've never put my conscious energy to the task lol whereas someone else might have, not only would I consider such a thing I would support it, I think it is really cool TBH. 
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#62
secularmerlin
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@EtrnlVw
How do you decide what to believe ?

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#63
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@EtrnlVw
How do you decide what to believe ?

#64
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@secularmerlin
I don't really "decide" what to believe more than I acquire beliefs through experience and observation, I don't just decide to believe in something for no reason or evidence. Since I don't communicate with trees I have no real insight to offer, but based upon what I've observed about consciousness and awareness in creation it's entirely possible. Trees obviously lack the dynamic experience of humans but they actually have an awareness, minute as it may be and a person can operate or tune their channel of awareness with that of anything that shares that reality. 
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#65
secularmerlin
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@EtrnlVw
Yes decide is really the wrong word. I've been trying to think of another and I've decided to come at the problem from another way. 

Are there any claims you reject outright? Scientology, flat earth etc.?
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#66
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@EtrnlVw
Reject outright isn't quite right either. Give me awhile to get back to you. 
#67
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@ethang5
Sup Bro!

I'm interested in your ideas on God and "evil" (See my example in post #13)

Do you believe that God sometimes uses "evil" for a divine purpose?:

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#68
secularmerlin
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@EtrnlVw
I've thought about it and what I think I mean to ask is this. Is there any position that cannot be held on faith?
#69
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@ravensjt
Hey Raven,

(See my example in post #13)
Saw it. The Till story was a gripping one

Do you believe that God sometimes uses "evil" for a divine purpose?:

Sure. It says in Genesis 50:20 - 
“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive

Selling Joseph into slavery was evil, but it resulted in the hebrew children being saved from famine.

Did God use evil to create ultimate good?
He has many times.

Did the Devil unintentionally create good?
Yes. Like when thinking he could lock Jesus in death, and Jesus, the shining hero, pulled a rope-a-dope on him.

Did God use the Devil to create good?
Yes. Which is why the bible tells us Satan is angry.

I'm interested in your ideas on God and "evil"
Because of Satan, the god of this world, we tend to think that good is weak and evil is strong. In movies, good wins only by accident. Evil can win on its own steam.

But this is not true. Evil is never a match against good. Good is brave and powerful. Evil is cowardly and weak. Pop culture tries to make it seem otherwise, but it just isn't true.

Throughout history, simple "weak" people like Dr. Wilberforce, MLK, and Nelson Mandela stood up against powerful evil and brought it crashing down.

God assures us that Good will triumph.

#70
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@ethang5
Great Post Bro, Thanks! 
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#71
secularmerlin
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@ethang5
There is a lot to unpack there. I'm not even sure where to start.

I gather from this statement that you believe in Stan as a concious independent entity not just some vague force or negative reflection of human iniquity?
#72
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@secularmerlin
Positions can't be held on faith because that's not what spiritual faith is for, if by "position" you mean beliefs. Positions can be supported by faith because faith is trust and confidence in something or someone, but faith in something or positions/beliefs comes when confidence in that something has been established (not before) and that confidence/faith can be solidified many ways......evidence, personal experience, logic, common sense and reason ect ect. Spiritual faith, like we discussed many times before is not accepting something with no reason or evidence, that is a non-existent nothing and is a misconception of a legit, powerful spiritual principle, whoever came up with that idea was a complete loony and basically strips the purpose and usage of what faith is and used for to a steamy pile of pooh.
Faith, in all its glory is the opposite of empty beliefs and intellectual negligence, faith comes through confidence and trust and confidence comes through knowing, and knowing from experience.

So the question you asked is a stalemate because its a type of strawman. Faith was never intended for holding onto beliefs, faith is a spiritual tool that enables the believer to progress in their spiritual journey, believing things with no reason or evidence is not progression and not an actual thing, it's just an empty concept and what a shame to undermine the power of trust and confidence (faith) and how those are formed.
No belief should be held by faith, man needs to wake up and learn that spirituality is a cultivation and an observation, that's what all this information is for, not for the individual to passively accept it, but for the individual to examine it, apply it, learn from it through experience and develop their faith from little to great faith, that comes through trust and confidence which comes through experience. Faith is a cultivation not a play toy or a some meaningless concept, faith is power and energy generated by the individual and that power can be channeled into whatever the participant has confidence in or want to see a change in, remove an obstacle (mountain) ect ect….


#73
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@secularmerlin
Wow really? so even though we agreed upon what a negative force would entail, and even though you can see the negative forces happening everyday with your own eyes and ears its now become something "vague" for you? and so some renegade "devil" you've never met or heard in any way is somehow less vague? can you expand on that? and why you think what I provided in explanation is vague?
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#74
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@EtrnlVw
I'm not actually sure I addressed any message to you including the word vague. Are you certain the post you are referencing was not a response to an entirely different member? As for your other longer post I'll try to get back to you unfortunately I've been a little busy.
#75
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@secularmerlin
Here was your quote to Ethang5, since I was the only one who brought it up I'm assuming you were referring to what I've said here...
"I gather from this statement that you believe in Stan as a concious independent entity not just some vague force or negative reflection of human iniquity?"

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#76
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@EtrnlVw
Unless I am much mistaken you and he have very different beliefs and my conversation with you has nothing to do with my conversation with him.
#77
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@secularmerlin
Okay

740 days later

#78
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@secularmerlin
When I 'was a Christian, yes and no.
Later on as an atheist, believing not in the supernatural, no.

But referring to Biblical Satan,
I think he's different than Hollywood Satan,

Bible has the problem of being a frequently translated and ancient book of another era.
There's the problems of Google translate,
Over 2000 years,
And context of culture, ethics, history, geography, and so on.
Makes me unsure of many conclusions I might garner from it,
Unless I were to spend a lifetime being a scholar, learning multiple languages, taking history classes,
I 'really don't care 'that much.

But back to topic,
Only point I'm going to make is that the Hebrew word 'saṭan.
Google, The History and Origins of SatanA study by Lucas Sweeney,
If curious, it's rather short.
I'm not certain how reliable it is though.
I haven't given the Satan question much research or thought,
I'm lazy, and for some questions I check just long enough to think I'm on the correct direction, then give up except for flights of whimsey and light reading.
Don't read much on the Bible though.