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A philosophical look at the existence of God
Existance of God
Short essay on the existence of God
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In the early chapters of this discourse, I mentioned the fundamental truths that we have to appreciate, if we are to understand where Africa is coming from, before passing any kind of judgment on her. One of them is the existence of the Supreme GOD, who created the heavens and the earth; that, we cannot run away from. Another is the existence of GOD’s very opposite, Satan the Liar. That also, we cannot run away from. Fortunately, and unfortunately, while many believe in the Supreme Deity, the existence of Satan is, to them, complete rubbish. To them, Satan is a mere concept of the imaginations that serious minds should not entertain; that Satan and his demons do not exist. This is rather sad because there is divine evidence in the Holy …show more content…
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Why were Satan and his loyal army cast out? Isaiah 14:13-15 says it was PRIDE because he, Satan, wanted to be like GOD. Undoubtedly, we can deduce from these verses that the ultimate purpose of Satan on earth is to avenge the defeat that he and his cohorts suffered at the hands of Archangel Michael and his loyal army. Satan wants to achieve this by separating humankind from GOD (Rev. 12:7-9). Furthermore, John the Apostle has recorded in John 10:10 the threefold ministry of Satan on earth, namely: to steal, kill, and destroy. Long after the migration of the people from Babylon to other parts of the earth, GOD took Abraham out of Haran, his country, and made a covenant with him concerning Israel. GOD promised Abraham in Genesis 12:2-3, And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be
This sources provides a well of content and most importantly a look at Satan. This in-depth look lends a great hand in the sorting of details. The timeline given will be a great help.
Typically, when someone thinks of religion, they think about worship of a higher power, compassion for all living things, and a general love of the world. Satanism, while a religion, does not fit these conventions. The faith holds no belief in a higher power, is rather selfish in nature, and paints a bleak picture of the world and its workings. In addition, Satanism has controversy riddled history dating back to the seventeenth century. Due to the religion’s unconventional nature, it is often looked down upon and its principles and values are ridiculed. To better understand a faith like Satanism, it helps to look at it alongside a more familiar and commonly understood religion like Christianity.
Fiero, Gloria K. "Africa: Gods, Rulers, and the Social Order." The Humanistic Tradition. 6th ed.
Satan is an allegorical representation of God the Father. Both Satan and God are seen as Father figures; God as the Father of all that is virtuous, and Satan as the Father of all that is wicked. Just as God is the King of heaven, Satan claims himself King of Hell. God is the originator of Goodness, as Satan is the originator of Evilness. All in all, Satan is a perverse representation of God.
At the beginning of the poem, Satan is viewed as a very majestic angel of great stature and an even bigger leadership skill. He is pictured as a hero in book one solely because the poem focuses on him and because it shows his pain "Both of lost happiness and lasting pain"(1) [55] "Torments him; round he throws his baleful eyes"(1) [56] "That witness'd huge affliction and dismay"(1) [57] his second transformation is where his evilness shows, Satan, after hearing about the new race and the new land, earth, travels all the way to earth in order to see it and see the new race. He tries to enter heaven, and to do so he transforms into a cherub, to deceive ...
In the beginning of John Milton’s “Paradise Lost”, Satan was banished from heaven for rebelling against god himself because of his beliefs that he would be a better ruler of Heaven then god. He refused to accept God’s son as ruler because he felt like he was bound in chains by tyranny. This is a good argument for anyone to rebel, and any man put under the rule of a tyrant, feels that it is his job to make a change. Throughout the story while Satan is in hell you can feel his pain, suffering, and hopelessness from being kicked out of paradise. Satan feels like god shouldn’t be able to control the people because they’re not the same, and the people cannot relate to God. So from this point of view taking over heaven seems like the best idea and in this way the reader can sympathize with Satan.
Milton's introduction of Satan shows the reader how significant Satan is to Paradise Lost. He uses Satan's heroic qualities to his followers, and his ability to corrupt to show the thin line between good and evil. Satan was one of the highest angels in Heaven and was know as Lucifer, meaning, light bearer. This shows he was once a good angel. Milton makes the reader see him as a leader and a strong influence to all in his presence. He best describes Satan's ways when stating, "His pride/ had cast him out from Heaven, with all his host. / Of rebel angels, by whose aspiring/ To set himself in glory above his peers" (Milton Book I). Satan's pride was the main reason that God banned him from heaven. Satan always tried to be number one and a leader, instead of following in God's shadow. He would of lived a life in Paradise forever, but he had to follow his feelings as he states, "Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven" (Milton 31). This shows how strongly he felt about not being above everybody else.
The imposition of colonialism on Africa drastically reconstructed the continent. All over, European powers attempted to “assimilate” countries into their own, all the while exploiting and victimizing their people, culture, and resources. However, if there was one aspect of colonialism that provided a fertile ground for conflict, it was the unknowingly insidious method of introducing religion, specifically Christianity, into African families. This is particularly exemplified in the novels Things Fall Apart, Houseboy, and Weep Not, Child. Throughout these novels, the assimilation of Christianity within the protagonists’ not only results in a destruction of their sacred and traditional values, but also their well-being and those around them.
Shawn Mark. The Kingdom of God in Africa:: A Short History of Africa Christianity,(Grand Rapids: Baker
Ask anyone to draw Satan and you 'll get a red snake-like figure with horns and a pitchfork. Satan, as introduced in the Hebrew bible is an unworthy adversary of God. His longing to be like God is quickly recognized and dealt with. God banishes him from Heaven and sends him to Hell. That 's the last we see of him until he talks with God about his faithful servant Job. In each interaction we see Satan in, we get only a glimpse of who he really is. Satan 's motive is not developed and we assume he does evil simply because he is evil
The origin of Satan is described in the Bible. The devil was originally created by God, as an angle. The devil was said to be the most beautiful beings. He also had favor with God. This is described in Ezekiel 28: 12-15 (KJV).
Magesa, Laurenti. African Religion: The Moral Tradition of Abundant Life. Nairobi: Pauline Pub., Africa, 1998.
middle of paper ... ... Not only is he a heroic figure, but he also possesses characteristics of which mankind can identify with. Satan also doubts himself, has jealousy, confidence and does not know he is wrong when he is; all of which a reader can identify with. Satan is in the same position as human beings under an omnipotent God who has foreseen their fate and yet argues that they possess free will.
It could be argued that the flaws in Satan’s character is such that we should feel no admiration toward him and neither fear or pity him but he can be seeming to inspire these emotions. Clearly this is seen when Milton states Satan’s tragic flaws such as envy, pride, and his ambition towards self-glorification. Satan’s pride is stressed throughout Paradise Lost. The important part to remember here is that Satan knows his weaknesses and flaws in his character through out the book. In Heaven, Satan’s pride convinces him that he is equal to God and thus sparks his ambition to defy God and challenges him for a democracy, while being envy at God’s appointment of his Son, this gives Satan the final excuse to challenge God’s
After defeating the rebellious angels, God cast them out from Heaven, placing them in Hell, a despairing and horrid place. Satan describes God as a tyrant who believes himself better than all, placing God as his epic adversary, “...our grand Foe/Who now triumphs, and in the excess of joy/Sole reigning holds the tyranny of Heaven” (1.122-124). Satan refuses to accept his defeat, and rather seeks to enact revenge against God either by once again leading his minions into battle or using his guile.