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Old 10-19-2011, 12:19 PM
 
1,736 posts, read 2,102,037 times
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A really hard question on Satan and deception.

You all know that I always have answers for everything but these ones have me stumped.
That or Satan is deceiving me. How could I know?

If angels have free will, why has one never shown themselves?

There are apparently good angels and evil angels that have been renamed as demons.

If either of these showed itself, we could not distinguish it from God himself. No one has ever seen God.

Would we accept it as God and be deceived?

After all, it is said by God that Satan has the power to deceive the whole world. Knowing this, and knowing that most of the world belongs to one religion or another. It follows that most people in these religions have been deceived.

How then can believers be so sure that they follow the right God?
As scripture indicates that most if not all will be following the wrong God thanks to deception.

Are you somehow immune to Satan, who can deceive the whole world?
If atheists are deceived, then there really is a God.
If believers are deceived, then there really is no God.

If a believer, how do you get around this catch 22.

Are morals the only good way around it?

If so, then if you are a believer that believes that Sodom or the genocide of Noah’s day is good justice, does that mean that you have been deceived?

Because on the face of it, since non believers are a minority and think it evil, then you, as part of the majority and think it good, must be wrong.

Is genocide then a good thing or an evil thing?
Careful, you have definitely been deceived if God was right. Satan has deceived you.

Regards
DL
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Old 10-19-2011, 12:48 PM
 
5,925 posts, read 6,923,604 times
Reputation: 645
Quote:
Originally Posted by Greatest I am View Post
A really hard question on Satan and deception.

You all know that I always have answers for everything but these ones have me stumped.
That or Satan is deceiving me. How could I know?

If angels have free will, why has one never shown themselves?

There are apparently good angels and evil angels that have been renamed as demons.

If either of these showed itself, we could not distinguish it from God himself. No one has ever seen God.

Would we accept it as God and be deceived?

After all, it is said by God that Satan has the power to deceive the whole world. Knowing this, and knowing that most of the world belongs to one religion or another. It follows that most people in these religions have been deceived.

How then can believers be so sure that they follow the right God?
As scripture indicates that most if not all will be following the wrong God thanks to deception.

Are you somehow immune to Satan, who can deceive the whole world?
If atheists are deceived, then there really is a God.
If believers are deceived, then there really is no God.

If a believer, how do you get around this catch 22.

Are morals the only good way around it?

If so, then if you are a believer that believes that Sodom or the genocide of Noah’s day is good justice, does that mean that you have been deceived?

Because on the face of it, since non believers are a minority and think it evil, then you, as part of the majority and think it good, must be wrong.

Is genocide then a good thing or an evil thing?
Careful, you have definitely been deceived if God was right. Satan has deceived you.

Regards
DL

It comes down to faith that a loving God can take care of all his creation in a matter of completion and not immediate appeasment of our own emotions.

I find it fascinating to try to work out all those details, but in the end, we should live our lives and help others and try to better ourselves because it is a reasonable and good way to live no matter what you believe.

What we call evil exists, you can sit around and try to work out the origin, you can curse God for it's existance and after we all get done with our tirades and complaints, it is still there. We can work to fight against it and not tolerate it and do what we can to the best of our abilities or we can help evil prosper by doing nothing thinking that creating philosophies about it will change something.

Wondering if we are decieved or atheists are decieved doesn't change that you can help someone today and make it tougher for evil to do anything.

Once you live your life that way, then evil is what it is and you live your life to combat it under any and all circumstances and the difficulty of contemplating it evaporates
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Old 10-19-2011, 01:27 PM
 
Location: SC Foothills
8,831 posts, read 11,589,441 times
Reputation: 58253
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phazelwood View Post
It comes down to faith that a loving God can take care of all his creation in a matter of completion and not immediate appeasment of our own emotions.

I find it fascinating to try to work out all those details, but in the end, we should live our lives and help others and try to better ourselves because it is a reasonable and good way to live no matter what you believe.

What we call evil exists, you can sit around and try to work out the origin, you can curse God for it's existance and after we all get done with our tirades and complaints, it is still there. We can work to fight against it and not tolerate it and do what we can to the best of our abilities or we can help evil prosper by doing nothing thinking that creating philosophies about it will change something.

Wondering if we are decieved or atheists are decieved doesn't change that you can help someone today and make it tougher for evil to do anything.

Once you live your life that way, then evil is what it is and you live your life to combat it under any and all circumstances and the difficulty of contemplating it evaporates
Well said Phazelwood. I would try and break down the OP and respond to each and every question but quite honestly I'm feeling kinda saucy today so I'd better leave it alone.
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Old 10-19-2011, 02:59 PM
 
1,736 posts, read 2,102,037 times
Reputation: 138
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phazelwood View Post
It comes down to faith that a loving God can take care of all his creation in a matter of completion and not immediate appeasment of our own emotions.

I find it fascinating to try to work out all those details, but in the end, we should live our lives and help others and try to better ourselves because it is a reasonable and good way to live no matter what you believe.

What we call evil exists, you can sit around and try to work out the origin, you can curse God for it's existance and after we all get done with our tirades and complaints, it is still there. We can work to fight against it and not tolerate it and do what we can to the best of our abilities or we can help evil prosper by doing nothing thinking that creating philosophies about it will change something.

Wondering if we are decieved or atheists are decieved doesn't change that you can help someone today and make it tougher for evil to do anything.

Once you live your life that way, then evil is what it is and you live your life to combat it under any and all circumstances and the difficulty of contemplating it evaporates
The problem is, is that you can think you are doing good and being helpful but if deceived, you would be deluding yourself or under Satan's influence.

That is why a asked the question on morals and genocide.

I was hoping I was not being deceived into thinking genocide was evil, my real view, when it is really good.

You seem to be immune to Satan, from what you say, so do you confirm my view or is genocide good?

Regards
DL
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Old 10-19-2011, 04:00 PM
 
5,925 posts, read 6,923,604 times
Reputation: 645
Quote:
Originally Posted by Greatest I am View Post
The problem is, is that you can think you are doing good and being helpful but if deceived, you would be deluding yourself or under Satan's influence.

That is why a asked the question on morals and genocide.

I was hoping I was not being deceived into thinking genocide was evil, my real view, when it is really good.

You seem to be immune to Satan, from what you say, so do you confirm my view or is genocide good?

Regards
DL

Well, I guess the only thing I can say is that I do not think it will be harmful to be against the mass slaughtering of races or civilization under any kind of context. And if it is, then I will gladly die in a state of deception on that matter.

I don't even need to worry about thinking it may be good, it's just not and slapping the name God acrossed it, won't change that.
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Old 10-19-2011, 05:02 PM
 
Location: In the middle...
1,253 posts, read 3,626,665 times
Reputation: 1838
Default "Do not be deceived..."

Quote:
Originally Posted by Greatest I am View Post
A really hard question on Satan and deception.

You all know that I always have answers for everything but these ones have me stumped.
That or Satan is deceiving me. How could I know?

If angels have free will, why has one never shown themselves?

There are apparently good angels and evil angels that have been renamed as demons.

If either of these showed itself, we could not distinguish it from God himself. No one has ever seen God.

Would we accept it as God and be deceived?

After all, it is said by God that Satan has the power to deceive the whole world. Knowing this, and knowing that most of the world belongs to one religion or another. It follows that most people in these religions have been deceived.

How then can believers be so sure that they follow the right God?
As scripture indicates that most if not all will be following the wrong God thanks to deception.

Are you somehow immune to Satan, who can deceive the whole world?
If atheists are deceived, then there really is a God.
If believers are deceived, then there really is no God.

If a believer, how do you get around this catch 22.

Are morals the only good way around it?

If so, then if you are a believer that believes that Sodom or the genocide of Noah’s day is good justice, does that mean that you have been deceived?

Because on the face of it, since non believers are a minority and think it evil, then you, as part of the majority and think it good, must be wrong.

Is genocide then a good thing or an evil thing?
Careful, you have definitely been deceived if God was right. Satan has deceived you.

Regards
DL
I believe the Holy Bible to be the Word of God without error. I believe it to be the greatest "Love Story" ever told.

I believe it when something important is about to be explained and it starts with, "do not be deceived..." Because the enemy (Satan or one of his minions) will TRY and deceive us...hello, we get a warning!

I serve a righteous God that ALWAYS sent a prophet to warn the people of their wicked ways BEFORE He destroyed them...because He loved them enough to give them a chance to repent.

Angels follow the orders of their Master, the Lord their God, not ours. They have free will free will to fall and then they can follow Lucifer or Satan. It is not like in the movie the City of Angels or Legion; that's Hollyweird's take, not reality.

Of course Satan and his minions will be deceptive, remember he wanted to be like the most high? Well, nothing has changed. He is the counterfeit of Christ. When the FBI studies for counterfeit bills, they spend very little time on actual bills that are not real. Instead, they study the real deal, the real money so they can spot the fake more easily. It is so they are not as easily deceived.

We need to do the same. When we know the Word of God, we can spot the counterfeit in what is said...the enemy always takes just a little bit of truth and mixes it with a lie to make it "seem" right. The only way to see your way clear, is to be in close relationship with the Lord, know His Word and be ready when the deceiver strikes.

Too many Christains rely on their Sunday teachings to get them through and never crack open a Bible on their own to study the Word of God. How are we to draw nearer to Him? How are we to protect ourselves? How can we even put on the whole Armor of God (Eph. 6:12-18) if we do not know where to look, let alone study? We will never be able to stand against the wiles or deception of Satan if we don't understand who and what we are up against. We have the Leader, tools and the victory...we just need the encouragement from the Word!

"Do not be deceived..." there's a reason we are told...!!!
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Old 10-20-2011, 12:04 PM
 
1,736 posts, read 2,102,037 times
Reputation: 138
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phazelwood View Post
Well, I guess the only thing I can say is that I do not think it will be harmful to be against the mass slaughtering of races or civilization under any kind of context. And if it is, then I will gladly die in a state of deception on that matter.

I don't even need to worry about thinking it may be good, it's just not and slapping the name God acrossed it, won't change that.
Huh.
You said it was good and then evil.
I am Franglais and may not have read it right.
My bad.

Could I have a straight answer?

Regards
DL
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Old 10-20-2011, 12:06 PM
 
5,925 posts, read 6,923,604 times
Reputation: 645
Quote:
Originally Posted by Greatest I am View Post
Huh.
You said it was good and then evil.
I am Franglais and may not have read it right.
My bad.

Could I have a straight answer?

Regards
DL

Genocide is evil, I never called it good in any of my comments, I understand if your native language caused you to misunderstand, no harm done.
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Old 10-20-2011, 12:11 PM
 
1,736 posts, read 2,102,037 times
Reputation: 138
[quote=LuvABull.Denver;21354988]I believe the Holy Bible to be the Word of God without error. I believe it to be the greatest "Love Story" ever told.

quote]

Love is expressed by loving actions.

Death and destruction of innocent children and babies is hardly a loving act.

Unless of course you have been deceived and it sure looks like you have.
Please do not love your family and friends.
I would not want to see you follow your God's example and murder those you love.

The world can do without such a love story.

Pray that God will release you from Satan's grip.

Regards
DL
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Old 10-20-2011, 12:17 PM
 
1,736 posts, read 2,102,037 times
Reputation: 138
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phazelwood View Post
Genocide is evil, I never called it good in any of my comments, I understand if your native language caused you to misunderstand, no harm done.
Good.

Would you agree then that God would have been immoral if Noah's flood or Sodom where real events?

Regards
DL
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