Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!stanford.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: tblake@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu (Thomas Blake) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: The demons Message-ID: Date: 7 May 91 04:43:09 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: State University of New York at Binghamton Lines: 52 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article horsch@cs.ubc.ca (Michael C. Horsch) writes: >Demons are mythical creatures (I'd even say "metaphorical creatures"). >The question "where did they come from?" entirely misses the point of >the myth (or metaphor). It's much more useful and interesting to ask: >"Why does scripture mention them?" and "What do these metaphorical >creatures represent today?" Then we can dispense with the metaphor >and deal with the real concerns that we've been able to identify. This brings up an interesting point. My religious upbringing did not place great emphasis on Demons, or on Satan. On this board a number of us seem to believe ourselves too "enlightened" to believe in such creatures any more. Doesn't this seem strange to you? Much of the world has discarded belief in God, Jesus, angels, souls and the like as irrational. Yet many of us who believe in these entities choose not to believe in Satan or demons. I guess it's an outmoded way of thinking, but I strongly believe in duality. The existance of a God as a force for good almost demands the existance of a Devil as a force for evil. I also believe in continuity. If you believe in an incarnate soul, it would seem that some souls would be stronger, and others weaker. Some would lean towards good, and others evil. I guess this makes me a classic philosopher. For sake of argument, assume with me the existance of a Devil and demons. Faced with a battle against Heaven for control of the Earth how might they proceed? One major point of attack would need to be the church. What strategy? Well, when outnumbered, prey on your opponent's weakness. "Divide and Conquor", an old strategy, but a goodie. Isn't it amazing how Christians seem to fight as hard (if not harder) against other Christians as they do against those who hold faiths diametrically opposed to their own? A second strategy, "Diversion". Can't you just see it? One of Outland's little cockroaches with a little pitchfork whisperring in Christians' ears at night. "Don't worry about The Devil(TM) or Demons(TM), they don't even exist, or if they do they're very weak. No, don't worry about The Devil, he's not the problem, the problem is that church down the road! Sure, they *say* their Christians, but they aren't really! After all, they ... (believe X, or don't believe Y)." Can't you see that cockroach? "The Devil spreads evil by recording messages backwards in popular music." "The peace sign is actually a sign of Satan." (You get the idea.) I'm not saying you have to believe in Demons or the Devil, but wouldn't their existance help explain one or two little problems the church has? Tom Blake SUNY-Binghamton