To my understanding (from a biblical perspective), the devil did it to keep the human race away from the source of all knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and life.

What do you think?

asked 12 Mar '10, 02:39

Frank%201's gravatar image

Frank 1
1.6k816

To be Frank, I think you were Frank and to the point!

(03 Jan '11, 20:41) The Traveller

@ Traveler, rim shot

(04 Jan '11, 01:59) jim 10
showing 1 of 2 show 1 more comments

From my non-biblical and non-religious perspective, I would say human beings invented the concept of (D)evil to:

  • Avoid taking responsibility for their own lives
  • Try to explain the occurrence of negative life experiences that they did not have the knowledge and understanding to explain otherwise
  • Try to provide a common metaphor for the duality that exists throughout the Universe
  • To control each other's behavior

I'm sure there are other reasons but I think the last one is probably the major reason that this myth perpetuates.

It might be time for me to put on my flame-proof suit now :)

link

answered 12 Mar '10, 07:22

Stingray's gravatar image

Stingray
93.6k22130369

Hi stingray, is there a reason you wrote "(D)evil" this way? Just curious.

(13 Mar '10, 04:29) Frank 1
1

@Frank - it is my view that G(o)od and (D)evil are anthropomorphized concepts: http://www.inwardquest.com/questions/1950/is-god-devil-the-same-energy/1956#1956

(13 Mar '10, 06:48) Stingray

Thanks for sharing that with me.

(13 Mar '10, 22:40) Frank 1
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From a higher (God-like) perspective, there is no distinction between good and evil, and there is no time. Everything just is, perfect and eternal, and it is all connected together as one.

The Genesis allegory is an excellent metaphor for our "fall from grace," as it describes our incarnation into the physical world, where we began to experience the passage of time, and to identify differences between seemingly separate things, and to place value judgements on them. In other words, to distinguish between good and evil.

The serpent tells Adam and Eve to eat from the tree, so that they will be like Gods, knowing the difference between good and evil. The big lie is that, by giving in to the temptation to be all-powerful, they made a value judgement; they decided that there might be something better than living in all-seeing perfect harmony within the Garden of Eden. That value judgement created a split, a division between the eternal perfection of the garden, and the desires of their own minds. In essence, they developed egos.

By doing so, they were cast out of the Garden of Eden, for the Garden is merely a metaphor for enlightenment, perfection. Paradoxically, the desire to be more powerful made them less powerful.

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answered 12 Mar '10, 15:23

Vesuvius's gravatar image

Vesuvius
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edited 12 Mar '10, 15:41

According to my research:

Many years before Jesus would come to save this world -- God made the decision to put Jesus' divine brother, Lucifer, in charge of the program that would establish the foundations for human society -- a society based on the personal disciplines of order, loyalty and truth.

In fact, it was in that early development role, that Lucifer eventually fell in love with himself. Men were ignorant and malleable in those days, therefore it was easy for him to discredit his Father's more rigorous plan, and convince most of mankind to pay exclusive and devoted homage to him:

"Flatter me" Lucifer said; "tell me how intelligent and beautiful I am... Then will I surely give you all the liberty that you need, to express the passions and possess the material things that you most desire as men!"

And so it has been, for about 200,000 years. From primitive man, right up until the!time of Melchizedek and Abraham -- Lucifer's doctrines of false and self-centered liberty have been so powerfully inculcated into the hearts of men that religion -- true religion -- has been all but completely forgotten!

That's why Melchizedek and Abraham -- followed by Moses and a long procession of Jewish Prophets and Kings, made it their business to promote religion... For almost 2000 years, they worked to pave the way for Jesus to reveal God to men and put an end to Lucifer's "spirit of the adversary."

Jesus thus ended Lucifer's reign -- but not man's addiction to Lucifer's program of false and self-centered liberty! That's why the great and ennobling truths of Melchizedek, Jesus and Mohammed -- the robust, inspiring and world-wise progenitors of religion's latter-day Prophets and Kings, have been so slow to bear their spiritual fruits in the modern world.

That's why so many modern men continue to habitually over-indulge their baser and self-centered human natures. That's why so many people: limited to the lifeless logic of recorded history and hopelessly confused by modern secular values, find themselves powerless to foster the robust, righteous and disciplined confidence that will enable them to find happiness in life.

link

answered 03 Jan '11, 19:51

The%20Prophet's gravatar image

The Prophet
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edited 03 Jan '11, 20:18

Hey Neil.. I found a very similar (maybe the same) concepts in The Urantia Book which is a really remarkable and energizing source for life and teachings of Jesus and what we can expect to find after we finish our sojurn on the earth plane.

It it distributed for free in the Internet and here you can read something more about it here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urantia

(03 Jan '11, 20:31) wildlife

Thanks...

I've studied The Urantia Book for more that 40 years. I've worked with The Urantia Foundation since 1991 to help them resolve their leadership issues and for a time, was elected Director of Public Relations for their New England Society.

I got the idea that the whole history of religion could be summed-up in a brief story. I sat down to try, and this short article seemed to do it for me... There a few more important paragraphs that I left out though... I'll forward them on to you if you like.

I'm most interested in the story of The Caligastia 100.

(04 Jan '11, 14:33) The Prophet
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