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Mugabe, al-Bashir, Shwe and Google
We may want the devil today, but do we really need a Satan when we have such horribly real folks as Robert Mugabe, Omar al-Bashir and Than Shwe? For some people of faith the devil is convenient. For other people of faith the devil is a cause for loss of that faith. And for still other people of faith, they reject the idea of a Satan, but continue impressively to find energy, hope and comfort within their commitments. In the end, of course, one's idea about Satan depends a lot on one's idea about God.
Thanks to the great work of many New Testament scholars over the years (read Dominic Crossan, Shimon Gibson, Bart Ehrman just to name a few), we have come to understand that the passages referring to the devil and demon possession have mostly to do with physical, mental and emotional illnesses that were simply not understood well in the first century. I am not sure we yet understand all of these illnesses as we should even today, but we can see through textual, anthropological and archaeological work that these NT stories are not instances of a supernatural devil making an appearance. We should take the results of this work very seriously in an age when such passages of scripture are used as a battering ram by some, a softer, more subtle and nuanced but still slightly disingenuous tool for an appeal to the mystery of God by others and a way to spiritually justify tolerating the pain and suffering of many people around the world for still others.
Call it a strangely a postmodern approach, but I believe we can reject pre-Enlightenment ideas about Satan while still making great use of the word "evil." I am publisher and I believe that words have power. I believe that evil is a very potent word. Now, of course, there is Google's version of evil as in one of their corporate mission lines, "You can make money without doing evil." For Google, this essentially means they won't serve us pop-up ads. I love that Google has reclaimed and reintroduced evil into pop-speak, but I also think we can take it a bit more seriously today without turning to Satan.
It is fair and right to call the actions of leaders in Zimbabwe, Sudan and Burma evil. We should do so often and with vigor. However, it is a mistake to chalk these situations up to Satan's work in the world. This ratchets the cosmic language up to a place that enables many more folks to read the headlines maybe with sorrow, but without hope or action. Instead, we should recognize these oppressive abusers for the evil men that they are and work to force change and rectify the wrongs of these victimizers as do many fantastic groups today (The Center for Justice and Accountability, Save Darfur, Not For Sale and many others.)
By
Mark Tauber
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March 25, 2009; 11:52 AM ET
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Posted by: SPARK1 | March 26, 2009 4:46 AM
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Mark Tauber
You don't seem to have a clue about satan especially since you don't seem to think that he is real.
satan is like the ultimate bully, trying to force himself on others. satan is also like the ultimate con artist in trying to deceive us.
So many people seem to look at the "really big evil things" going on in the world to give themselves something to make themselves feel as if they aren't "as bad as", kind of reminds one of the parable about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in the temple, doesn't it?
I know that satan is real because God allowed satan to "work me over", so to speak, for 24 plus hrs, off and on, I might add.
I don't like satan and he is a formidable adversary, but as our Brother Jesus, God-Incarnate said, "I will be with you till the end of the age", thank You, Jesus, I appreciate this. Jesus also said that He would send the Holy Spirit to guide and comfort us, thanks again Jesus.
Jesus also told us that satan is a liar and a thief and I would add, he is also a loser, God's Victory is Total, a tie is unacceptable.
Take care, be ready.
Sincerely, Thomas Paul Moses Baum.
Posted by: ThomasBaum | March 25, 2009 4:21 PM
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Deliberatly following the evil which spins more evil is a clear sign of satan's work,
which harms a human being individually or all of us collectively.
1. Denying God and beliveing several gods is the extreme evil spread by satan.
2. Harming human beings is too a grave damage initiated by satan.
3. Sowing discord between a husband and wife is not a smaller evil brought about by satan, which pulls the vital pillar of human unit - the family.
Live a life by fearing and love of God and one finds salvation