UC Professor. No evidence in the Bible attributing Satan as being evil.

[Grandliseur]

UCLA research professor Henry A Kelly
after a 40 year study.

2006 University article.........

What the Devil? Prince of Darkness Is Misunderstood, Says UCLA Author of New Satan ‘Biography’

Satan is not actually evil and is misunderstood.

When a person thinks about it, there's really not any evidence in the Bible that indicates Satan as actually being evil.

Thoughts or comments?

I so love the authoritarians speak on issues they have no idea about. This happens somewhat frequently. One would think that such people know what they speak of, yet, they seem to be idiots in the light of what scripture teaches.

I wonder why Jesus called him Lord of Flies. Wonder why the devil shall be hurled into the Lake of Fire by God's agents if he isn't evil.
Perhaps the professor is a satanist! It sure sounds like it.

 

[HonestJoe]

The Murder is that of Adam and Eve. Which caused Adam and Eve to lose their immortality. Effectively murdering them by causing them to be able to die.

I’d question calling murder. If I told you that drinking a bottle of potion won’t necessarily kill you and you chose to drink the poison, I couldn’t be convicted of murder. Even for it to be a lie requires it to have been unconditionally true that eating the fruit would have automatically rendered Adam and Eve mortal, rather than it being an active punishment by God for disobeying him. Presumably God could have maintained their immortality if he’d wanted to so it wasn’t really true that they’d surely die.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Regarding the whole "murder" thing, god has a much higher body count. As for lying: "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie." 2 Thessalonians 2:11

If each case of lying and murder when put side by side, Satan comes off as pretty clean.

It's ironic how the Bible in its own words, has little to say about Satan, but a lot to say about God when it comes to things like murder and lying.

What's even more bizarre and outstanding still, is people think God is good and righteous after reading all that is written through God's actions and demeanor.

If one was to do an experiment and switch around God's name with Satan in the Bible......

 

[Twilight Hue]

I so love the authoritarians speak on issues they have no idea about. This happens somewhat frequently. One would think that such people know what they speak of, yet, they seem to be idiots in the light of what scripture teaches.

I wonder why Jesus called him Lord of Flies. Wonder why the devil shall be hurled into the Lake of Fire by God's agents if he isn't evil.
Perhaps the professor is a satanist! It sure sounds like it.

Well if you studied biblical scripture for 40 years....

Professor Kelly makes a good point as to just why is Satan being painted as evil in the Bible?

God is clearly far more malicious if you were to put all the acts of murder and deception respectively in comparative columns tallying God's and Satan's recorded deeds and actions.

It seems God is actually the evil one in the Bible.

 

[Kemosloby]

You would need to prove that Satan knowingly tries to cause people to stumble and transgress Gods laws, in order to punish them. The devil tempts people to sin then is justified in punishing them. Sort of like if the government flooded the country with illegal drugs then locked people in jail for using them...but "just say no to drugs".

 

[Twilight Hue]

Pay close attention to John 8:44 "he was a murderer from the beginning" this is a reference to Genesis when the serpent (Satan) tempted Adam and Eve with the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

For context.

Genesis 2: 16-17

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Here is the first lie Satan told.

Genesis 3:1-4

3 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

The Murder is that of Adam and Eve. Which caused Adam and Eve to lose their immortality. Effectively murdering them by causing them to be able to die.

Actually Satan was telling the truth about the tree. The tree itself can't kill you so there was no lie.

However ....

Maybe he should have warned them beforehand that it would be God that would kill them.

If Satan is guilty of anything it would be just withholding crucial information. Provided of course he knew anything about unforeseen or unintended consequences.

 

[Grandliseur]

It seems God is actually the evil one in the Bible.

You have the right to your opinion. It is not my problem.

Still, I do not understand how you dare. It is one thing to make an enemy of another human, I have my share of such; however, making an enemy out of God - now that is a problem in capitals. I can tell you one thing you might already think - the scary one is not the devil; the scary one is God, even the fallen angels, satan included, tremble when they think of what he is going to do to them.

 

[David T]

This Professor must be illiterate or morally bankrupt.

John 8:44 KJV

44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Being a murderer and liar count would count as evil. Soz

So if you lie you are evil, or are you independent separate from that? If you are literally separate from it then that's the worst lie of all you are lying to your lself in a very convientent manner. You are the fraud. If you are not separate from the lie you are Satan. If you separate from that you are now self deceived and thus the great fraud.

The devil is a tricky tricky topic convientent used in some religious minds to both point to others and turn a blind eye to themselves. The text is not ever about justifying ones own devilish ness. The devil absolutely does not exist out in the landscape. I have been hiking for years have yet to see the bugger.

 

[David T]

UCLA research professor Henry A Kelly
after a 40 year study.

2006 University article.........

What the Devil? Prince of Darkness Is Misunderstood, Says UCLA Author of New Satan ‘Biography’

Satan is not actually evil and is misunderstood.

When a person thinks about it, there's really not any evidence in the Bible that indicates Satan as actually being evil.

Thoughts or comments?

I have yet to see the devil in nature. So the professor is rather religious minded and profoundly confused. What exactly is evil? A tricky question.

 

[David T]

Isn't John 8:44 a lie itself?

Where in the Bible has Satan actually lied or murdered anybody?

Is Satan separate? One would think people NOT religious might get it.

 

[David T]

It's clear God is the co-conspirator with Satan in the story of Job.

Are you a Christian? That's how Christians read it.

 

[Kenny]

UCLA research professor Henry A Kelly
after a 40 year study.

2006 University article.........

What the Devil? Prince of Darkness Is Misunderstood, Says UCLA Author of New Satan ‘Biography’

Satan is not actually evil and is misunderstood.

When a person thinks about it, there's really not any evidence in the Bible that indicates Satan as actually being evil.

Thoughts or comments?

Comment:

hahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Thanks, I needed that

 

[robocop (actually)]

UCLA research professor Henry A Kelly
after a 40 year study.

2006 University article.........

What the Devil? Prince of Darkness Is Misunderstood, Says UCLA Author of New Satan ‘Biography’

Satan is not actually evil and is misunderstood.

When a person thinks about it, there's really not any evidence in the Bible that indicates Satan as actually being evil.

Thoughts or comments?

It's not so much that Satan is evil as that he's not on our side.

 

[RabbiO]

There is a difference between "devil" and "Devil." The Bible capitalizes proper nouns.

My understanding is, and I admit I am no expert here, that at the time what would become Christian scripture was first written down it was written using all capital letters. To the extent one relies on Hebrew scripture, I would simply point that Hebrew does not have upper and lower case letters.

 

[Rival]

My understanding is, and I admit I am no expert here, that at the time what would become Christian scripture was first written down it was written using all capital letters. To the extent one relies on Hebrew scripture, I would simply point that Hebrew does not have upper and lower case letters.

It was. No spaces either and no punctuation. I studied it a little when I was a Christian.

 

[Akivah]

Satan is not actually evil and is misunderstood.

When a person thinks about it, there's really not any evidence in the Bible that indicates Satan as actually being evil.

Thoughts or comments?

Nothing new. Judaism has known that for thousands of years.

 

[Odhran]

"Evil" is a personal interpretation.

So if your definitions of evil do not include any of Satan's actions within the book, then sure, there is "no evidence in the bible" for Satan being "evil".

So if your definitions of evil do include any of Satan's actions within the book, then there is evidence of Satan being evil within the book.

So if you think trying to convince a Messiah to stop saving mankind is evil, then Satan is evil. If you think it is his duty to tempt such a Savior, he is not.

But because of this nature of what is and is not evil, this professor's claims are meaningless, except in determining what actions the professor personally thinks are not evil.

 

[Akivah]

It was. No spaces either and no punctuation. I studied it a little when I was a Christian.

Not 'no spaces', The Torah scrolls have 'no chapter separations' and 'no verse numbers.' But it does have spaces between the words.

 

[Rival]

Not 'no spaces', The Torah scrolls have 'no chapter separations' and 'no verse numbers.' But it does have spaces between the words.

I was talking about the Christian scriptures.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

You have the right to your opinion. It is not my problem.

Still, I do not understand how you dare. It is one thing to make an enemy of another human, I have my share of such; however, making an enemy out of God - now that is a problem in capitals. I can tell you one thing you might already think - the scary one is not the devil; the scary one is God, even the fallen angels, satan included, tremble when they think of what he is going to do to them.

It's statements like these which give some evangelicals the look of a battered spouse justifying their life of tyranny and fear.