God allows Satan?

[SoulTYPE]

I spoke to one of those street preachers about God. I asked the dude why he thought the tsunami happened, and he claimed Satan was responsible. I said unto him "Why would God allow Satan to perform this action, then?"
And he told me "God is allowing Satan to do His thing. God is testing Satan".

Why would God allow Satan to cause havoc such as tsunamis and earthquakes on this Earth? As a test? It doesn't really make sense.

 

[robtex]

hmmm Satan sounds like a scapegoat....bet if you asked Lucifer he would tell you God did it.

 

[SoulTYPE]

There are only a few possibilities tex. Perhaps it was both

 

[lilithu]

I spoke to one of those street preachers about God. I asked the dude why he thought the tsunami happened, and he claimed Satan was responsible. I said unto him "Why would God allow Satan to perform this action, then?"
And he told me "God is allowing Satan to do His thing. God is testing Satan".

Why would God allow Satan to cause havoc such as tsunamis and earthquakes on this Earth? As a test? It doesn't really make sense.

God allows free will within creation. The tsunami happened because of natural cause and effect. One could say that God allows nature to do what nature does.

The only way that it makes sense to me that "Satan" caused the tsunami is if one thinks of God and Satan as two equally powerful forces, one constructive and the other destructive. But then, one no longer has only one god, but two.

 

[Pah]

God allows Satan?

Sure, why not? Doesn't God love all of his creation?

 

[SoulTYPE]

Sorry lilithu dear, I meant the question as to be what was the ideal behind this preacher dude's comment.

Pahness, if God loved us all He would not want to test us and allow us to ruin HIs world?

 

[lilithu]

Sure, why not? Doesn't God love all of his creation?

Depends on who you ask. Some would say that God only loves 144,000 of us.

 

[huajiro]

I am really trying to make that 144, 001....maybe someday

 

[Pah]

... Pahness, if God loved us all He would not want to test us and allow us to ruin HIs world?

Yeah, I have my doubts about that too!

Bob

 

[SoulTYPE]

Depends on who you ask. Some would say that God only loves 144,000 of us.

Frubals, Cheese princess.

But it does not make sense that God would allow Satan to "have His way with the world".
What happened if Stan did something worse than the Tsunami? And God just lets that happen?

 

[michel]

Aren't all beings living part of the sum of God? is this not why there is an occasional fight between Good and evil?:banghead3

 

[SoulTYPE]

Stan, lol I meant Satan of course..

 

[lilithu]

I am really trying to make that 144, 001....maybe someday

Sorry huajiro, the ship only has room for 144,000. If you want on board, you're going to have to beat someone else out of their seat.

Now that's a thought, isn't it? Pitting compassion and mercy for one's fellow man against one's own desire for salvation.

 

[lilithu]

Frubals, Cheese princess.

lol! thanks.

But it does not make sense that God would allow Satan to "have His way with the world".
What happened if Stan did something worse than the Tsunami? And God just lets that happen?

You are determined to keep me on topic today, aren't you?

It's hard for me to take your preacher dude seriously. I started several responses but decided that they were all too mean.

What you're asking is the theodicy question: If God is both all powerful and good, then why is there suffering in the world? Either God allows it and is therefore not completely good or God can't prevent it and therefore is not completely powerful. Your preacher dude is trying to get around that question by saying that Satan caused the suffering, so it wasn't God's fault and God is still good. But he's quick to imply that God could have stopped Satan if He had wanted to, so as not to lose God's omnipotence. But that calls God's goodness into question again.

My serious answer is that there is no good answer to the theodicy question. Some have argued and I kinda agree that the whole reason why religion exists is to answer the question of why there is human suffering. And if it were an easy question to answer, we wouldn't have the myriad of religions that we have today.

 

[SoulTYPE]

lol! thanks.

You are determined to keep me on topic today, aren't you?

I am trying to learn to do so myself. I realized how stupid it is to go OT. Disrespectful..

Anyways, isn't this a weird statement for a preacher to make? What is this supposed to
mean?

 

[t3gah]

Satan only had the power to control the wind and other things when he was in heaven. During Job's time, Satan knocked down a house with a strong gust of wind and killed the people inside. But after he was judged in heaven during Jesus' time and ousted he doesn't have that power anymore.

He's awaiting abyssing along with his devils (demons).

 

[No*s]

Soul, I agree with the others the street preacher is trying to escape the obvious.

God is all powerful. He may allow us to do what we want, but that's still allow. When the creation goes astray, it has no will. The buck stops here with our problems, but when the problems come from God, it does not. All things in nature, whether good or bad, come from God, at least if you accept the view that God is omnicient and all-powerful. I'm going to sound like a Sola Scriptura guy, but I don't see any grounds to say Satan shuts down and starts up nature the way God does.

 

[SoulTYPE]

Question is No*S..why?

 

[jewscout]

Satan works for G-d, that's what they don't get. He's G-d's b!tch and does His dirty work.

 

[SoulTYPE]

That is an interesting theory, JS...