I'm going to write a really long short story.
But before I do, and before I post it (in all probability, next month), I want you to do some brain exercise, and ponder upon some facts that I'm going to use in the upcoming short story.
It's about the Devil.
In both Christianity and Islam, the Devil plays a very prominent role in the history of the universe. On example would be Genesis: The Devil was the one who seduced Eve, and in turn, Adam. In Christianity, The Devil was the one who persuaded Judas to betray Jesus.
Ok, so you get my point: The Devil is the ultimate antagonist in a thick novel called "Life".
But now think about this.
If God didn't want The Devil to seduce Adam and Eve, he would have done something about it, right? God is omnipotent, after all. He's Almighty. He could have just smite The Devil and be done with it. But why not?
If God wanted Jesus to become the King of all mankind, not just the King of the Jews (which he ended up becoming one, albeit unofficially), he would have prevented The Devil from seducing Judas (which then lead to the crucifixion). He has the power to do so, no doubt. But why not?
Here's my thought on the matter. The Devil is actually not altogether evil. He was just created to be evil. Think about it. If The Devil is created by God, and he is supposed to be cunning and smart beyond belief, then he must be smart enough to know that God can erase his existence with just "a flick of the finger," so to say. What kind of a creature as smart as him (and he is supposed to be the second most powerful being in the Universe) would go against God's will then, if he knows that the consequences are dire?
Well he's "going against God's will" because he knows that he is allowed to do so. In fact, that's what he is created for. In this sense, The Devil is perhaps a being that loves God more than anyone else; the "unsung hero", if you will.
Now this is what you should ponder about: if The Devil did not exist, what would you think the world will be? Better, or worse? What do you think would happen if The Devil did not seduce Judas? What would happen to Christianity?
Think about it, and tell me.
Good night,
Sleep
Tight.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Prelude, 24 - 10 - 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
Bagus, Bagus, Bagus,
That's why I love your writing, it helps me think. Actually, it makes me think about things that I like to think about.
But anyway, I can come up with two answers to this and one, is that after God has created something, he cannot simply "destroy" it. There could, of course be many reasons for this, one; he LOVES his creations too much...which is altogether something I'm not quite sure I buy.
Or, two; he does not have the power to do so which, of course goes against all belief or speculation that God is omnipotent. But really, I cannot answer this part of the riddle because that would mean actually having an opinion on it and when it comes to a matter so ambiguous as that of God, His/Her Role, or His/Her power...I really don't have one of my own but many...each as unlikely and likely as the first.
But I like what you have said and it gives me yet another piece of good philosophy to add to my collection. Please, wait while I place it in its glass bottle. LOL!
But seriously, perhaps you are right. And the figure of the Devil was created for the sole purpose of wreaking evil. Perhaps, when all is said and done, the Devil's role is nothing more but a test of human Faith?
It's kinda like one of those things that teachers do; they create ridiculously hard tests that students are likely to fail at. However, those that pass will prove to be at the top of their class or, in this case, at the top of their Faith.
It's quite logic really and, if the word wasn't that God was loving, would be a very practical and reasonable way to "sort people into Heaven". But then again, the very notion of Heaven and Hell strikes me as rather fascist. On one hand we have Heaven, which is the "upper class" so to speak, and Hell which is where all the "failures" go.
(note in that analogy class refers to like actual "class" meaning school classroom sort of thing)
And the Devil is merely the exam which we must pass in order to be with the geniuses. I can't wait for this story to be out, I can tell it will be one of my favourites yet. But no pressure friend.
In the meantime, I must head back to my own blog and figure out what to do with all the accusations of homosexuality I've been getting lately. I wonder...is someone bitter about a rejection or perhaps I am really that hateable.
At any rate, quickly come up with the script for your next play so that we can do it by nxt semester!!! Before I go to Australia that is.
PEACE OUT
Oh, i think i've read something about this anywhere. it is about why the Devil remain exists.
In one of the Quran excerpt, before the Devil is actually a Devil, he, for the lack of better word, was an Archangel. A respectable one, if i got to say based from the various excerpts. when God created Adam, the Devil refuses to show his respect to Adam, due to his arrogance.
with the Devil's direct rebel to God's order, he was stripped off his power, et cetera. However, the God granted two of the Devil's wishes.
First, the Devil would be immortal until the end of time, aka Judgment Day.
Second, the Devil and his minions will continue to lead astray of humans.
Guess that explain why God did not vanquish the Devil. But i got to say that your point of view is rather appealing.
yours truly,
Wandai, your coursemate. lol
Wandai, that's actually a very interesting concept, and I suppose - considering that I have no knowledge of the BIble or the Quran - the true one.
Bagus, my friend, you might wanna take that into consideration (^.^) Though I daresay you can still argue that when all is said and done, NOTHING, good or bad, can be made without first the approval of God.
The Devil, for instance was made by him, and though his powers were stripped, the decision to allow the Devil to continue his influence over mankind was made by God.
Still, I cannot see what this action would achieve. Why give the Devil influence but immortality only until Judgement Day. What happens then?
Does the Devil just dissappear? What about all the souls he's collected so far? Wouldn't it all just end with nothing?
Confusion. You may want to look into that too, Bagus, my friend
You just hit the jackpot, Cyren! That question, "Does the Devil just disappear? What about all the souls he's collected so far? Wouldn't it all just end with nothing? ", is the question I want everybody to think about. Will it end with nothing? And if so,why would The Devil do it in the first place? Again I must remind you guys that the Devil is supposed to be the second most intelligent life-form in The Universe. So why? Why, why, why?
Keep them thoughts coming. Tell your friends about it too. It's gonna be crusty!
I think my friend Terri just spammed your cbox.
But yeah, It wouldn't make sense would it? Why would Satan wanna go through all that work if it weren't a "job he was "paid" to do" or that he actually had a chance to overpower God.
Have you read Phillip Pullman's His Dark Material's? It's some good shit there. God in that novel is not the supreme being, but the first of the Angels.
And the angels were not divine in nature, merely spirits of mega proportions that are percieved through our mundane earthy eyes as beings with wings.
There is no Heaven or Hell, but a dark emptiness nothing where all souls go to. The land of the Dead, they called it. And the land was guarded by the Harpies who require stories for their sustanence.
In exchange for telling them your life story, without any lies, they would return your soul to the world where it would dissipate and the energy will be used to form new forms of life. Interesting isn't it?
It's kinda like the "religion" I subscribe to. Except that there's no "waiting area". Souls just return to the Earth Soul, the Gaia, which is enlightened by the knowledge we have gained in our past lives. There is a sense of reincarnation, where spiritual energies are dispersed whenever new life is being created.
Most of the times, this spiritual energy is not distinct. It is a mixture of the various spiritual energies of all the souls who have returned to the Gaia.
But every now and then you will get one soul whose energies are so strong that when they are "reborn" they bring with them, for the most part, the energies of their previous lives. This is why some people remember places that they have not been to before and things like that.
In that sense, I believe in neither God or the Devil. Who created life? The Gaia did, the way a child experiments with toys. It experimented and created the simple forms of life. Single cell organisms. And as it grew smarter with age, it could create mroe and more complex life forms; animals, fish, insects. The reason why plants and trees have always been mostly unchanged is simply that they are not separate entities but extensions of hte Gaia.
It is how it keeps the Earth in Balance. Who created the Gaia? The question is not answered and I don't think it needs to. The notion is that when the world was created something happened, either the intense heat or pressure on one atom gave it the special spark that made it what it is today. Alive.
So all in all, there's no Heaven, Hell or Devil or God for me. I will return to the earth and enrich it with all the questions I'm asking now, all the things I'm learning. In return, I can only hope that when I am next born...be it into an animal, or plant or insect, I will retain most of my essence.
PEACE OUT
After the Judgment Day, all human will be divided into two broad categories; those who will go into Heaven and those who will go into Hell. According to Muslim's belief, the Devil and his minions will be thrown into hell, with the human souls that are lead astray by the Devil.
Though the Devil is the brightest of all creations, it doesnt mean that he is good. With that said, the Devil might know that what he did are sins, he could still be doing that particular sins. This is attributed to one of the Devil trait; Arrogance.
If you ask me, arrogance is sins that you did though you know what you did are wrong. Like the Devil, the God promise him eternity in Hell. So, why would the Devil do any good deed as he will be thrown into Hell? Surely he will get as much as souls as possible to keep him company in hell.
Tuhan tidak menciptakan sesuatu sebagai sia-sia. Tetapi Tuhan menciptakan sesuatu dengan sebab yang tertentu. Maka, Tuhan menciptakan iblis sudah tentu mempunyai tujuan dan maksudnya yang tersendiri.
Walaubagaimanapun, tidak semua perkara Tuhan ceritakan kepada makhluknya. Dan itulah yang di panggil sebagai rahsia tuhan..
Kenapa tuhan menciptakan iblis, sedangkan Tuhan tahu yang iblis akan menjahanamkan manusia..? Kenapa Tuhan menciptakan manusia sedangkan manusia itulah punca kerosakkan yang berlaku diatas dunia..? Kenapa Tuhan ciptakan perempuan yang melahirkan anak dan bukannya lelaki..? Kenapa Tuhan jadikan air laut itu masin dan bukannya manis..? Kenapa Tuhan jadikan lelaki itu kuat dan perempuan itu lemah..? Kenapa Tuhan jadikan manusia mempunyai akal dan tidak binatang..?
Inilah pertanyaan yang sering kita dengar. Namun siapakah di dunia ini yang mampu menjawab pertanyaan tersebut? Sesungguhnya tiada. Itulah yang dikatakan sebagai rahsia Tuhan. Ada sesetengah perkara yang Tuhan sengaja rahsiakan supaya manusia dapat mengkaji perkara tersebut. Dan ada pula sesetengah perkara yang Tuhan rahsiakan supaya manusia tidak memikirkan perkara tersebut kerana ia diluar batasan pemikiran manusia.
Semua perkara yang berlaku adalah ketentuan daripada Tuhan. Iblis tidak mahu sujud kepada Tuhan juga adalah kerana kehendak Tuhan. Adam tunduk kepada pujuk rayu syaitan juga adalah kehendak dari Tuhan. Adam turun ke bumi juga adalah atas kehendak Tuhan. Semua yang berlaku adalah mengikut perancangan Tuhan.
Inilah sejarah alam mengikut Islam:
Iblis diciptakan dari api dan iblis adalah ketua segala malaikat. Kemudian Tuhan menjadikan Adam daripada tanah dan menyuruh Iblis dan malaikat sujud dan tunduk kepada Adam. Malaikat patuh tetapi iblis enggan. Dia merasakan bahawa dirinya lebih mulia dari Adam kerana dia diperbuat dari api sedangkan Adam diperbuat dari tanah. Maka Tuhan marah kepada iblis lalu mengeluarkan iblis dari syurga. Lalu iblis meminta kepada Tuhan 2 perkara. Pertama, umurnya dipanjangkan hingga akhirat dan kedua dia diebnarkan menggoda Adam dan keturunannya. Lalu Tuhan pun berkata, siapa dikalangan anak Adam yang mengikut jejak Iblis dia akan dimasukkan kedalam neraka bersama-sama dengan iblis.
Sebab itulah iblis tidak berhenti-henti menghasut manusia untuk berbuat kejahatan.
God's servant, I really appreciate your input and thoughts on this one, and of course I don't dispute whatever it is written in the Quran (I'm a Muslim myself, btw). It's just that, when you think about it, it's not a perfect fit, doesn't it? It's true that the Devil (according to Islam) is a hell-of-an arrogant dude that refuses to respect Adam (as a human being that physically far inferior to the Devil). But again, why did God created that arrogance in the first place? And I know, and everybody knows, that God sees things we can't; which is one way to say that He has foreseen the Devil's rebellion even before He created The Devil. So why did He created the Devil anyway?
But you know, that is not the question that I'm asking, since there's no definite answer for that one. And I'm not here to dispute any religious teaching (just in case somebody flames me for this). I just want you to think, just for a second: What would the world be if the Devil did not exist?
And since the Devil is so smart, why is he fighting for a lost cause? (wandai gave me his thoughts on the matter, but the more input, the better rite?)
And btw, I'm loving this discussion. Keep 'em thoughts comin' folks, I'm havin' a ball. More stuff to put in my story, ya know?
Flames...HELL. Nice choice of words there Bags, however subconcious it may have been in your decision.
But I don't get the bit tha Wandai said about Judgement Day, the part where humans are being divided into two and flung into Hell or ascend into Heaven. If Satan and all of his lackeys are destroyed at judgement day, won't there NOT be a Hell to be flung into?
But yes, I am totally feelin' what you said about arrogance, and the Devil wanting company. That, is a very good point of view.
BAGS, I just realised that one of my friends is writing his final paper on the concept of Hell and how it has affected and influenced our lives. Its rather interesting really, he's got points of views of most Abrahamic religions and, when all is said and done, he takes a rather skeptical/alternate view on the thing.
His name is Samuel Medley and I could introduce you to him one of these days. However, you must take care not to publish his work...because, when all is said and done he handed it in for his final assignments and the moment the exact same words pop up somewhere else, he fails on the spot.
PEACE OUT
Post a Comment