The devil

Satan's cleverest trick is to convince people he doesn't exist. If you've fallen for that one then open your eyes a lot wider!

Yes. My last sentence was necessary. You can see the Tories trying to persuade striking nurses that they can't have an adequate wage increase now but if they settle back to work they might get one when the pay review body next reports. Classic jam tomorrow.

Women have been brushed off from the Bible, and demonised too, and very deliberately.

As for Satan, no GG, you can keep him - it lives in people's minds and was planted there.

Grantanow

Yes. My last sentence was necessary. You can see the Tories trying to persuade striking nurses that they can't have an adequate wage increase now but if they settle back to work they might get one when the pay review body next reports. Classic jam tomorrow.

Sorry but that’s not evil. Far from the real definition.

nadateturbe

To those who say God doesn't exist, it's nonsense etc, can I just say, that is your belief. I believe that God and Satan exist.

There are more than 4000 religions, some of which believe in only one god, some of which believe in many. I believe in none. As I have said many times on these threads, show me incontrovertible proof that any of these so-called 'gods' exist, and I might reconsider.

But no Blondie- you just have to believe, don't ask questions ;)

To be honest, if you are Christian and live by the Bible- I don't know how xou could believe in God but not in Satan.

My personal view of religions is that they are all mumbo jumbo, but that some people need it to get through the day. Some people need it to decide for them what is right and wrong, etc. So they will never be swayed by the more rational among us thinking that they need to provide "proof", because they don't need proof, only the reassurance that religions offer.

So they can believe what they like, as long as they don't try to convince me it's true. I'm not in the slightest bit swayed, just as I am not swayed by the rainbow serpent or the turtles we're all meant to be supported by.

'So they can believe what they like, as long as they don't try to convince me it's true.'

I'd go beyond that- as long as they don't force their views on the political, educational, social, cultural, ...life of the country. Time for religion to become a private matter- and all the above institutions to be freed, and become secular.

Interesting programme on BBC at the moment about the history of witches. The images of the devil and his involvement in everyday life seem to coincide with the discovery of witches. Linked with puritanism and the hatred of all frivolity in life which women (apparently) are especially inclined to. Of course it also links to the suppression of women who had standing in the community-midwives, healers etc.

I certainly don’t take Lucifer the devil seriously, it’s much more important to watch out for evil intentions, male and female, big and small, because they can make your life miserable, never mind the afterlife enjoy this one.

Fleurpepper

'So they can believe what they like, as long as they don't try to convince me it's true.'

I'd go beyond that- as long as they don't force their views on the political, educational, social, cultural, ...life of the country. Time for religion to become a private matter- and all the above institutions to be freed, and become secular.

I agree. Particularly when in the 2021 Census 22.2 million professed no religion.
I suspect many just tick CofE when filling forms when there isn’t an option for “no religion”.

I agree that religion has been used to keep people in their place (The rich man in his castle, the poor man at his gate...from a well known hymn), but that doesn't prove that God doesn't exist.
I find belief in God much more believable than we were created by the Big Bang Theory.

Why is that nadentube?
belief in god much more believable than we were created by Big Bang Theory.

I didn't say it was evil or not. 'Evil' was not the first poster's query - the Devil was. The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary defines 'evil' as 'a force that causes bad things to happen; morally bad behaviour'. I think the Tory example of jam tomorrow fits the bill. It's morally bad of them to try to hoodwink the nurses into accepting no wage increase now in the hope of delivery tomorrow. If I were them I wouldn't trust the Tories an inch given their history of deliberately underfunding the NHS, in itself morally reprehensible.

We weren't created by the Big Bang Theory.

We created the Big Bang theory to explain how the universe came into being.

We don't know what was there before the Big Bang, and if anyone wants to believe it was God, then fair enough. I, however, don't believe that.

I wonder if in U.K. religious affiliation, or none, affects how people vote. It does in USA.
I’m not sure how representative surveys are. The CofE used to be considered the Tory Party at prayer, but things may have moved on since?

I find it interesting.

Fleurpepper

But no Blondie- you just have to believe, don't ask questions ;)

To be honest, if you are Christian and live by the Bible- I don't know how xou could believe in God but not in Satan.

Asking too many awkward questions was why I got kicked out of Sunday School!

Me too - out of local Church.

Farzanah

Fleurpepper

'So they can believe what they like, as long as they don't try to convince me it's true.'

I'd go beyond that- as long as they don't force their views on the political, educational, social, cultural, ...life of the country. Time for religion to become a private matter- and all the above institutions to be freed, and become secular.

I agree. Particularly when in the 2021 Census 22.2 million professed no religion.
I suspect many just tick CofE when filling forms when there isn’t an option for “no religion”.

One way to solve this, is to ensure there is such an option!

Another and sure way is to do what happens in some countries- have to pay a Church Tax if you tick either Catholic or Protestant. You then get a truer picture!

I spent many hours completing diversity forms for children and families I was involved with through work. Yes there was a tick box for no faith/atheist/humanist.
So many faiths, races, cultures in so many families, reflecting our country

THAT certainly concentrates the mind of the 'unsure' or so called 'cultural Christians'

In Germany, churches can collect taxes from their members. This is called the church tax (Kirchensteuer). Around half of German tax payers pay the church tax1. The church tax is 8% of your income tax in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, and 9% in the rest of Germany.

OK Volver I put the word theory in by mistake.

OK, understood.

I would love to know the answer to Farzanah's question, though.

I believe human beings are much too complex to have evolved. But we have been here on another thread. We are all entitled to our beliefs.

Yes we are all entitled to our beliefs.

Just saying that human beings are too complex to have evolved is missing the whole point of evolution though.

Have a nice afternoon, denying science.