satan and the problem of evil :: essays research papers fc

Satan and The Problem of Evil Now the Serpent was the most cunning of the animals that the LORD God had made. The Serpent asked the woman, â€Å"Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?† The woman answered the serpent: â€Å"We may eat of the fruit of the garden; it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it lest you die’.† But the Serpent said to the woman: â€Å"You certainly will not die! No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad.† (Genesis 3:1-5) Serpent, Devil, Tempter, , Prince of Darkness, Fallen Angel, the Evil One, Lucifer, Diabolus, all of theses titles refer to the same figure, Satan. The name Satan comes from the Hebrew for adversary. It is theorized that Satan is a symbolic figure for those who opposed the Biblical writers, in the Old Testament the Satan was meaning th e other nations, the idol worshipers, and in the New the Pharisees and the Jews who ejected the growing Christian faith from the Jewish community. In the time of the later church, Satan and his works were meaning heretics and such. Anything on the outside that appeared to be a threat became of Satan. It is also a theory that Satan is a real individual, a real spirit, the fallen angel. Some stories hold that selfish pride and lust for power brought about the fall of Lucifer, â€Å"the light bearer†. St. Augustine wrote that the Devil was â€Å"inflated with pride, he wished to be called God†. The words of the prophet Isaiah illustrate this idea: How you are fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! How are you cut down to the ground, you who mowed down the nations! You said in your heart: ‘I will scale the heavens; above the stars of God I will set up my throne; I will take my seat on the mount of assembly, in the recesses of the North. I will ascend ab ove the tops of the clouds; I will be like the most high.’ Yet down to the nether world you go, into the recesses of Sheol! (Isaiah 14:12-15) St.