Satan - What the Scriptures Teach
Human philosophy and theology have not offered a better explanation of the origin of evil than that given in the Bible. What the Scriptures say about Satan is fundamental to understanding the origin of evil and of human suffering, as well as why the worst imaginable violence gets worse each year.
Some may ask: 'If God is the good and loving Creator, how could he create a wicked spirit creature like Satan?' The Bible lays down the principle that all of Jehovah God's works are perfect and that all of his intelligent creatures are endowed with free will. (Deuteronomy 30:19; 32:4; Joshua 24:15; 1 Kings 18:21) The spirit person who became Satan must, therefore, have been created perfect and must have deviated from the way of truth and righteousness by deliberate choice.—John 8:44;James 1:14, 15.
In many ways, Satan's rebellious course parallels that of "the king of Tyre," who was described poetically as "perfect in beauty" and 'faultless in his ways from the day of his being created until unrighteousness was found in him.' (Ezekiel 28:11-19) Satan did not contest Jehovah's supremacy or his Creatorship. How could he, since he had been created by God? Satan did, however, challenge the way Jehovah was exercising his sovereignty. In the garden of Eden, Satan insinuated that God was depriving the first human couple of something to which they had a right and upon which their well-being depended. (Genesis 3:1-5) He succeeded in causing Adam and Eve to rebel against Jehovah's righteous sovereignty, bringing sin and death upon them and their descendants. (Genesis 3:6-19;Romans 5:12) Thus the Bible shows that Satan is the root cause of human suffering.
Sometime before the Flood, other angels joined Satan in his rebellion. They materialized in human bodies to satisfy their cravings for sexual pleasures with the daughters of men. (Genesis 6:1-4) At the Flood, these renegade angels returned to the spirit realm but not to their "original position" with God in heaven. (Jude 6) They were abased to a condition of dense spiritual darkness. (1 Peter 3:19, 20; 2 Peter 2:4) They became demons, no longer serving under Jehovah's sovereignty but living in subjection to Satan. While apparently unable to materialize again, the demons can still exercise great power over the minds and lives of humans, and they are doubtless responsible for much of the violence we are witnessing today.—Matthew 12:43-45; Luke 8:27-33.
Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it - www.sikh-the-truth.blogspot.com
Once again my focus is set on the quest for the truth...not the truth as perceived by certain individuals but my own informed interpretations which have been ascertained by my own endeavours to seek the true meanings and philosophies as written in the manuscripts by the Guru's.
I must concede that as someone who loves philosophy, I was pleasantly surprised at the sheer amount and depth of the philosophies available in the Guru Granth Sahib. This quest will undoubtedly take me the rest of my life and even then it will not be complete, no doubt this will become a valuable resource by then and someone will endeavour to continue this work.
My main aim was to discuss certain philosophies in detail, especially those relevant to NRI's (Non Resident Indians) and those who have been brought up in a western culture. It hasn't been easy for me to find an authoritative source, but I am beginning to seek out persons and publications that have unbiased views on Sikhism. I have had to deal with breaking down the barriers of my own mind that have been erected over the years of western education and conditioning. I've learned that the east places great importance on spirituality combined with philosophy whereas the west view these two subjects as two different matters and in my experience does not place a huge importance of philosophical thinking. See my blogs on philosophical thinking; Possible Reality and Constant State of Evolution.
You will only gain knowledge by seeking. The more you become enlightened the more your boundaries will crumble around you, leaving you free to venture further. Your perceptions will begin to change once you are on the path of enlightenment.
I am fascinated by the respect Sikhism has for other religions, and unlike some religions there is no evidence to suggest that Sikhs have ever forced anyone to convert to their religion, on the contrary, Sikhs have fought to defend the downtrodden and oppressed, as were the Hindus during the Mughal rule in India.
In India now there are many different customs, languages, faiths and religions and yet all seem to be living in harmony up to the motto of unity in diversity.
Having said all that, I must add that studying religion goes hand in hand with studying history and in doing so I have touched on other cultures and religions that pre-date Sikhism, so although this blog started with a view to focus on Sikhism, I have added my research of world religions especially the earlier ones. Furthermore, it is my understanding that astrology, numerology, occultism, witchcraft, paganism, all have a part to play in the grand scheme of things and whilst some are more acceptable than others, we should not ignore the origins of mans beliefs that pre date religion as we know it in the present time.
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