Where did the Devil go?

[jerry mcmasters]

If Christians really believe this stuff, why is there not more emphasis on Satan?  He's fundamental to the development of Christianity, they at that time (say, 100 BC apocalyptic Jews to 200 AD or so) sure as shit thought he was important.  Today he's been reduced to an embarrassing metaphor for "not being nice."  Hell, Hell isn't even a thing anymore, it's at worst "separation from God," which seems just fine to me.

[brewerb]

...down to Georgia...

[epronovost]

If Christians really believe this stuff, why is there not more emphasis on Satan?  He's fundamental to the development of Christianity, they at that time (say, 100 BC apocalyptic Jews to 200 AD or so) sure as shit thought he was important.  Today he's been reduced to an embarrassing metaphor for "not being nice."  Hell, Hell isn't even a thing anymore, it's at worst "separation from God," which seems just fine to me.

Satan as basically a divine being of pure evil who rules in Hell and fights God is not an early Christian/Apocalyptic Judaism invention. It's an early medieval one derived from a branch of esoteric Judaism known as the Enoch literature. The concept is always popular and attractive when things go to shit to excuse cruelty, but when things are good, it doesn't make much sense.

[Inkubus]

If Christians really believe this stuff, why is there not more emphasis on Satan?  He's fundamental to the development of Christianity, they at that time (say, 100 BC apocalyptic Jews to 200 AD or so) sure as shit thought he was important.  Today he's been reduced to an embarrassing metaphor for "not being nice."  Hell, Hell isn't even a thing anymore, it's at worst "separation from God," which seems just fine to me.

It's rather difficult to embarrass Christians regarding what they actually believe and express openly, but maybe this simple statistic gleaned from their magic book may linger somewhere in their fragile little minds.

An inconvenient truth: God kills 2.5 million people and those are the documented ones. The flood? More like 25 million. The Devil? 10.

I have always said Satan got a bum rap in the bible.

[Minimalist]

I suspect he's been working on Project 2025.

[Rhythmcs]

Secularization in the religious marketplace is what happened to the devil. He'll be back. Half or more of the breeding pop is unaffiliated. Had contemporary christianity not dropped the devil (insomuch as it has) it would have been worse.

[pattylt]

Threats of Hell and the devil were much more effective until recently where a kinder gentler Christianity had to develop because it was becoming a form of child abuse. In the Middle Ages until the early 1900’s, Christian’s had no problem terrifying their children. Perhaps Dr. Spock had something to do with it? Child rearing changed.

There are still fundamentalist churches that spout fire and brimstone but they are dying out as well. Too many nut cases of demented Christian’s terrified of Hell became an embarrassment so, churches toned it down…often to disappearance. The devil is still there but much more restricted in what he can do. He’ll is still there but is a kinder gentler Hell where no one is even knows if it’s occupied. To me, it’s an improvement but still a horrible theology.

[jerry mcmasters]

If Christians really believe this stuff, why is there not more emphasis on Satan?  He's fundamental to the development of Christianity, they at that time (say, 100 BC apocalyptic Jews to 200 AD or so) sure as shit thought he was important.  Today he's been reduced to an embarrassing metaphor for "not being nice."  Hell, Hell isn't even a thing anymore, it's at worst "separation from God," which seems just fine to me.

Satan as basically a divine being of pure evil who rules in Hell and fights God is not an early Christian/Apocalyptic Judaism invention. It's an early medieval one derived from a branch of esoteric Judaism known as the Enoch literature. The concept is always popular and attractive when things go to shit to excuse cruelty, but when things are good, it doesn't make much sense.

Except for the Hell, no.  (get it?)  Otherwise, Satan is in the NT, especially the Jesus narrative, opposing the interests of God with some regularity.  Predating the medieval era by centuries.  Unless you mean something esoteric by "fights God"?

[Thumpalumpacus]

I checked one of those websites, I'm pretty sure Satan went to Newark, NJ on the 3:15 from Tulsa.

[Reltzik]

If Christians really believe this stuff, why is there not more emphasis on Satan?  He's fundamental to the development of Christianity, they at that time (say, 100 BC apocalyptic Jews to 200 AD or so) sure as shit thought he was important.  Today he's been reduced to an embarrassing metaphor for "not being nice."  Hell, Hell isn't even a thing anymore, it's at worst "separation from God," which seems just fine to me.

You just have to know which preachers to listen to.

.... by which I mean, you have to know which preachers to avoid speaking to if you want to protect your sanity.

[SYZ]

As an ignostic, I have even less reason to be concerned
with the purported existence of yet another supernatural
entity from the greatest fairy tail of all time.

"Satan" appears 36 times in the New Testament LOL.

[Dānu]

It's been observed of Islam that where Islam is strong, it embraces its more extreme, tyrannical forms and proclamations. Where Islam is weak, a reformed Islam that preaches peace and tolerance is practiced. The religion adapts to its surroundings like a puddle filling a hole. Where it can expand, it will. Where it must contract, it does.

I think much the same has happened to Christianity. In the modern West, it has lost so much power that it has been forced in large part to retreat from the more extreme, literal and fundamentalist views. This is what happened to the devil -- he is a victim of retrenchment. But note where Christianity is still strong, notably central and south Africa, extremism is still very prevalent.

[jerry mcmasters]

I checked one of those websites, I'm pretty sure Satan went to Newark, NJ on the 3:15 from Tulsa.

I think he rules the Katy freeway west out of Houston.  It's like 187 lanes wide and still slow as fuck.

https://www.roadstotravel.net/usa-katy-freeway/

[Rhythmcs]

A related question with the same answer..where did jesus go? Out the door, had to make way for maga. Religious consumers have demands of religious service providers that become the existential realities of the religious operation as an entity. If you dial the clock back 40 years what churches competed on was yammering about the devil, and good ac. Dial it back 20 and it's a good show with a prosperity gospel. Since covid, it's go maga or go broke for churches.

[mordant]

If Christians really believe this stuff, why is there not more emphasis on Satan?  He's fundamental to the development of Christianity, they at that time (say, 100 BC apocalyptic Jews to 200 AD or so) sure as shit thought he was important.  Today he's been reduced to an embarrassing metaphor for "not being nice."  Hell, Hell isn't even a thing anymore, it's at worst "separation from God," which seems just fine to me.

This isn't remotely true in the Christian fundamentalist world, particularly the pentecostals and charismatics. But really all of them seem to me more impressed with Satan than with their own God. They are always on about "principalities and powers, rulers of this dark age", the possibility of demonic influence and "giving place to the devil" through "sin", etc.

[Edible crust]

It went into the detail?

[SYZ]

It went into the detail?