The bridle to the wicked, the hope of the just. I'm wondering if you're hearing that kind of thing, too. It would be the resurrection of the nation. (1201 Views), I'm Using This Opportunity To Tell You That I Don't Exist. A human father is a limited (and fallen) human being, so the comparison is not strictly accurate and can create some misunderstandings. For your favorite quotes. And if you're thinking, but what about this passage in the Old Testament or what about that passage in the New Testament, let me just say we only had time to touch on a few of the points in Bart Ehrman's book, so if you want to know more about what he has to say about the history of the afterlife, I refer you to his book. GROSS: Is it fair to say you're an atheist now? The Moody Handbook of Theology by Paul Enns. The main character meets and converses with a manifestation of the Devil. Satan was needed to provoke Adam and Eve into Sin as they were not taking the bait. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. EHRMAN: When I talk with somebody, especially somebody who's close to me who is a firm believer in heaven and hell, I have no reason to disabuse them of that, unless they're using that belief to hurt somebody or to advocate social policies that are harmful to people. However, it coul. Would you please explore this saying? GROSS: So is the pandemic making you think differently about your book? The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist. "I think the devil doesn't exist, but man has created him, he has created him in his own image and likeness." - Fyodor Dostoevsky . Reply . Voltaire, who was one of the first to reject the teachings of Christianity, attacked this religion with fierce zeal. And then we'll talk about the history of ideas of heaven and hell. And they get that from several passages in the Book of Revelation. I see from afar that era coming, those happy days, So it seems absurd that this "evil one" would make it appear that he didn't exist at all. Nobody except themselves? It has terrified people. You asked me what I was driving at: you see, Im an amateur and, collector of certain little facts; I copy them down from newspapers and, stories, from wherever, and save themwould you believe it?certain, kinds of little anecdotes. Does God create situations? The notion of a demon running around wagging its tail whilst brandishing a garden fork is at best comical and at worst absurd. Voltaires Dictionnaire des ides, published in 1758, is an enduring classic of French philosophy. How is it that, witlessly, you have become the fourth? 3 Tamponet was, in fact, a doctor at the Sorbonne. And so Sheol is sometimes portrayed like that. I mean, when you die, you stop breathing. Well, we would have to invent him, because he is necessary for the individual/ society, for whatever reasons. And we all just hope that it doesn't lead to even further disaster. And in Europe, finally, happy toleration If God destroyed evil (Satan), we wouldn't be evil right now. What was his vision of what happens after death? Nobody frets about it or gets upset by having it. Justice Antonin Scalia and Keyser Soze agree: the greatest trick the devil could ever pull is convincing the world he didn't exist. I'll talk with David Nott, who's been a trauma surgeon in conflict zones, including Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen and Iraq, and trains doctors in conflict and natural disaster zones. They have never known that ghastly luminosity, that stabbing and searing glare which makes the background of permanent pain to our lives." (What a way to think of the glory of God from the perspective of the enemy!) if I had (some monetary unit) for every (something), I'd be rich! Are you seeing your book in a way that you didn't quite when you were actually writing it? "I think the devil doesn't exist, but man has created him, he has created him in his own image and likeness." Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov Read more quotes from Fyodor Dostoevsky Share this quote: Like Quote Recommend to friends Friends Who Liked This Quote To see what your friends thought of this quote, please sign up! And then you have group who saying that it's the devil doing it, that in fact, it's the forces of evil. And so I think that hell is something we need to fight against; heaven, I'm all for. Essentially, if God didn't exist, we'd have to invent him since we still need a deity to worship. And so you get these demonic forces in the world that are creating misery for everyone. One of the artifices of Satan is, to induce men to believe that he does not exist: another, perhaps equally fatal, is to make them fancy that he is obliged to stand quietly by, and not to meddle with them, if they get into true silence. So, it could be argued, if there were no Original Sin there would be no evil. To commemorate the occasion, Aaron White of Feel. God did not create Lucifer as the devil; He created him good ( Genesis 1:31 ). His mother was a noblewoman from Poitou. The angels were created as servants of God, and they were supposed to serve God in obedience. You get that in the story of Moses in the Book of Exodus. Without a god, we would not be able to live the life we are living. These works, often composed as polemics or pamphlets, puncture received orthodoxy and show a solid ironic style without overreaching. But let me ask, what if the devil didn't exist? Has become the catechism of all well made souls. Using a dictionary to explain a concept is a great way to clarify its meaning. We're recording this on Thursday. I'm Terry Gross. One is they based their predictions on the Book of Revelation. 66 Articles, By 2 In France, in order to be accepted as procurer, notary, clerk, one needs two witnesses who confirm the Catholicism of the recipient. Why does God allow natural disasters, i.e. They'll be in bodies. Is touched with madness under the guise of wisdom. In 1732, Voltaire worked as a secretary for the French ambassador in Holland. EHRMAN: Well, I think those views - I mean, I respect believers. The prophet Isaiah recalls this event: "You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven. You get both of those explanations. Emphasis added to excerpts by QI:[1]1836, Quakerism Examined: In a Reply to the Letter of Samuel Tuke by John Wilkinson, Chapter 4: Is the Sacrifice of Christ Held in Proper Estimation by the Society of Friends?, Quote Page 239 and Continue reading. . And what is interesting is Gnostics then claimed that Jesus also denied it. 1:55:45 Closing / Announcement . These works have inspired generations of thinkers. The line about the Devil was accentuated when it was repeated near the end of the film. We're not doing anything else. He must have love because He is love, but love must be chosen. People do not live forever. By the way, Turks are particularly fond of sweet things, they say., I think if the devil doesn't exist, but man has created him, he has created him in his own image and likeness., The devil was sick, the devil a monk would be; The devil was well, the devil a monk was he., The Devil . It would be his downfall. Let the wise man announce him and kings fear him. Your wife more honest? So then, if he DIDN'T exist, we would actually be living exactly the same way, believing in a God that is not there." Existence is entirely bodily. If the devil didn't exist, this question wouldn't exist. Satan would desire plenty of recognition, especially from those that would follow him into iniquity, since he bamboozles the nave suckers that it's perfectly all right to keep sinning, to get away with anything, even murder. They're his words, but it isn't implied that this is his belief, "the finest trick of the Devil is to persuade you that he doesn't exist" - Charles Baudelaire, The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. [pg 262] I think if the devil doesn't exist, but man has created him, he has created him in his own image and likeness. Just as he did God, then? observed Alyosha. Would they no longer have the pleasure of trembling in fear for such a devilish being? GROSS: Do you feel that believing in hell scarred you? And once Paul started saying that, his followers really latched onto it because most of Paul's converts were from Greek circles. earthquakes, hurricanes, and tsunamis. Inventing a deity would be an implausible notion, but it has been frequently parodied and misinterpreted. It would be necessary to invent God if he did not exist. I have unmasked them with my pen for the past fifty years. There will be evidences of God's patience with us . What kind of a world would we have if the devil didn't exist? I have to deal with this in my book, where I try to show that, in fact, the Book of Revelation does not describe eternal torment for sinners in the lake of fire. When the breath leaves the body, the body no longer lives, but the breath doesn't exist. . EHRMAN: I do in some ways. But in terms of what I believe, I'm an atheist. A non smoking person wouldn't exist without a person that is smoking, has nothing to do whether . EHRMAN: Well, so since these people believed that the soul was immortal, that you can kill the body but you can't kill the soul, they thought, well, OK, so our soul will go to heaven to be with God, but then they realized, well, what about the people who are not on the side of God? GROSS: And you say that for the ancient Jews, the fact that the Messiah didn't come, that was a turning point in beliefs about what happens after death, too. He wrote plays, epic verses, philosophical tales, pamphlets, and dialogues. GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. But the kids didn't get the memo. He grew up among them like a little wild beast; the shepherds taught, him nothing; on the contrary, by the time he was seven, they were already, sending him out to tend the flocks in the cold and wet, with almost no, clothes and almost nothing to eat. This book is handy for students of French philosophy, as it teaches them to identify the main concepts that come from literature and history. In the book of James, the Holy Spirit says, But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. But it's the only way to stop it. That's when Christianity will be the sweetest. . Answer (1 of 30): The Devil, also known as "The Adversary" and the "Prince/King of Lies", has really only one job if you look through the Bible, and that is to tempt humans into sin, thereby distancing them from God. In this volume, Voltaire aims to clarify the various concepts and ideas in contemporary French society, including the meaning of religion. And the other interesting thing is that what the Gnostics did, by reading their ideas into Jesus, is also what the Orthodox Christians did, by putting words in Jesus' lips that supported their ideas of heaven and hell. GROSS: So what do you believe about death now, about what happens after you die? Or are these just idiotic questions based on idiotic dogmas? So let's do that, and then we'll talk some more. What can you do after Valentines Day to make your sweetheart happy? It's why we experience so much pain and suffering because we live in these material shells. Voltaire's Notes He's a distinguished professor of religious studies at The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and the author of many books about early Christianity. His practical deism, which stresses humanistic virtues and rejects dogma and the sanctity of the inner life, responded to the churchs dominant role in French society. Of these wretches in sandals, the excrement of humanity, Season 2 of Untold has arrived and it's more viral than ever! 504Disclaimer: Every Nairaland member is solely responsible for anything that he/she posts or uploads on Nairaland. My avenger is in the heavens: learn to tremble. So they have very much a differentiation between soul and body. 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