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Christian personalities
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 | Most American adults (59%) consider that Satan is simply a symbol or concept or principle of evil, not an actual personality. Three in four Roman Catholics believe this; 55% of Protestants agree. |
| A minority of adults (34%) believe Satan to be a living being with supernatural powers. 1 |
Some of the concepts that people hold about the devil are:
| Most conservative Christian churches teach beliefs that are grounded in the 1st century CE - that Satan is a profoundly evil, fallen angel who is totally dedicated to the destruction of everyone's lives. He is a supernatural being who "walketh about, seeking whom he may devour," and is aided by countless demons. He and his demons are all pervasive. They engage in world-wide "spiritual warfare," and are a continual threat to all. They can dwell within people, as in demon possession. |
| Liberal/progressive Christian churches tend to view Satan as a principle or concept of evil, without any physical existence or personality. They acknowledge that Jesus and his disciples believed in the presence of a living entity called Satan. They realize that the gospel writers wrote of exorcisms which drove indwelling demons from within people. But they attribute these beliefs to the pre-scientific level of knowledge at the time. |
| Archaeologists and anthropologists, religious historians and other researchers have traced the development of the concept of Satan from its origin in the Zoroastrian religion, via the ancient Babylonian Empire, to ancient Judaism, and finally into Christianity and Islam. |
| Most present-day Satanists belong to religious groups such as the Church of Satan or the Temple of Set. Most of the former are Agnostics; they do not believe in Satan as a living entity or as a God; they view Satan as a basic force or principle of nature. Members of the Temple of Set recognize the ancient Egyptian god Set as a deity. Both groups' beliefs about Satan have little in common with Christian beliefs. |
Topics covered in this section:
| Introduction: Bible passages about Satan; Attributes of Satan | ||||
| Beliefs about Satan:
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| The development of the concept of Satan:
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Related essays in this web site:
| Demons |
| Demon possession and Exorcisms |
Reference used:
- "Americans Draw Theological Beliefs From Diverse Points of View," Barna Research Online, 2002-OCT-8, at: http://www.barna.org/cgi-bin/
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Copyright ©1998 to 2007 by Ontario Consultants on
Religious Tolerance
Latest update: 2007-JUL-16
Author: B.A. Robinson
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