(February 13, 2012 at 10:51 am)brotherlylove Wrote: If you want to use the "satan foil", it needs to be logically coherent, and it isn't. If you say Satan is the greatest possible deceiver, then he could never do anything which would limit his ability to deceive. The greatest possibility of deception in every possible world is to be completely unknown. If he revealed himself in any way, he would no longer be the greatest possible deceiver and thus the "satan foil" is incoherent.
Why would remaining unknown be the greatest possible deception? If no one knows it exists, then not telling anyone that is exists is not exactly a great deception. No, a great deception would be lying about what does not exist and convincing everyone that it does.
By revealing himself in a form other than his true nature (i.e. revealing himself as weak and ineffectual), Satan has not only been able to deceive you about himself, he has also deceived you about god. If he'd remained unknown, the only thing he'd have been able to deceive you about would have been himself and that wouldn't be enough. The deception he has perpetrated through the bible is even greater.
(February 13, 2012 at 10:51 am)brotherlylove Wrote: The concept of Satan has explanatory power, and describes why there is a such a vast variety of supernatural experiences and seeming confirmations of other gods, but only one true God. Thus, that there are authentic experiences that come from God, and authentic experiences that do not come from God. Regardless of what you believe, it answers the objection of people having genuine experiences of other gods and beings.
But you see, there are no supernatural experiences that do not come from Satan.
God created everything exactly like he wanted. Every law of nature is according to his will. So why would there be any situation where god would have to go against his own will and break his own laws - laws that he put into place. Any experience you have of god or any other supernatural being is deception perpetrated through Satan.
