Satan refers to the great opposer, adversary of God and man; the personal name of the devil, meaning 'slanderer', 'the wicked one', 'false accuser', 'the great deceiver' or 'the tempter'. Many peoples may ask, Why is there evil?

The Buddhists and the Hindus have one common root in their different traditions. They believe in Karma and reincarnation: They believe that the cause of all sufferings or evil is in human desire or craving. They do not make a distinction between evil or suffering.

Buddhism teaches: Human beings are born into a world of suffering (dukkha) because of the illusory nature of things in this world. The cause of 'suffering' is 'craving' or sometimes translated as 'desire' (Tanha). Hence it is the craving after the unreal or illusory nature of things in this world that brings about dukkha, 'suffering'. The path to end suffering is to 'dig up the very roots of Tanha'. To be able to dig up the root of Tanha, craving in Man, he must be enlightened that all is transitory or illusion. It is by reason of this reproductive power of thought that the will to love makes man re-live or as its being said, 'We live eternally through our lust to live'. The Way to this enlightenment is the famous eight-fold Path: right Understanding, right Thought, right Speech, right Action, right Livelihood, right Effort, right Mindfulness and right Concentration. It is a programme of purification of thought, word and deed leading to cessation of craving. The total 'extinction' of craving is the bliss of Nibbana or Nirvana.

Hinduism teaches: Hindus believe that the world of which one is aware is illusory (maya) in the sense that it is a veil concealing the Absolute Reality (Brahman) or God who is One with everything, so much so that there is no longer any distinction between God and the whole of Nature. Man, therefore in his depth, his soul, Atman is Brahman. The unenlightened Man craves for life in its illusory form as he is aware of it, not realizing that beyond the "illusion", God is all and all is God. The root of existence, then, is craving or desire which is suffering. Hence to be released or liberated from the fatal chain of reincarnation into life, all desires must be extinguished. To achieve this, different paths are proposed, some better than others - the path of action with strict observance of rites, pilgrimages, prayers, yogas and the path of ascetiscism, etc.

Christian teaches: God created us through Love and for Love. To love, then, is the nature of being human. But love is free. I cannot force you to love me and vice versa. You must freely respond to the invitation of love before there is love between you and me or God. Evil or sin is the refusal to love for which we have been made. Evil destroys. Love creates. Hence, the whole history of salvation hinges on God's call to us to love as He loves us. "This my Commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you" says Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In summary: for Christians, suffering is neither good or evil. It is Man's reaction to suffering that is good or evil.

Some people have trouble admitting the existence of such an enemy as Satan. But his presence and activity are necessary to explain the problems of evil and suffering. The Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible makes it plain that Satan exists and that his main work is to oppose the rule of God in the affairs of man through lies and deceit.

Many wonder why God would allow Satan, this great embodiment of evil to exist in His creation. Perhaps, He allows it to show that evil and wrongdoing do not provide the key to the ultimate meaning of life which man so desperately desires.

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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -