Arguably one of the best lines Kevin Spacey delivers in the film Usual Suspects is this: The greatest trick the devil ever played on us was convincing us he did not exist.
However, people have put the concept of the Devil to use in social and political conflicts, personal disputes, and in religious war (an oxymoron that we really should have eliminated by now) for time memoriam. So it would seem the devil has a little more convincing to do, as our gullibility does know some bounds.
Christianity portrays the Morning Star as the nemesis of God, a fallen angel pushed out of heaven into a lake of fire, at eternal war with the almighty creator for the souls of humanity.
The Devil is often blamed for why beliefs that are false and ungodly are in existence in this world, but when you think about it, he only has his reputation as a personification of evil because he is the enemy of God. The same God who proclaimed outright in the Ten Commandments that he was jealous and often resorted to plagues, fire and brimstone when he did not get his way. Would the enemy of a human with these qualities be ever referred to as evil? If a human were trying to tempt you away from such qualities, would they not be regarded as doing the right thing?
Also, he was the first (and last) evicted tenant of heaven, and he wasn’t given any kind of fair warning or notice (if only heaven had an Angelic Advice Bureau for such matters, perhaps evil could have been avoided all together.)
And thinking of the devil as a legitimate threat to an all-powerful God that created the universe in seven days is like thinking of a fly as a legitimate threat to a 747. Was God not, dare I say it, over reacting a little bit?
“An apology for the devil: it must be remembered that we have heard one side of the case. God has written all the books.”
In the Qur’an, the Devil is referred to as Iblis, and was created by God out of a smokeless fire. Iblis chose not to pay homage to God’s creation, Adam, claiming to be superior to him, as Adam was only made of earth. In choosing not to worship Adam (and thus God’s creation), God expelled Iblis for disobedience, which Iblis blamed on humanity.
Dog bites cat, cat chases mouse, mouse fears cat and worships dog…or something like that…
Therefore, Iblis is said to hate all humanity (unless, of course, you are a heretic, infidel, a fan of rock n roll or among the many unbelievers.) With such blatant favouritism, is it difficult to see why?
Humanity is encouraged to believe that God will reward us for all of our good deeds, whether we are helping a kitten down from a tree or or saving a bus filled with nuns from plummeting to certain death. Equally, if we repent our sins, then we will be allowed AAA passes to the pearly gates. Did Hitler go to heaven? Did Pol Pot? If the worst examples of humanity are allowed access to eternal heavenly bliss, why then, should the devil not be allowed to go home?
“He that falls into sin is a man; that grieves at it, is a saint; that boasteth of it, is a devil.”
Has humanity not got more in common with the Devil’s predicament than with God’s fury? We have all had arguments with our parents, or been treated unfairly by employers, or had our homes threatened by violations of tenancy agreements. If not for the forgiving, understanding nature of other humans, everyone would be on the streets.
Should we not be cutting Satan a little slack here?
In tarot, the message of the devil card could not be clearer: nothing is powerful enough to control you without your consent. I want to make it clear here the distinction I make between control and overpower. The victim of a mugging is overpowered. It is only when that person is then afraid to leave the house, that they are giving the incident consent to control their lives, through fear.
The stories of the devil from religious texts are interesting, even thought provoking, but it is only when you fear the outcomes of not believing in god, that you consent to the idea of the devil. If the devil exists, it exists as ignorance, intolerance and the ability of humanity to be controlled by fear. If we can control our fears (demons), others will lose their ability to control us.
The greatest trick the devil ever played was to convince us we didn’t create him.
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