1. What can I say about Biblical depictions of Satan/Devil?
A. The Biblical depiction of Satan is extremely different from the Satan that many modern day christians fear and hate. In the Bible, there is no mention of hell as a specific place where the Devil and demons torture souls, and there is no mention of Satan as a specific person at all in the first testament. Satan, originally was the term for an angel who, on behalf of God, gave consequences to men who sinned. All of the bad things that happened were because of God's wrath and his displeasure; there was nothing that had power opposing God's.
3. Where is the Devil today?
A. People say the Devil lives in Las Vegas, or New Orleans. This assumes the Devil has a physical form, something many would disagree with. Those who believe in God believe he is everywhere, within each person. The devil operates in the same way. I personally believe that the Devil is used as a symbol for malice and temptation, two very human traits. We personify our bad qualities into a thing everyone can hate. These human thoughts and actions that are attributed to Satan can be founds in the hearts and minds of any person, anywhere.
4. What purpose does Satan Serve
A. Satan serves the same purpose in Christianity and in society: to be the bad guy. In Christianity, God is omnipotent. The problem with a omnipotent god is that any harm caused to humans must also be from that god. In order for God to be seen as benevolent, another character had to be created to represent malevolence.
5. I do not believe in Satan. I think many others do believe in Satan because it provides security. It is nice to believe that any bad thought I have or wrongdoing I commit are because Satan wants me to be bad, but if I believe in God, his superior strength will rescue me from Satan. It is much scarier to think that all of the bad things in this world are caused by people like you and me. It is also much harder to take responsibility for my wrongdoings than it is to blame the Devil and ask God's forgiveness.
I agree that people feel that Satan provided security, it is a natural want and need for most of us to feel safe.
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