It appears that my opinion that Satan is a trickster seems to be right, I found a website that is taken from the bible explaining what and who satan is, so be carefull the road that you take, after all it could a be a trick. http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_sat3.htm

-- Tony (awalker@teknett.com), April 19, 2002

Answers

That site calls Satan a former Archangel; I don't think that is correct. I think he was a Seraph, the highest choir of angels. Somebody correct me if I am wrong. I believe the Archangel is only second from the bottom in the choir of angels; Michael was one of these; God used the lower-down Michael to toss Satan from heaven.

I think to put Satan at trickster status is dangerously underestimating him. Sorry if I am not understanding you properly. He is responsible for initiating the wreckage of the human race that Jesus came to repair; to my understanding, Humans are ground zero for the battle between Heaven and Hell.

I'm speculating, but I believe that Satan's demise came from his failure to accept the fact that the lower down humans would be given the unique aspect of procreation, among other things. It seems he particularly hates babies and women.

At any rate, I looked through that site briefly; I wouldn't throw it a whole bunch of credibility.

-- Emerald (emerald1@cox.net), April 19, 2002.

Emerald,

I know this site "ReligiousTolerance.org" Their stated goal is to "concentrate on religions which are in a minority status in North America." While they state that "We believe that there is much good and some evil in all faiths' practices," in practice, they focus on the negatives of large Western religions (Christianity especially) and focus on the positives of small religions. I haven't found a single quote that attacks a small religion on their site.

They probably justify their bias as a counter-balance to the mainstream. They seem to be applying "bio-diversity" principles to religion.

They state that they believe that "Absolute Truth" exists, but they don't believe it can be pinned down. I would say it's safe to say that they are agnostic as a rule, when it comes right down to it. They are open to all religious belief (including atheists), but they won't commit to any of them.

They also believe that no religion is the "True Religion." I guess as a corollary, they reject any religion when it states that it is the true religion.

I wonder if there is a centralized Catholic review of sites like this one. That would be really useful.

In Christ,

Mateo

-- (MattElFeo@netscape.net), April 19, 2002.

Mateo:

Peter's Net does give a "rating" of some sort, as to the adherence to Catholic teaching, but honestly I don't really like it, because its almost as if they set themselves up as a separate magisterium, although I understand they are good folks, and are trying hard

-- Joe Catholic (dontsend@mailtome.com), April 19, 2002.

Hi, Mateo.
Here is a link to the Petersnet ratings page. You have to read the whole page carefully to understand how it works. The folks who run Peternset go back to the very beginnings of the public use of the Internet. I have found their site to be completely orthodox, very useful, loyal to the Magisterium, and not "traditionalist" (schismatic).
God bless you.
John

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), April 19, 2002.

I don't believe in a True Religion either.

-- Tony (awalker@teknett.com), April 19, 2002.