Time and again mankind has proven himself to be resourceful, skilled, and deliberate in taking on the forces of nature. When mankind acts in a way that is contrary to the forces of nature, such as building fixtures or structures in the path of well-known paths of natural destruction, then mankind is challenging the forces of nature that bind mankind to the earth - the domain that God created for and gave to mankind.
However, when mankind succumbs to his own inner capacity for evil, then he is exercising free will. That that capacity for evil is capable of reaching extraordinary levels of destruction is the manifestation not of the devil, but of man's own reaction to the incremental levels of evil, the fueling of power that comes from exercising free will over others who are not capable, or who won't, act to prevent that exercise of free will over them.
The answer as to how God allows mankind to commit atrocities is that He exercises no more control over mankind's free will than He does over the forces of nature. To explain mankind's capacity for evil as being the work of the devil, it is a description, the visual, if you will, by which man relates to in attempting to psychologically understand these horrific events.
It is pertinent to point out that the Old Testament does not reference Satan or the devil as more than a trickster until after 538 BCE (Dictionary of Theology and Religious Studies, 2008, p. ). This is because it was not until after the concept of entity was introduced to the Hebrews during the time that the Hebrews were exposed to outside religious beliefs, most notably the Persian Zoroastrianism (Dictionary...
God and Evil "If God Exists, then Why…":Understanding and Countering Certain "Proofs" of God's Non-Existence The question of whether or not God exists is central to many modes of understanding and systems of knowledge, both theological and philosophical, and the implications of the answer to this question -- and of the question itself -- are quite far reaching indeed. The very fabric of reality depends upon the knowledge that this question seeks
Tragic Hero begins with an examination of Oedipus Rex. But, while he is the archetype of this particular literary character, Hamlet is, perhaps, the most well developed and psychologically complex of tragic heroes. For the Greeks, all things in life are preordained, which is what makes for the tragedy of Oedipus - his attempt to make his own destiny. Over the course of time, however, while the form of
While none lacked a sense of the importance of serving the community, they came from increasingly different perspectives on how long to tolerate the peril posed by a crumbling civility. Indeed, for some, a sense that the Islamic fundamentalist groups around them would see to their deaths invoked a question as to whether it was even a worthy goal to serve such a community. However, the monks were united in
God's Activity In Men's Lives God's Active Role How many people look for God's activity in their lives, and never come up with the evidence? Yet, in the lives of Mary Rowlandson, and Ben Franklin, they recognized the working of The Almighty in their every day circumstances. Maybe it was that they didn't look for God to prove himself to them, but they acknowledged that the Almighty God is always at work.
Oedipus as Tragic Hero In most dramatic plays, tragedy usually strikes the protagonist of the play and leads him, or her, to experience devastating losses. While tragic instances can be avoided, there are other instances where one's fate and future is out of the protagonist's control. In Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles and first performed around 249 BC, Oedipus cannot escape his destiny and even though he tries to overcome
Oedipus as Tragic Hero One of the greatest classics of all Western literature is Sophocle'sSophocles' trilogy The Oedipus Plays may be considered one of the greatest literary works of the Western world. In tThe second of these plays, Oedipus the King, the protagonist, Oedipus the King, is described by Sophocles as a tragic hero. According to Aristotle, the characteristics of a tragic hero are - must be an influential person, is
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now