XPost: alt.satanism, alt.horror.cthulhu   
   From: dawgface@ten.hut   
      
   "For your information"  wrote in message   
   news:iuednXC6aeZiRSLVnZ2dnUVZ_ovinZ2d@earthlink.com...   
   >   
   > "Frank"  wrote in message   
   > news:g9nvkn$6hq$1@aioe.org...   
   >>   
   > Regarding the word "satan" -   
   >>>   
   >>> The word is HEBREW - it means the adversary.   
   >>> In the Hebrew, it is no enemy of God at all.  In the Hebrew, it   
   >>> works FOR God.   
   >>>   
   >>   
   >> Show proof of that last statement please.   
   >   
   > In Judaism there is no concept of a devil like in mainstream   
   > Christianity or Islam. In Hebrew, the biblical word ha-satan (??????)   
   > means "the adversary" or the obstacle, or even "the prosecutor"   
   > (recognizing that God is viewed as the ultimate Judge).   
   >   
   > In the book of Job (Iyov), ha-satan is the title, not the proper name,   
   > of an angel submitted to God; he is the divine court's chief   
   > prosecutor. In Judaism ha-satan does not make evil, rather points out   
   > to God the evil inclinations and actions of humankind. In fact, the   
   > Book of Isaiah, Job, Ecclesiastes, and Deuteronomy all have passages   
   > in which God is credited for exercising sovereign control over both   
   > good and evil.   
   >   
   > Under the control of God ha-satan acts solely with divine permission   
   > to carry out its deeds. In Talmudic literature, ha-satan's function is   
   > to strengthen man's moral sense by lending him into temptation.   
   >   
   > "Satan" is NOT a proper name referring to a particular being who is   
   > the antagonist or rival of God, as Christianity erroneously teaches.   
   > In its original application, in fact, it is a common noun meaning an   
   > adversary who opposes and obstructs. It is applied to human   
   > adversaries in 1Shmuel 29:4; 2Shmuel 19:23; 1Melachim 5:18; 11:14, 23,   
   > 25, and its related verb is used of prosecution in a law court   
   > (Tehillim 109:6) and the role of an antagonist in general (Tehillim   
   > 38:20, 21; 109:4, 20, 29).   
   >   
   > The angel who was sent to obstruct Balaam (BaMidbar 22:32) was   
   > evidently chosen, as a "satan" (le-satan), and perhaps the consonants   
   > l-s-t-n are rather to be read as the infinitive liston, "to oppose or   
   > obstruct." (Ency. Judaica)   
   >   
   > While the evil impulse (yetzer hara) is strong, Judaism believes that   
   > a person can choose to overcome it. This is the concept of free   
   > choice, which is basically the purpose of our existence:   To choose   
   > good over evil. The teachings of the Torah are referred to as the   
   > antidote to the yetzer hara. Similarly, Ben Sira (21:11) states:  "The   
   > man who keeps the Torah controls his natural tendency."   
   >   
   >  "Man is the creature created for the purpose of being drawn close to   
   > God. He is placed between perfection and deficiency, with the power to   
   > earn perfection. Man must earn this perfection, however, through his   
   > own free will... Man's inclinations are therefore balanced between   
   > good (Yetzer HaTov) and evil (Yetzer HaRa), and he is not compelled   
   > toward either of them. He has the power of choice and is able to   
   > choose either side knowingly and willingly..." - Aish HaTorah   
   >   
      
   Thank you very much, I am going to mull this over a bit, lots of food   
   for thought and some concepts. The last on by Aish HaTorah I'd have to   
   disagree with since mankind cannot attain perfection. Once fallen there   
   is no turning back. That said, Elijah and Enoch are perhaps the only two   
   Jews that came the closest to it all, The Messiah being the   
   end/beginning and fulfillment.   
      
   Great info here!   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)