Re: The Devil (Evil or misunderstood?)
Yeah, that's actually something I try and point out to people that imagine Satan as some satyr-like creature. That all goes back to the Papacy in ancient days more or less trying to stamp out all forms of Paganism. What better way than to take something pagans revered and twist it into the ultimate symbol of evil?
The thing is, there is nowhere, Biblically, that mentions anything about the way that Satan appears. All the different variations we have on him/her stems from an artist's interpretation. I personally see him along the lines of how he's depicted in the movie "The Devil's Advocate" (not that I think that Al Pacino is the devil, but just the idea visualized in that movie, is more or less how I envision him.) or perhaps how Milton paints him in Paradise Lost. The whole grizzly beast that Satan is in many anti-pagan arts, or grotesque monstrosities that he appears to be in stuff like Dante's Inferno, it's just not how I think of him.
While browsing around a while ago, I found an intersting story of how the devil is not even really an original creation of Christianity. (Well...The image of him, anyways)
As we all know, compared to most other well known religions, Christianity is like the newborn of the bunch. Many of Christianity's holidays and beliefs are actually borrowed from other religions. The same hold true for both the image and role of the devil.
In a lot of celtic religions, (I suppose this would be modern day Wicca or Paganism) they worship, for the most part, a god and a goddess. The goddess, essentially, is Mother Earth. The god, however, was their god of the hunt. They also knew him as "The Horned God" due to the fact that he did have antlers...Or what would be on the modern devil..."horns"
Now again, most of these religions practiced and studied magick, or witchcraft. Given most of the history of Christianity, they've basically tried to kill or wipe out anything that their god couldn't explain, or simply threatened their own religion. The same held true for these people, the worshipers of "The Horned God" and their practiced. (Salem witch trials are a good example) ...Christianity believed that this, because of their supposed evil natures and the ability to control things such as nature, or even people, had to come from some great sorce of evil. Basically, their anti-god, Satan.
So, upon learning what they did worship, and because of the image they did have for their god, Christianity thought that this was their Satan and in a sense, adopted the image. This is also why Wicca or any form of it, is viewed by most people to be satanic. Also the same reason that most Christians believe that the pentagram (my avatar) is a symbol of satanism as well.
*note* If there are any spelling or grammar errors in any of this, I do apologize. I will edit them as I see them but I wrote this just after waking up from a nap. Cut me a little slack
As we all know, compared to most other well known religions, Christianity is like the newborn of the bunch. Many of Christianity's holidays and beliefs are actually borrowed from other religions. The same hold true for both the image and role of the devil.
In a lot of celtic religions, (I suppose this would be modern day Wicca or Paganism) they worship, for the most part, a god and a goddess. The goddess, essentially, is Mother Earth. The god, however, was their god of the hunt. They also knew him as "The Horned God" due to the fact that he did have antlers...Or what would be on the modern devil..."horns"
Now again, most of these religions practiced and studied magick, or witchcraft. Given most of the history of Christianity, they've basically tried to kill or wipe out anything that their god couldn't explain, or simply threatened their own religion. The same held true for these people, the worshipers of "The Horned God" and their practiced. (Salem witch trials are a good example) ...Christianity believed that this, because of their supposed evil natures and the ability to control things such as nature, or even people, had to come from some great sorce of evil. Basically, their anti-god, Satan.
So, upon learning what they did worship, and because of the image they did have for their god, Christianity thought that this was their Satan and in a sense, adopted the image. This is also why Wicca or any form of it, is viewed by most people to be satanic. Also the same reason that most Christians believe that the pentagram (my avatar) is a symbol of satanism as well.
*note* If there are any spelling or grammar errors in any of this, I do apologize. I will edit them as I see them but I wrote this just after waking up from a nap. Cut me a little slack
The thing is, there is nowhere, Biblically, that mentions anything about the way that Satan appears. All the different variations we have on him/her stems from an artist's interpretation. I personally see him along the lines of how he's depicted in the movie "The Devil's Advocate" (not that I think that Al Pacino is the devil, but just the idea visualized in that movie, is more or less how I envision him.) or perhaps how Milton paints him in Paradise Lost. The whole grizzly beast that Satan is in many anti-pagan arts, or grotesque monstrosities that he appears to be in stuff like Dante's Inferno, it's just not how I think of him.
I think I'm on to something 
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