I don't think its universally true, and there are certain areas within Christianity where its not true at all, but it seems like a lot of people get skittish when the subject of the Devil comes up. Has anyone else noticed that or am I just imagining things?
For instance, in apologetics, very rarely do I hear people talk about Satan and his effect on this world system, especially in regards to issues like the Problem of Evil. Now, I don't think that Satan has to be referenced when dealing with the Problem of Evil, and in fact, I can see why people would find it unnecessary to refer to him at all, but its interesting to me that his role in producing or influencing the evil that is done in this world is rarely mentioned at all when the issue is discussed.
We're all aware of that famous quote by C.S. Lewis,
And to be blunt, in my experience, this divide often seems to fall in line with, I don't know, the intellectual acuity(?) of a particular church. I'm familiar with some churches where members could recite whole books from the Bible through memorization, but a deeper understanding of the text, especially in relation to the original languages or historical context is little evidenced. These same places often avoided deeper theological discussions which they seem to consider ivory tower-ish, and impractical in the real world application of Christianity. And a real world application does seem to be their main focus; Basically, bringing the Bible to the people (the common man on the street) in a simple to understand and relatable way. These churches seem to like to talk about Satan and demons a lot.
On the other hand, I'm familiar with other churches that are steeped in an intellectual appreciation for doctrine and dogma and whatnot. They often have a strong focus on tradition, church history, and theology. These churches seem to (in my opinion) almost avoid talking about Satan and demons. As though they were side concerns that Christians shouldn't spend hardly any time focusing on.
What are your thoughts?
For instance, in apologetics, very rarely do I hear people talk about Satan and his effect on this world system, especially in regards to issues like the Problem of Evil. Now, I don't think that Satan has to be referenced when dealing with the Problem of Evil, and in fact, I can see why people would find it unnecessary to refer to him at all, but its interesting to me that his role in producing or influencing the evil that is done in this world is rarely mentioned at all when the issue is discussed.
We're all aware of that famous quote by C.S. Lewis,
There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.
On the other hand, I'm familiar with other churches that are steeped in an intellectual appreciation for doctrine and dogma and whatnot. They often have a strong focus on tradition, church history, and theology. These churches seem to (in my opinion) almost avoid talking about Satan and demons. As though they were side concerns that Christians shouldn't spend hardly any time focusing on.
What are your thoughts?
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