So true, yet so sad.
"The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."
Russ Adams, Ordained Minister (2003-present)
The Devil, also known as “The Adversary” and the “Prince/King of Lies”, has really only one job if you look through the Bible, and that is to tempt humans into sin, thereby distancing them from God.
Regardless of what you attribute it to, one really cannot deny that people in the modern world do not see temptation and sin as the Devil's doing — they see it as simple human nature. And by blaming themselves, society, their lack of social station, poverty, and psychology for their own evil deeds, rather than attributing them to the Devil’s influence, which they did for nearly two thousand years, people have stopped seeing piety and depravity as a religious issue. So, by extension, by convincing people that he doesn't exist, and that they themselves are responsible for their evil, he's also convinced people that God doesn't exist either.
You can say it isn't true, and you could be right, but you can see why some people might think so. Just look how many atheists there are in the world today. And the number of atheists and agnostics has risen, throughout history, in direct proportion to the number of people who have started placing their faith in science and psychology rather than God.
It's no different really than the quote “Satan appears as an angel of light”, which means that Lucifer, “The Morningstar”, a fallen arch-angel, can lead people into sin easily because, when he shows up to temp people into sinning, he doesn't appear as a horrific demon, but rather as a beautiful angel. But that is basically just another way of saying that people who do evil don't start out thinking that what they're doing is wrong. They start out with good intentions.
The saying “The road to hell is paved with good intentions” fits into this philosophical motif as well.
I want to think that most people know John 3:16
the following verses tells you even more.
3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
My 2 cents,
We are all sinners! I know I have sinned, and every day I ask for forgiveness. I also pray for all of us to be forgiven too. Only time will tell, because when it's our time and we are standing at the foot of the Lords throne will we know our fate.
This old world has a lot more hurting it will see, and only the Lord knows when that will end.
Rhodie