if god so great why did he make the devil [Spirituality & Religion]

@GodSpeed63 [c=#7700B2]god created lucifer so he also created the devil[/c]

@PlumBerries No, Lucifer became the devil of his own free will and not God's will.

[c=#7700B2]god created free will so hence force created the devil[/c]

No, Lucifer became the devil on his own without help from God. God doesn't create evil beings. He creates good beings with free will.

@PlumBerries @GodSpeed63 Free will is a contrivance invented by religion to explain away how a god could create evil or even the possibility of evil and yet not itself be evil. It is philosophical fluff

@CookieLuvsBunny Would you rather have God be a dictator? Then you'd complaining, if that were possible, about being told what to do, what to say, how to think, where to look, and so on.

@GodSpeed63 To be as brief as possible.
First off, Your statement is a bifurcation fallacy
If you believe you are going to "heaven" when you die then you must believe God will be a "dictator" there otherwise it will be a repeat of your experience on Earth.
This is but one of many problems in you free will theory

@CookieLuvsBunny [quote]To be as brief as possible.
First off, Your statement is a bifurcation fallacy
If you believe you are going to "heaven" when you die then you must believe God will be a "dictator" there[/quote]

To be as brief as possible. You're barking up the wrong tree. When I get to heaven, I'll be the man that God created me to be before the foundations of the earth. I'll be loving as He is loving, righteous as He is righteous, holy as He is holy, and full of joy as He is full of joy with my free will intact.

@GodSpeed63 If you guys are going to argue about fictional beings, Voldemort in Harry Potter would be more interesting.

@JonathanC [quote]If you guys are going to argue about fictional beings, Voldemort in Harry Potter would be more interesting.[/quote]

Who says we're talking about fictional beings? I'm referring to the one true God, Yahweh, who lives forever and He's, by no means, a fictional being.

[c=#7700B2]yeah so fictional god.. Gods are man made. if you are going to argue that, where is the evidence to back it up and faith is not evidence [/c]

@GodSpeed63 You are. You keep mentioning fictional beings, in every single one of your posts.

@PlumBerries You're living proof that Yahweh is real.

@JonathanC Where's your evidence? You're mistaken me for your fellow cohorts.

@GodSpeed63 [c=#7700B2]no I am not[/c]

@GodSpeed63 [quote]God doesn't create evil beings.[/quote]

I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and [b]create evil[/b]: I the LORD do all these things. (Isaiah 45:7 KJV)

@suzie1960 One of my fav verses.

@canusernamebemyusername Another one I like is 1 Timothy 5:23. Obviously it's not meant to be taken literally, any alcoholic drink will do. ;)

@suzie1960 Some people need this verse. If you are omnipotent and create beings with free will but you are also all knowing then anything that happens after the action is your fault. As you made the choice to allow evil into the world though your actions being completely aware of the consequences.
This is one of the problems with monotheism. It you only have one creator God then that creator has to have made everything. Most people don't really want to worship a part evil God though so they created the Devil to put all the bad stuff. Even in the Bible the devil is used as God's whipping boy to do the dirty work.
I like Judaism's approach to the whole thing. It seems more holistic.

@suzie1960 [quote]2 Timothy 5:23. Obviously it's not meant to be taken literally, any alcoholic drink will do. ;)[/quote]

Correction, it's 1 Timothy 5:23. It is to be taken literally for there's an ingredient in wine that settles the stomach which no other alcoholic drink will do.

@GodSpeed63 [quote]Correction, it's 1 Timothy 5:23[/quote]
You're right, it's been a long while since I read it. I've emended my post now.

So what is this substance in wine? Is it in all wines? I prefer the Water of Life ("uisce beatha") myself.

@suzie1960 [quote]So what is this substance in wine? Is it in all wines? I prefer the Water of Life ("uisce beatha") myself.[/quote]

Researchers have found polyphenol compounds in red wine that are good for the bacteria lining.

@GodSpeed63 They've also found a lot other things that aren't. ;)

@suzie1960 In wine or in alcohol all together?

@GodSpeed63 In alcoholic drinks. Alcohol (ethanol) itself is a single compound.