Should we take Santorum’s word about Satan being real?
Should we take Santorum’s word about Satan being real?
``Satan has his sights on the United States of America,''
Is Senator Rick Santorum's mantra good enough to settle the issue of what Satan is up to?
Should folks be given a fighting chance to decide if Santorum should be believed about Satan or not?
Generally, it is good to let the people decide for themselves if an entity is real or not. And this is a healthy axiom to adhere to when all sides of a concept are readily served up to the massed. As far as this concerns the question about the existence of God, we pretty much are in the place where enough commentary is available on both sides of the discussion.
Content and conjecture has been widely broadcast so folks today can draw from the resources and begin to make an informed choice. But perhaps the question of Satan's existence is different than the God question for one simple reason. The media consuming masses have long been exposed to the rhetoric, opinion, and conjecture about the reality or non-reality of a God. Most conscious folk today, even have a handle on the theological arguments that percolate around this issue. That is to say, the discussion of “God” has resonated through media and into culture for centuries. But can the same be said for the notorious Satan? Every issue, especially ones that involve morality and biblical doctrine have more than one side. And even a cursory survey of media reveals culture has only been exposed to one side of the Satan pancake.
Most of us are only familiar with the position that says Satan is real. That side of this issue has been well cemented in the collective consciousness of culture. But what about the underside of that pancake, the side with no syrup on it? What about the other side of this story? The discussion that examines why Satan might not be real is rarely if ever served up to the masses. Maybe the argument that displays the option that there is no devil has been poorly represented in culture. I'm not trying to be obtuse here, I am just hoping to give people the information to begin the discussion. Because even though it seems to be a bit of an intellectual secret, facts are, it is only when we are given both sides of a story that we are able to make an informed decision.
Considering that, we can find that Santorum’s quotes are loud and oblique as delivered to our culture. No conjecture there just “InSanitorum” fact that Satan is real. But is Senator Rick right? Who is going to push back on his statement? Does Santorum just get his quote thrown out to the mindless masses and no one exerts effort to confront his thinking? Sure, he looks crazy to millions but there are still other millions who say, "Oh my, Satan is after us, the devil is trying to dismantle our country." And who is going to lend a hand in getting info out to even the playing field of the battle to decide what one is to believe? No one is responding with an opposing statement. Has most of Santorum's audience ever even heard that Lucifer is not a fallen angel? Or are they victim to the historical one-sided pancake? Have most of us been programmed to not even stick a fork under the edge of that pancake to peek at the other side? Has Santorum and his audience ever even been told the context of the passage shows us the Latin word refers to a brilliant King? The language of the Lucifer passage in the Bible simply infers this once powerful, arrogant, and self-deifying King “fell from heaven”, meaning he lost his lofty place of power because of pride? Seems to me the audience has not had the privilege of flipping that pancake over to see how a belief in Satan starts with the Lucifer story but that story is clearly about a man.
The question to ask here though is; Is it an important thing to consider if Santorum’s Satan is real or not? Should we even bother to involve our thoughts in who or what Santorum's Satan is? Well, in light of unsettling comments about an advancing cosmic force by a national leader, I would suggest discussion is important. In the wake of being told by a potential Presidential candidate that Satan is on the hunt for America, I would have to say the value in examining this concept can’t be overstated. Finding the facts in this area is important. It’s about the potential to reduce unnecessary fear. Attempting to discover what's real about Santorum's Satan is about comforting the American people. Many of whom are readily accepting Santorum’s gospel that claims winning comes by fighting Satan. Comfort, peace, and prosperity will result when a nation is release of an unrealistic fear. Is it too much to suggest that we need to spread our underinformed wings a little in this area? I don't think it is. And the message of freedom that results from dismantling a traditional mantra about the Lord of the Underworld is immeasurably beneficial. In fact I found it is pretty clear how liberating re-understanding Satan can be in how one single mom put it to me recently. She said, “When I stopped believing in Satan demons stopped chasing me and my kids stopped having nightmares.”
Let’s extrapolate that realization to measure the value of fact finding to the Satan-believing Americans out there like Rick Santorum. If Americans stop believing in Satan, they can focus on what is holding them back and deal with the real issues…Without misplaced fear, progress will be made in every level of society. I know how challenging it is for the ardent religious person to question their belief in Satan; but many have been brave enough to imagine there’s no Satan. And when they have, they saw a much more balanced, accountable, and intelligent political system. Seeing a world without Satan left then filled with hope for world that they can work with.
So perhaps in time, enough of the mainstream buffet of Devil’s food will contain well prepared dishes of balance and nutrient dense information on the possibility that Satan is not real. As that happens, the masses will flip that pancake over and have a good look before they dig in. The sweet syrup of the Satan pancake won't be as palatable when we all realize we should never eat a flapjack without looking at the other side first. Who is gonna decide for you if Santorum’s Satan is real or not? Let’s be responsible enough to find both sides of the Satan pancake before we fill ourselves up on the syrupy fare that prevents us from hungering for more than what’s on one side.
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