Current Belief or Disbelief

The 18th century witnessed the blossoming of rationalistic thought, known as the Enlightenment.  The Encyclopedia Britannica states:  "The philosophy and theology of the Enlightenment endeavored  to push the figure of the devil  out of Christian consciousness as being a product of the mythological fantasy of the Middle Ages."  The Roman Catholic Church reacted  to this and reaffirmed its belief in Satan the Devil at the First Vatican Council (1862-65).

Officially, as the New Catholic Encyclopedia concedes,  "the Church is committed to a belief  in angels and demons."  However, Theo, a French dictionary of Catholicism, admits that "many Christians today refuse to attribute evil in the world to the devil."  In recent years Catholic theologians have been walking a tightrope, precariously balanced between Catholic doctrine and modern-day thinking.  "Liberal Christian theology," says the Encyclopedia Britannica,m  "tends to treat the biblical language about Satan as 'picture thinking' not to be taken  literally-as a mythological attempt  to express the reality and extent  of evil in the universe."  Regarding Protestants, the same reference  work states:  "Modern liberal Protestantism tends to deny the necessity of belief  in a personal devil." (note: I know he exist for a certainty)  But should true Christians consider what the Bible says about Satan as mere "picture thinking"?

Next time: What the Scriptures Teach

From the Watchtower magazine, 2002