So why is 'Gods' first commandment, written in stone, a warning to not worship any of those other Gods?
I always thought it was because they aren't real and he knew that they were conning people away from following him. Apart from that, I dunno.
The same could be said of Jesus/God, how are we supposed to know who is telling the truth?
Well, if he turns up again, does miracles and all that stuff, then we will know. He has way more powers than Satan (apparently). Aside from that, again, I dunno.
Seriously? Why is it ok for God to make a deal with him and not us? Double standards?
You can. No-one is stopping you. God knew what he was playing with though, I would imagine, but if someone wants to make a deal with the devil, I think they are foolish, but crack the fuck on!
You mean Satan expressed free will? Doesn't make God look good does it?
He was an angel. Made by and working for God. Whose purpose was to do Gods bidding. Our purpose is to do our own bidding, and God literally hopes like hell that we find our way back to him (apparently).
I am confused, I thought Adam & Eve took free will against Gods permission, and all humanity was punished for eternity with original sin
No, they already had free wilI. If they didn't have free will, they couldn't have disobeyed God's orders and taken a bite from the Apple from the tree. I reckon all that's metaphorical any way.
Now I am not a theist but where in the Bible does it say God gave himself to Satan?
Can't remember where it says, it's been years since I read it. I don't think it's in one of the main gospels though.
So God lied and broke a deal he made? That makes him a cheating liar
I suppose you could look at it that way. It's more that Satan had such hubris in his own abilities being as powerful as Gods, that he forgot that God was more powerful and is the ultimate creator who can do stuff like make Jesus come back to life.
It's what CS Lewis based the story of the LWATW on. Alsan comes back after being killed. The Queen is the Devil and Aslan is Jesus. CS Lewis probably (definitely) explains it far better than me.
Where is the evidence that Satan is the bad guy?
The evil in the world and the fallibility of humans to temptation. Of course, the expression that "the greatest trick the Devil ever played was by convincing people that he doesn't exist" could hold quite a bit of truth.
For Christians, it's obviously the case that the Bible tells us what the cause of evil is. You might think it's something other than the Devil. Or that nothing at all causes it. I can only explain what Christians believe.
If only their was evidence he was resurrected/Heaven
Absolutely agree with you. It's something people can only decide for themselves. According to the Bible, he made himself known to over 500 people before finally ascending to Heaven.
I read somewhere (Again, it was years ago so dunno where), that Romans reported seeing him too. Which, as they were the ones who crucified him, makes them look rather inept, so I am surprised they recorded it really. I always find it interesting what you learn from someone's enemies who have every reason to dismiss stuff that mskes them look bad.
That doesn't make sense. The two are a package deal, if you believe in one you believe in the other. Personally I dont find either credible
Exactly. Satan will give no shits if you think both he and Jesus aren't real. He Will be delighted if what Christians believe is true. So long as you don't believe in Jesus, he couldn't care less if you believe in him. Because he knows that means that he has you not God (general you, rather than you per se).
I am not saying I believe all of this totally, but that's what the theory is.
Cant we choose neither, why the need to choose?
Because IF Christianity is true, and people's souls are forced to pick between one or the other, refusing to choose is effectively condemning yourself. If course you DON'T have to choose if you don't want to. But if Jesus says to you "look, your only options are me or the Devil, and if you choose neither then I can't help you", that's fair warning that failure to make a choice is, in fact, making a choice.
I can only liken to the really shit analogy of needing an organ transplant: You need it, you will die without it, or live with it. In that life or death scenario, it's totally up to you if you don't want to choose. But they can't do the OP unless you consent. So refusing to choose, is effectively refusing to have the OP. Hence you will end up dead through your own inertia. Same deal with this stuff.
Anyway, I am not trying to convince you, I can only try and answer your questions from a position of my own crap levels of knowledge. And if you don't believe, don't worry about it, because if people are certain it's all bollocks then, well, it's all bollocks and none of its true so who cares?
Its late and I am knackered. So goodnight 