Evolution of Christianity

If isaiah 14 was actually about a babylonian king, then there are still plenty of other passages.

The bible doesn't state who the angel of the Lord is in the story of balaam in numbers 22, or any of the other times that the angel of the lord appears in the old testament. I don't see any reason to assume it was satan. More likely it was Michael or Gabriel, since satan was in rebellion at that time. We can see that even from the time of Moses satan was an enemy:

Jude 1:9
[9]Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

Satan appears in the beginning of Job, but appears to be more interested in proving God wrong about Job, not really serving as an agent of God.

Satan was originally an agent of God. But at some point (i assume before the creation of mankind) he rebelled and became an enemy. Thats why we see satan standing before God in Job because his final judgement hasn't yet come. For now satan often stands before God and accuses the saints (in Job satan accuses Job).

Revelation 12:10
[10] ...for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night...

Matthew 8:29
[29]And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

I wouldn't necesarily call the notion of satan being an enemy of God a product of mimetic evolution.

Perhaps some of the most revealing passages about this were spoken by Jesus Himself, so then if you believe that He spoke the truth then its clear that satan is an enemy of God. The truth is eternal and unchanging, and is not subject to human culture. I don't think that Jesus or the truth were influenced by mankind in any way.

For example, examine the story in Luke 10 when Jesus sent out the 70:

Luke 10:17-18
[17]Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”
[18]And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

Here we have a reference to demons as well, inferring that satan is not alone in his rebellion. But why would the actions of the 70 cause satan to fall like lightning if he was an ally?

And also:

Matthew 12:26-27
[26]If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?
[27]And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.

So then we can see that satan is the head of a house of demons.

the truth is eternal:

Hebrews 13:8-9
[8]Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
[9]Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.

Any kind of mimetic evolution in christianity is just exactly that: strange doctrine.

 

Romans saw a way to control the people(religion).............ran with it(catholics)

Other people saw it a bit differentlprotestants/ect)..........ran with it(sigh)

Now we are here

Mzzls

 

Well, it sez:
ויחר אף אלהים hot was nostril/wrath of G-d
כי הולך הוא because went he
ויתיצב מלאך יי בדרך and stood himself angel of the LORD in the path
לשטן לו to be satan to him
Now satan meant adversary, so it could be argued that some other angel was acting in an adversarial role... Or not.

We can? From a list of passages written long after the time of Moses, if there was such a dude?

You might re-read Job. Ha-Satan made a bet with God that Job could be broken, & would no longer be devoted. God gives him the okay. Satan was just doing his job as public prosecutor.

I see. When do you think Job lived? Before the falling out between God and Lucifer (AKA Satan)? I thought Satan was supposed to be the snake that tempted Eve and Adam. If they were the first humans, Job must have come along later!

Maybe so. But human understanding of it is very much changing and subject to human culture.

Of course, by the time of Jesus, Satan's role as the prince of demons was well established, after a couple of centuries of exposure to Persian Zoroastrianism.

Heresy, you mean? Can't have that!