Only read this if you have time you deliberately want to waste; you can't get it back.

[Ixadavt]

A thought come to me: "Do you think the devil has his own demons?"

I rolled around with it for the better part of an hour and ran through the roladex of people I've known, and found myself puzzled as to whom I could share a thought of that nature with. A school friend who I remained close with into my 20's for certain, but I've known nobody in this half of my life who would play honestly with those questions. None who will even attempt to contemplate a metaphor beyond the shallow.

I find my thoughts of recent shrouded in fog. Vague and incoherent at best. Directionless. I feel like an aimless apparition, the wandering ghost. Waiting for my day; eager and terrified. Calm. Calm is the fog. In all directions as far as I can travel, a heavy, drowsy, warm calm.

I picture myself as a child sleeping between two large dogs. Comfort and protection, but not with its danger.

I had always been the worst of friends. How cruel would a god have to be to give to me the best of friends who deserves a great friend. How terrible it is to be a punishment. And for one as undeserving.
I am a broken pitcher. Perhaps she's finally given up trying to fill me. Maybe that's the calm I feel. She's can no longer try to help me and I can feel the relief from the endless faucet. No new guilt.
Perhaps now, we've come to our terms and she is relieved of the inevitable guilt she would have felt at my end. Guilt undeserved and unearned but guilt her soul could avoid. Guilt from the seed of graciousness. Most don't have it.

I think the devil had to have created his own worst enemy. You can't give freedom to the mind without having someone hate you for it. Even to hate you just to hate you because no one else hates you. I mean, they're demons, right? One of them had to turn their focus on him. At least one.

If you read all of this,
know that I appreciate you.
And the gifts of your time and attention.

 

[Rounded Agony]

This was an enjoyable read. I like your use of imagery, and although I'm sure you're hurting, I wish this was my version of hell. Mine is much less benign and placid sounding than you make yours out to be.

Assuming this is informed by judeo-christian ideas, I read recently there was once a subsect of Christianity that believed god and the devil to be two sides of a coin, or even one and the same. Even in standard canon, Satan used to be an angel, one of god's creations, so that "evil" didn't just come out of nowhere, right? The old testament is way more brutal but also way more holistic and I find it funny how little of those aspects seem to have made it through to modern christianity.

Funny how our attention spans have dwindled so that something of this length feels like a commitment to get through. Don't even look at my first/intro post.

 

[makethepainstop]

If you look at nature there is a polarity in all things: Hot-Cold Light-Darkness Dry-Wet Black-White Up-Down..... perhaps the universe has to have polarity too. Think of a battery + and - yet together you have an energy source. God + and the Devil - like a battery that creates some kind of current flow in the universe.

 

[Forever Sleep]

I'm likely to get this wrong- as I'm not massively educated in religion. I believe Lucifer is a fallen angel though. As I remember it, he and God had a falling out- Lucifer believed mankind weren't worthy enough to enter heaven. God being the rational guy he is didn't appreciate being questioned on this and banished Lucifer to the underworld (because supposedly God's love for us is so deep).

So- unless God created hell at that specific point, presumably it already existed. Lucifer just got lumbered with running it. I've always felt sorry for Lucifer to be honest. He only expressed his opinion... the punishment seemed a bit harsh.

Do you mean- are there exterior evil voices in Satan's head too? I guess that initial questioning of God's big plan may have been put there by a naughty spirit. Guess it really depends on what you consider to be right and wrong though. If anything that contravenes God's 'supposed' will is wrong and evil and no-one can even dare question it without being made caretaker of a flaming pit- I expect most of us are screwed.

 

[Cerulea]

A thought come to me: "Do you think the devil has his own demons?"

I rolled around with it for the better part of an hour and ran through the roladex of people I've known, and found myself puzzled as to whom I could share a thought of that nature with. A school friend who I remained close with into my 20's for certain, but I've known nobody in this half of my life who would play honestly with those questions. None who will even attempt to contemplate a metaphor beyond the shallow.

I find my thoughts of recent shrouded in fog. Vague and incoherent at best. Directionless. I feel like an aimless apparition, the wandering ghost. Waiting for my day; eager and terrified. Calm. Calm is the fog. In all directions as far as I can travel, a heavy, drowsy, warm calm.

I picture myself as a child sleeping between two large dogs. Comfort and protection, but not with its danger.

I had always been the worst of friends. How cruel would a god have to be to give to me the best of friends who deserves a great friend. How terrible it is to be a punishment. And for one as undeserving.
I am a broken pitcher. Perhaps she's finally given up trying to fill me. Maybe that's the calm I feel. She's can no longer try to help me and I can feel the relief from the endless faucet. No new guilt.
Perhaps now, we've come to our terms and she is relieved of the inevitable guilt she would have felt at my end. Guilt undeserved and unearned but guilt her soul could avoid. Guilt from the seed of graciousness. Most don't have it.

I think the devil had to have created his own worst enemy. You can't give freedom to the mind without having someone hate you for it. Even to hate you just to hate you because no one else hates you. I mean, they're demons, right? One of them had to turn their focus on him. At least one.

If you read all of this,
know that I appreciate you.
And the gifts of your time and attention.

I love a good thought experiment / exploration.

I'm going to proceed with the notion that we're kind of talking about the traditional concept of the devil - The guy who runs Hell. And yeah, I think he does. I think he has all of us.

Can you imagine the fortitude it takes to run and operate the destination for eternal suffering and pain? That's all that's on the menu over there. I can definitely imagine a being who would find joy in that routine. But I do think that variety is something everyone craves, even Lucy.

I am not versed in religious texts, let alone the full breadth of them. Yet, my understanding has been that Lucifer was an advocate for independence, curiosity, and challenging what is around you. This man now runs a kingdom full of people who did exact that. Also folks who did some really unspeakable stuff. But I can imagine being worn down by the influx of people coming in who broke unjust rules. I don't think he couldn't care about that. I don't think it couldn't be painful.

To be the overlord, the babysitter, for a realm full of souls who are suffering, separated from those they love, and experiencing eternal torture / isolation. To know that a fair amount of them blame you for it. To know that demons are bound to eventually reach for the crown not realizing it doesn't work that way. So, yeah, I think he has own demons. I think he has his own complex emotional process and life to reckon with. I think he also experiences immense grief. It's reasonable to me that he's also a huge jerk with a sinister agenda. I can see it, is all I'm saying.

All of that is to say that the concept of align with any religious belief is very much not for me. I do enjoy a good story and a good chat, however.

 

[Ixadavt]

This was an enjoyable read. I like your use of imagery, and although I'm sure you're hurting, I wish this was my version of hell. Mine is much less benign and placid sounding than you make yours out to be.

Assuming this is informed by judeo-christian ideas, I read recently there was once a subsect of Christianity that believed god and the devil to be two sides of a coin, or even one and the same. Even in standard canon, Satan used to be an angel, one of god's creations, so that "evil" didn't just come out of nowhere, right? The old testament is way more brutal but also way more holistic and I find it funny how little of those aspects seem to have made it through to modern christianity.

Funny how our attention spans have dwindled so that something of this length feels like a commitment to get through. Don't even look at my first/intro post.

Judeo-Christian is my background.
I used to ponder the question (for fun):
If Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, could it be possible that Lucy is God's estranged lover?
He does have a lot of Zeus-like traits.

I'm likely to get this wrong- as I'm not massively educated in religion. I believe Lucifer is a fallen angel though. As I remember it, he and God had a falling out- Lucifer believed mankind weren't worthy enough to enter heaven. God being the rational guy he is didn't appreciate being questioned on this and banished Lucifer to the underworld (because supposedly God's love for us is so deep).

So- unless God created hell at that specific point, presumably it already existed. Lucifer just got lumbered with running it. I've always felt sorry for Lucifer to be honest. He only expressed his opinion... the punishment seemed a bit harsh.

Do you mean- are there exterior evil voices in Satan's head too? I guess that initial questioning of God's big plan may have been put there by a naughty spirit. Guess it really depends on what you consider to be right and wrong though. If anything that contravenes God's 'supposed' will is wrong and evil and no-one can even dare question it without being made caretaker of a flaming pit- I expect most of us are screwed.

I tend toward the thought that God and Devil are just personifications of the polarities of Life: the yin and yang.

I can't remember who said it, but I've always liked the quote: "There is no right or wrong but thinking makes it so." It may be good or evil, I can't remember it exactly (hahaha) but it works either way.

Lastly, I think that Satan is an advocate for complete freedom with only consequences that come naturally and God allows freedom as long as you choose correctly, otherwise he has a prison for you. Like government vs anarchy.
Do as you please vs. Do as you please as long as you don't do these things or I'll send you to hell.
I think there is a misconception of Lucy being an overlord. He/She gets that realm because God isn't there and no one is capable of challenging. But I don't think Satan is interested in ruling anything, only subverting God. Think Joker. "The only sensible way is to live without rules."
Like the lead shotcaller in a prison, only takes the role to organize for the fight. Lucy has one obsession.
At least that's how I've always taken it. She resisted authority and unfairness and was punished for it. So, now she fights authority at every turn with every tool she has.

But my views have always been skewed by an absolute resistance to authority and authoritative orders.