Make it make sense ?

[u/ComplexWrangler1346]

[u/Festivefire]

Because the idea that Satan is the king of hell, who 'rules' hell, and runs all the punishments, is based on a people mistaking a popular story as 'scripture', and not actually what it says in the bible. The actual bible says that Satan is cast into the lake of fire as a prisoner, and says nothing about him being the king of hell.

[u/1nhaleSatan → u/Festivefire]

There are also several books in the Bible that refer to him as a "prosecutor" type character, like with Job. In the Hebrew Bible, Satan functions primarily as ha-satan—a title meaning "the accuser" or "the adversary"—acting as a heavenly prosecutor within God's divine council rather than as an embodiment of cosmic evil. Incidentally (or maybe on purpose) the word "sin" comes from an ancient Greek archery term to "miss the mark" or fail at your intended purpose.

A more "modern" take on him as a character, is someone who represents evil, as opposed to a character that deems humanity unworthy of its gifts.

My username unrelated, just thought it was a funny name

[u/Blacksad9999 → u/1nhaleSatan]

Right.

The precursor to the modern devil worked with God, not against him. He would test people's faith.

[u/1nhaleSatan → u/Blacksad9999]

Pretty much, yeah

[u/KeyAd517 → u/Blacksad9999]

God rebukes Satan in Zechariah 3, and it wasn't necessary for him to cause as much harm to Job as he'd done (Job had a hedge of protection for a reason).

The New Testament is the removal of The Veil for Christians. We find out in Revelations 20:2 that Satan was "the serpent of old" in Eden that deceived Eve.

[u/ModernCGIFloatinHead → u/Festivefire]

Not that he is, but he will be upon Christ's return. He will be cast into hell for 1,000 years. 

He's had over 2,000 free roaming, so doesn't exactly seem fair anymore, but hey, they book was written awhile ago. 

[u/ModernCGIFloatinHead → u/[deleted]]

Zorp is dead. Long live Zorp.

[u/JuniorAd1210 → u/Festivefire]

That's from one book, Revelation, that barely made it into the canon, and the Protestants almost dropped it as well.

Elsewhere in the Bible, Satan is consistently presented as the ruler of this world.

Our canon is also edited and forged in response to earlier sects claiming that the creator god was evil. To them, modern Christianity is literally worshipping Satan.

[u/MammothBright4420 → u/JuniorAd1210]

Where? I dont recall satan being anything other than god's prosecutor basically. (Ie employee). The whole ruler of hell thing is from Milton?

[u/LifeConsideration981]

That’s from Milton’s Paradise Lost, which was written 1600 years after the Bible and is not considered part of Scripture.

The Bible teaches that Christ defeated Satan on the cross and that he also will be cast into the lake of fire.

[u/Aubeng → u/LifeConsideration981]

This. Satan is never the torturer in the Bible. The red horned pitchfork guy devising individual punishments is non-Biblical.

[u/DaKingaDaNorth → u/Aubeng]

Hell isn't even all that defined biblically beyond being a dark and firey place where you are eternally separated from God and can never feel or know his love.

The idea of a bunch of demons led by the devil whipping and torturing people all day was more of a later development by artists and writers.

In fact, the only confirmed person in the entire Bible to go to hell is Satan, and even that is described as his final fate in the Book of Revelation, so he might not even be there yet. Judas is the only person who might sort of be implied to go to hell, but even that is highly debateable.

[u/KevinCarbonara → u/DaKingaDaNorth]

Modern concepts of Hell tend to be a mashup of two things from Revelations, the millennium reign that the demons are given over earth while the saints are taken into heaven, and then the lake of fire the sinners are thrown into in the end. Other concepts, like the torture being eternal, are completely made up.

The other references in the bible to Hades, Sheol, Gehenna, etc., are never used in the same way as the concept of hell is. Gehenna, for example, was just a valley, and not even a particularly large one, at that. It was where people went to burn their trash, so it was associated with filth. So the "fire of Gehenna" is not hell. It's just a metaphor for refuse, or death.

[u/PostApoplectic → u/KevinCarbonara]

TIL the idea of a dumpster fire goes way back.

[u/FockerXC → u/DaKingaDaNorth]

Also interesting to note that throughout the Gospels, Jesus is written saying things that imply his being turned over to the Romans and killed is part of a divine plan. Does that make Judas’ betrayal part of that plan? Should he be punished for helping?

[u/StandardCategory5153 → u/FockerXC]

Literally everything is part of an omnipotent beings divine plan. Judas had free will. God knew it. Doesn’t mean God made him

[u/FockerXC → u/StandardCategory5153]

That doesn’t really answer the question? System seems quite rigged if he is punished for helping advance the whole “Jesus needs to die to redeem mankind” plan whether he had free will or not

[u/garfgon → u/FockerXC]

Just because a retailer expects (or "plans") for a certain amount of their product to be stolen doesn't mean it's ok to steal, or you shouldn't be punished for stealing.

[u/Pyroso → u/garfgon]

I don't think it's the same thing at all. Retailers are not omnipotent and don't have a say on things getting stolen. If Judas betreyal was part of "divine plan", did he really have a choice in his part? If not then what about free will? And if he had choice then was it really "divine plan"?

[u/LifeConsideration981 → u/DaKingaDaNorth]

Luke 19:

There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things,but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

[u/Own-Advertising9843 → u/LifeConsideration981]

This is also not immediately identifiable with hell, or the lake of fire more aptly.

Many individuals have come to identify this with Sheol.

For example in the Greek Septuagint, Sheol is synonymous with Hades.

Gehenna is more often used to describe it.

It's also not that simple though, much of this is inferred from the context of the text.

[u/DaKingaDaNorth → u/LifeConsideration981]

That's a parable though, scholars debate whether that's even meant to be a real person or just a story used as an example.

[u/neridev → u/DaKingaDaNorth]

Sounds more like people trying to reinterprate with bias because they refuse to believe the abrahamic God would let people burn eternally.

[u/Blacksad9999 → u/DaKingaDaNorth]

Right.

"Hell" is basically when you're severed from the connection to god.

Also: It never states people go to heaven or hell upon death. They have to wait for Judgement Day.

[u/Full_Piano6421 → u/Blacksad9999]

What become of them until then? 

[u/Blacksad9999 → u/Full_Piano6421]

Probably something like purgatory, where everyone waits.

[u/KevinCarbonara → u/Aubeng]

I wouldn't say never - the dragon in Revelations is called Satan, who goes down to the earth and sea with great anger, because he knows his time is short.

https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Revelation%2012%3A12

But... that's the extent of it. Satan is an infrequent character in the bible. Modern Christianity tends to throw all evil characters in the bible together, but that's not consistent with the text.

[u/fish_bowl_swimmer → u/LifeConsideration981]

… also Dante in the 14th century with Inferno. It sites how sinners will be tortured based on their earthly sins across the 9 Circles of Hell for eternity.

Not scripture but folklore of the times.

[u/Creme_de_la_Coochie → u/fish_bowl_swimmer]

Except Satan isn’t a torturer in Inferno, he’s inmate No. 1

[u/JerkBezerberg → u/LifeConsideration981]

Y God no just destroy Santa? God strong, yes? No?

[u/jorgepolak → u/JerkBezerberg]

He still wanted presents.

[u/nomiis19 → u/LifeConsideration981]

Wouldn’t it also be based on Dante’s Inferno?

[u/Big-Crow4152 → u/LifeConsideration981]

A lot of Christian misconceptions come from things like this

[u/horned-creature → u/LifeConsideration981]

satan/lucifer as a torturer also appear in Dante Alighieri's divine comedy in the 1300s.

[u/Alarmed_Data_3037 → u/LifeConsideration981]

Save a copy of your reply for when this question gets asked again tomorrow.

[u/WaterSignificant9560]

A lot of Christianity is a bunch of stuff stapled together to unite the various peoples in Rome under the Latin church. Look up the first and second councils of nicea, that’s when they convene to create the Trinity as a concept in order to help get pagans to assimilate.

Originally Lucifer and Satan aren’t the same person, Lucifer was a pagan name for the planet Venus, noctifer was its other name. Due to venus’ irregular orbit it approaches the sun in the morning and disappears and then reappears and rises up at night. Lucifer and noctifer meant light bringer and night bringer. Supposedly Lucifer/venus’ orbit created legend it defied the heavens and tried to rise in the order of the heavens and is sent down. That’s why in the Old Testament Satan is more like a tricky demiurge that tries to test people’s loyalties to God, and then in the New Testament it is suddenly a fallen angel that has been sent down from his lofty climb. It’s two separate mythologies being repurposed to try and make one narrative and it doesn’t really work if you scrutinize it

[u/Admirable_Drop_4585 → u/[deleted]]

This. It is literally a fairytale. Believe in God if you'd like, but not the silly stories about him created so obviously by men.

[u/BrutalSock → u/Admirable_Drop_4585]

It’s worth noting that it’s hard to find what part of this is not a silly story obviously created by men.

Regardless, you can believe in Snowwhite and the seven dwarfs as far as I’m concerned, just don’t try to force your worldview onto others.

[u/MarzipanSea2811 → u/BrutalSock]

It's really easy actually-- if it's written down, is was written by men.

[u/SynAckPooPoo → u/Admirable_Drop_4585]

Stolen stories at that.

[u/FrankieOcean → u/[deleted]]

exactly.

[u/redwedgethrowaway → u/[deleted]]

I don’t think the divine comedy was meant for children

[u/Scuirre1]

Wasn't this just posted like an hour ago?

For the record, you're going to get 1000 different answers from Christians based on which parts of the bible they care most about, but most Christians generally don't think that Satan tortures you in hell. That's a hollywood invention.

He's more like an annoying roomate in hell.

[u/BlargerJarger]

Read Job. Satan works for God testing the mettle of humans. Later writers decided they wanted to retcon God into being wholly good, instead of being responsible for everything good or ill, so made out Satan is an independent agent. Job says something like “shall I love God just for the blessings but not the curses? It’s a package deal, bitch.”

[u/-Foxer]

He doesn't. I don't think is a myth. The punishment is that you have to spend eternity away from god's presence as I understand it. In other words Satan will be suffering the same as you. At least this is how I understand it works I'm not that much of a christian

[u/Signal-Yesterday7247 → u/-Foxer]

Eh. Depends on the denomination. Groups like the Catholics, Presbyterians, and United Methodists believe that, but there's still a lot of Protestant religions that believe in a literal fire-and-brimstone hell.

[u/OldeTimeyShit → u/Signal-Yesterday7247]

Some Catholics think there will be a much more literal, physical hell after the second coming of Jesus and the resurrection of the dead.

[u/Lost_Comfort5583]

My understanding is that hell is the absence of God's grace. The representations of hell throughout history are interprerations of that idea.

[u/Defiant-Maize6757]

Why would there be a hell at all? Why would god deny you care and decency? Why would it be forever?

It is all pablum for folks who find thinking for themselves far too difficult. None of it stands up to the slightest bit of scrutiny.

[u/Lost_Froyo7066]

Putting aside the biblical arguments, assuming that God forced Satan to rule in Hell and to administer the various torments, it would indeed make Satan feel like a hypocrite for exactly this reasons, thus further tormenting Satan and carrying out God's will that those who disobeyed him should suffer.

Of course, all of this suggests that God has serious anger issues.

[u/KevinJ2010 → u/Lost_Froyo7066]

The Old Testament, God was very spiteful.

[u/echolm1407]

That narrative came from a novel called Inferno written by Dante. It's not in the Bible.

[u/Ramenoodleray3]

Because it’s a psyop and hell is actually wayyyy more chill than heaven. I imagine you kinda just do volunteer communal work in heaven, you get to smoke weed and play videogames in hell, I bet

[u/straight_lurkin → u/Ramenoodleray3]

"Fuck heaven I wanna go to hell!

because I'm a piece of shit, it aint hard to fuckin tell.

dont make sense goin to heaven with the goodie goodies.

I like black Tim's and black hoodies"

[u/Ramenoodleray3 → u/straight_lurkin]

Fuck wait what is this from

[u/straight_lurkin → u/Ramenoodleray3]

suicidal thoughts by THE notorious B.I.G.

[u/Ramenoodleray3 → u/straight_lurkin]

Ahhhhhhh yes classic

[u/Anonymooseplz → u/Ramenoodleray3]

Not just communal work but communal work with these finely sane individuals

[u/Early-Tourist-8840]

Satan does not rule hell, he is in it.

[u/BasalTripod9684]

Because the concepts of the Devil, and Hell as a place of punishment are inventions of the church that aren't actually accurate compared to canon scripture.

First, Hell (as in the fire and brimstone type) isn't mentioned in the bible. It comes from a non-canon text that describes how God punished a fallen angel named Azazel by lighting him on fire for eternity for teaching Humans how to make weapons and armor.

Secondly, the bible never mentioned anything like a devil. In old Hebrew, the word "Satan" literally means "Prosecutor," and it was a title, not a name. Specifically it was the title ascribed to a group of angels that were tasked by God to test humanity by tempting them towards sin.

Those two original, non-canonical concepts gradually evolved into the popular conception of a fictitious devil torturing people for eternity after death, which was enthusiastically perpetrated by the Church, because fear is a great motivator.

Edit: "Satan" translated to "Prosecutor," not "Persecutor." My bad.

[u/macrocosm93 → u/BasalTripod9684]

Fire and brimstone is memtioned in the Bible, specifically in Revelations 20:10.

"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophets are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

[u/_Daftest_]

He doesn't. Satan isn't in charge in hell. He's an inmate (or will be), not the warden.

[u/Mr_Archer369]

In the Divine Comedy, satan isn’t the ruler of hell, he’s the first prisoner of hell. Trapped at the 9th layer trapped in ice.

[u/Elegant_Bison1604]

Because neither are real things

[u/wombatgeneral → u/Elegant_Bison1604]

[u/Movie_Vegetable]

Satan is supposed to be imprisoned in hell, not ruling it. That actually makes God the ruler over hell

[u/neridev]

The mist reddit like strawman argument

[u/PressureLast2115]

Satan doesn’t torture people in hell that is a myth.

[u/DthDisguise]

He doesn't. Not in any actual Christian theological tradition. .

[u/Snarkydragon9]

Read your bibles Satan doesnt torture anyone in hell no where in the Bible does it say that.

[u/No_Turnip_1032]

doesnt satan hate humanity isnt that the story in every thing and its the first point

theres no enemy of my enemy shit

dude hates you

[u/Fickle_Goose_4451]

Lucifer is not the king of hell, he is its most infamous prisoner.

If you want a more biblically inspired hell, check out the Inferno, not Paradise Lost.

[u/DaveJ19606]

Your theology is off.

[u/Ok_Nerve_5535]

Has nothing to do with God and everything to do with power.

The devil is like the warden in hell , he hates God and his creation, when God's creation lands in the devil's prison it's not gonna be Disneyland for them, you become his new plaything.

[u/Emptyell]

It’s a ruse. Hell is actually a nonstop party for all the cool kids. The whole burning for eternity thing is to keep the tediously righteous from spoiling the fun.

[u/Alone-Start-9178]

In Christian theology, Satan is not the ruler of Hell. The real question you need to ask is Why would God create or permit eternal punishment at all?

The traditional answer is usually built around justice and free will. God is good, evil genuinely matters, and humans are morally responsible creatures. Hell exists because God does not simply erase human choices or pretend evil does not matter. You commit sin, you have gone against him and you will be punished. It makes more sense in that regard.

[u/Helmer-Bryd]

Religions are so stupid

God can do everything. Why doesn’t he kill the devil?

Why should a poor kind family born in the wrong part of the world being punished in hell, forever, just becourse they learned the ”wrong” religion?

And why God gives children bone cancer, nobody knows. He’s almighty and can do everything and choose pain for innocent children wtf. Why.
Religious people’s answers ”God moves in mysterious ways” such a bull

[u/Embarrassed-Tune-407]

How can Heaven be a realm that sadness, despair, and evil, cannot exist in.. yet there was an uprising of his own most important angels

[u/keylime_5]

Bible says nothing about Satan being king of hell or the one who tortues sinners there.

[u/GreatService9515]

Hypocrisy

[u/_Panic_At_The_Costco]

Christianity is full of contradictory ideas and obvious bullshit and if it was true then its god would the ultimate evil.

[u/The13thAllitnilClone]

This is what had confused me about heaven and hell since childhood.

Only the pure and righteous get into heaven. So all the boring people who stick by all the rules and never think for themselves. Sounds like the most dull place to be. The range of conversations would be very limited.

Hell always sounded like where the interesting people went. Unfortunately that's also where all the assholes went too.

It's like Hell has weeded out the top 10% of people from the boring list and said well have the rest, thank you.

[u/Slice-Vast → u/The13thAllitnilClone]

Yeah, so, I'm a Christian and I don't believe in he'll. This is part of the reason why.

[u/HardcoreHope → u/The13thAllitnilClone]

I truly think the way they're talking about Heaven and Hell is mindset and mentality. I could be wrong I am no expert.

My understanding, God represents good and knowledge. The devil to me would represent the other coin which would be our wild animal instincts.

So it's not that you would burn in a fiery place of Hell being tormented by the devil. It's saying if you don't follow the path of God you'll most likely end up in a mindset of hell that tortures yourself. Your fears will be used by that animalistic instinct to drive you mad.

Idk for sure tho.

[u/PragmaticPlatypus7 → u/HardcoreHope]

I am not punished for my sins; I am punished BY my sins.

[u/Glum-Position-1709 → u/HardcoreHope]

I think this is a very healthy explanation 

[u/dudebronahbrah → u/The13thAllitnilClone]

Better music in Hell too 🤘

[u/Cultural_Kangaroo949 → u/The13thAllitnilClone]

Hell isn’t a place where people will be together. Biblically speaking, Hell is separation and isolation from God and others. Heaven isn’t a place to be with people, but to be with God.

Satan already knows his demise and just wants others to be separated too, and bring others down with him. Misery loves company. It’s a butthole move but that is legit what evil is.

[u/Gysburne]

It makes no sense. Like most of those stories.

[u/LloydusMaximuss]

It's a common misconception that Satan tortured sinners, Hell was created as a place of judgement and punishment for Satan, he is destined to suffer in a lake of fire.

[u/Wonderful_Discount59]

Why would a convict bully people in prison for disobeying the same laws he disobeyed?

[u/Lego_love_24-7]

Because that is his punishment for going against god. But it really is the great story ever written

[u/DrFabio23]

Satan is in hell, not ruling it.

[u/pc_magas]

Well Satan does not torture ppl, hell was made for him and not for us.
We are shooting ourselves to the foot.

[u/Greasy-Chungus]

Repost.

Also Hell is God punishing people. The devil is a steward.

[u/Euphoric_Detective54]

Your confusing pop culture representation of hell with what the christian bible actually teaches.

[u/Cracknoreos]

There is no hell. We are infinite beings, representing as the people we are experiencing right now. We live forever. This is a schoolroom, not a courtroom. Religion can be healing and inspiring but can also be used as a control mechanism.

[u/CaffeinatedBarbarian]

For the same reason we keep getting tortured with the rabid misuse of this meme template.

[u/iAreRoach]

That's just kids cartoon Hell. Bible Hell isn't run by Satan wearing a red devil suit with a pitchfork. He's there, also being punished.

[u/EconomicsAnxious690]

To experience pain or pleasure - physical or otherwise - isn't a functioning nervous system necessary? Since souls do not have such a system, how is pain or pleasure delivered?

Curious what theology says about the delivery mechanism.

[u/ReySpacefighter]

Satan doesn't torture people in hell. That's not biblical in any way.

[u/ElegantNatural2968]

You could be a Netflix writer who write documentaries but change the whole reality

[u/consumeshroomz]

Because none of that shit makes any sense to begin with. It’s all friggen gobbledygook.

[u/D-Train0000]

That’s what god tells you. Can’t trust him

[u/commentor_of_things]

true

[u/elvergalarga9773]

These fairy tales are to keep up with. I'll just stick to the Doom lore instead.

[u/ReadnW]

Who said Satan disobeyed God
Who said hell is for torture
Who said people disobey God

[u/Affectionate_Pear_81]

I'm not religious but I'll give a serious answer. I believe that the idea is that eventually he will also be being tortured in hell. The idea of him being in charge of hell isn't really supported by any religious texts that I'm aware of.

[u/deviantdevil80]

Just a literary character in a book of stories.

[u/RingarrTheBarbarian]

It’s a fairy tale. Religion is bullshit. Yada yada Reddit atheist (hello, I am one).

But the actual Christian answer is that Satan isn’t the guy running Hell and torturing people for God. He’s a prisoner too. Hell is where Satan himself is punished.

[u/Commercial_Coyote366]

I once asked a evangelical Christian coworkers that kind of question. Satan is the head Walden of a Prison because otherwise is it not odd that god sends his biggest adversary humanity most dangerous people?!

His response was god could beat satan with ease! Kind of miss the point!

[u/RemoteCompetitive688]

No christian doctrine establishes Satan tortures people in hell, thats a later cultural revision

[u/papasmurfmusdie96]

Satan isn't in charge of hell... He's there to be punished as well and eventually purged from existence during the end times alongside all other souls inhabiting it.

For your hypothetical, though. If he WERE to punish anyone himself it would be due to the envy he feels towards humanity being God's favorite. Which in reality he corrupts humans to disobey God so that we too can face the same punishment as him.

Biblical Illiteracy... Just open the Bible and read it.

[u/AmericanComplaint]

Or “why would god subject his favorite creation (humans) to eternal hellfire for being the product of circumstances they can’t control?” Maybe the answer: there’s no hell. People created it to control people. “Do what we say or else”

[u/Spaniardman40]

Because the concept of hell as you know it is Christian fan fiction from the book "Dante's Inferno"

[u/LeonStang]

Biblically, satan is not the torturer or ruler of hell. He is to suffer alongside others being tortured.

[u/CampCircle]

Satan torturing people in Hell is not part of the Christian religion. More of a pop culture depiction of Christianity, although it has been around for a while.

[u/KSI_FlapJaksLol]

Jokes on you, I’m an apostate going to Outer Darkness (worse than Hell apparently)!

The “angle 📐 Moroni” can’t save this soul xD

Cheers 🥃

[u/Waste-Inspector8768]

Satan is not the one torturing people

There are a couple mindsets

First that the Universe is functionally divided into Heaven, Earth and Hell. God cast Satan from Heaven and bound him to Hell. So God isnt so much actively torturing Satan as much as he eternally bound him to the suffering place. Because of original sin, all humans are naturally destined for Hell, but God sent Jesus to provide people with a way to get into heaven by having their original sin forgiven.

The second mindset is gnostif christianity, where the old testament god and new testament gods are different gods, which largely accounts for the logic issues.

[u/Some_Guy223]

Its a relic of the Jewish tradition of the Satan being God's prosecutor instead the opposition.

[u/KevinCarbonara]

Good question! The concept of Satan torturing humans isn't biblical. It's mythology.

[u/OrganizationCalm158]

I always find it funny when Reddit thinks Dante’s Inferno is the Bible.

[u/KeySite2601]

He doesn't

[u/pracsitidder]

It's all God's plan. Satan just follows the celestial design.

[u/SchizoidRainbow]

What do you not understand about middle management

[u/Jaber1077]

Maybe the real hell is the reality we create on Earth when we only pursue selfish ends.

[u/PsychologicalOne752]

A God who bribes you with Heaven to be good and threats you with Hell if you are not, should be shunned. I am good for it's own sake. You can keep your bribes and threats.

[u/dougsbeard]

He doesn’t, Satan is there to also be punished. Granted I don’t believe in any of it but that is how it is in the Bible.

[u/AllOfTheIsz]

The torture is separation from God. The rest is fanfic

[u/Metharos]

Second time I've seen this this morning. What the fictional hell.

Christian doctrine, for most sects, holds that the devil is the first prisoner of hell, not the chief torturer.

Popular culture and some sectual variations have kind of run with it.

The Bible is not especially illuminating on the subject of hell, or whether it is even a thing.

[u/ProfessionalTruck976]

Because he gets to, he is not this servant of justice some people make him to be, rather he will HAPPILY torture anything and anyone he can and it makes no difference to him who they are and what they are in the joint for.

[u/Adventurous_Ad7442]

In Judaism, Satan (ha-satan) is a heavenly messenger and prosecutor who works directly for God to test human loyalty, morality, and resolve.

Unlike popular culture or other Abrahamic faiths, Judaism does not view Satan as an independent ruler of hell, a fallen rebel angel, or an all-powerful enemy fighting against God.

[u/Samaein]

From what I understood it's more that the "absence of god" is the torture, but like I feel like if it's the case, the absence of a rapey dude who demands your love under the penalty of eternal torture is kinda heaven for myself and also all friends would be there as well... and Lucifer sounds like a really cool NB folk (angels being genderless and all)

[u/Standy25]

Does Satan torture people? I think hell is pretty vague in the bible. It’s just a place without God right.

[u/BigDamBeavers]

What possible reward would it be to spend an eternity with the same toxic people you have to walk on eggshells around in life?

[u/achtung_2112]

Because the god he rejected told him to? Duh 🙄

[u/theacp127]

Because that interpretation isn't based on actual scripture. The idea of Satan ruling Hell is more of a cultural folk story created in the middle ages and reinforced by popular fiction.

The Bible shows more that he had likely already been cast down from Heaven to Earth at some point in its creation, but before man was created. He also never left Earth after the first sin of humanity and is still here as John 12:31 describes him as the "Ruler of this world."

Hell is also described as a future punishment for Satan and all who followed Satan as the final punishment, which means we don't know of anything actually being there or it actually even existing yet using information given in the Bible. It also isn't something Satan will rule over. He would be tortured and trapped there the same as everyone else.

[u/PrincessPlusUltra]

The same reason prisoners hurt other prisoners when it’s the police they both disobeyed that put them there.

[u/cherrybleu]

According to Islam Satan is an inmate of Hell and doesn't get to torture anyone

[u/Short-Hotel7648]

(sigh) he doesn't. He's not even there yet.

[u/Wald_Nidal]

As a Muslim I don’t believe in this nonsense of course.

But I also red the bible, this concept is nowhere in the bible. I think modern culture made it up.

And indeed, it doesn’t make any sense whatsoever.

[u/KrocKiller]

The oldest version of Satan torturing people in hell I know of is Satan in Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy. Where Satan is depicted in the center of Hell, half frozen in the middle of a frozen lake unable to escape, meanwhile those who committed the sin of betrayal in life are tortured for all eternity by being chewed in Satan’s mouth.

He is technically torturing people, but not by choice, and he’s doing it while he’s also being tortured.

[u/losthours]

because satan doesnt run hell, he lives there like everyone else.

He and people who are in hell choose to be there, they dont want a life with the lord so he grants that. Since he is also the source and summit of all that is good all you are left with is... hell

[u/Necrobot666]

If all things are created by the entity Yahweh, or Jehovah, and everything (even us) shares aspects and attributes of our creator, than just as human beings can be jealous, petty, fickle, and inconsistent.. so too can God or the Devil.

[u/will345d]

Maybe it’s like in Lucifer, the torture is his punishment

[u/wombatgeneral]

Ask Charlie Kirk, he would know.

[u/DeusKether]

he's just be biggest dude in the hole, not the one running it anon.

people think just using the lisa template makes their dumb ass question hard or intelligent smh my head.

[u/Big-Crow4152]

My religion describes it less as torture in the sense you're thinking and more the realization that you could have been so much better/done so much more

[u/Acceptable_Reply7958]

Because Christainity developed a dual concept of God/Satan, that they are 'out there' and external to us, rather than a non-dual understanding of God and "Satan/hell" is just confusion and inadvertently self imposed distance from God, which just means not recognizing that we are all part of God

[u/commradd1]

This Satan guy, he’s just not a very nice guy!

[u/Odd_Ad_5716]

In medieval belief satan wants to torture men and god is men's protector. Men lose their protection through committing sins.

[u/I3adIVIonkey]

Because that is kind of his job and whole thing?

[u/Standard_Lion_8192]

Hell is made for Satan and his angels, they are tortured there with us human following him over God.

[u/Interesting_Bad_4139]

There is no verse that states Satan will torture people in hell.

All beings that reject God will go to the place where the presence of God does not exist. God is all that is good so a place without God will suck obviously.

[u/DimChuc]

Why do victims of abuse often end up abusing?

[u/GoldCup60]

Because he's not a nice guy .

[u/MagmaTroop]

I don't think the story goes like that though. Satan isn't running the show in hell or deciding who gets in. He's just the biggest cunt there and his only prerogative is to be the biggest cunt to whoever shows up. He doesn't care who sent them, he just does it for the love of the game.

God decides who goes to heaven and who goes to hell, and he knows about this hateful cunt in hell called Satan, so he tells us that if we sin we will have to spend eternity with him

[u/mimikrimimikri]

he doesnt. thats hollywood fanfiction. in bible canon he gets punished like everyone else in hell. Until then he has some power on earth tho.

[u/Feralp]

For the love of the game? Because he's fucking satan

[u/RedPurpleBlueRedRed]

He's butthurt.

[u/mhb_11]

Yep, if anything, he needs to set up a competitive heaven and entice people to join that.

Currently, the the setup strongly points toward the devil being a henchman of god.

[u/Ibbenese]

Actual theology aside...

Satan could just be an hypocritical asshole that enjoys punishing people sent down to his crib, even if they agree with him.

[u/IWantMy2Dollars-]

If God gave us free will then why does he keep choosing the winning teams in the NFL every Sunday? At least according to the player interviews after the games.

[u/Pomegranate_Mobile]

Cause he was cool and did it first, everyone else is a poser

[u/Whoa_Thunder1995]

And how is the devil being punished if evil acts are fun for him?

[u/Makachai]

Goatherders Guide to the Galaxy doesn't make sense?

No way!

[u/Unfair-Ad9415]

Hell varies wildly from interpretation to interpretation. Some have Satan torturing people in hell because they are gods creation. Others because he is simply evil. Others state that Satan is just another denizen punished with hell, and that hell itself is the torture.

[u/RidMeOfSloots]

Nobody knows... but everyone will find out one day.

[u/cferg296]

Because in actual biblical lore satan isnt the torturer, but one of the tortured. The idea he is the king of hell is more of a pop culture myth

[u/HeMiddleStartInT]

Because he’s not a counterrevolutionary: he’s still part of management. Once an angel, always an angel.

#NotMySatan

Get a real adversary. Go for an Outer God

[u/Ok_Illustrator_3980]

Torturing the souls of humans is the only thing Satan can do that impacts God. God wants his children well in heaven with him not being tortured but Satan temps and sin separates us from God.

But eventually Jesus is going to kill Satan and it's gonna be really great.

[u/eddieswass72]

In some religions it’s not literally a place with fire and brimstone where you are tortured. It’s more of a purge from existence.

[u/Certain-Internet-206]

Hell is the choice to not leave your earthly identity behind and join god. Closest thing I could imagine is waiting on a bus stop as multiple buses pass by

[u/argusmanargus]

Satan is evil. Evil doesn’t care about you.

[u/Slice-Vast]

Because he hates people.

[u/Helporsomethinglike]

Well, which version of the Bible? Which revision? Which translation? Which revision of the translation?

[u/Specialist_Lynx_7442]

Hell is not Satans play ground. Hell is his punishment and it’s not meant for people that’s why God sent Jesus so that we may know the Father and be accepted into his house. It is our own free will that leads us to hell.

[u/wolftick]

Because he's a dick.

[u/bscepter]

Neither he nor god exists.

Hope that helps.

[u/Past-Sand-5739]

Facts. Hell probably super chill actually

[u/hairydad_addict]

it doesn’t make a lot of sense… because none of it is real.

[u/SleepyHippo67]

Well Satan doesn't have authority over hell, he's a prisoner, not the warden.

[u/Sauncho-Smilax]

Love of the game

[u/Im40PercentUsername]

He doesn't, that's a cultural invention which has no basis in Christianity.

[u/giboauja]

Why did he disobey god.

[u/LetsDoTheDodo]

Hey kid, it ain‘t that kind of movie.