Perspective: The Devil is a Lie

Many students at Howard University are under the impression that a supernatural evil that is pervasive throughout the world exists, and it is called the Devil. The Devil goes by many names, Bezel bulb, Lucifer, Satan, "he who shall not be named".

This Devil would be the complete polar opposite of the all good supernatural being that is most commonly known as god. However, I believe that the belief in the Devil is just another misplaced notion that is not critically examined by Howard students who believe in such fantasies.

Let's examine some common beliefs about the Devil. First, the Devil is pure evil. All of its actions are solely meant to cause suffering. These actions include but are not limited to, murder, theft, rape, abduction, and torture. Just like god, the Devil can use humans as a means to its ends, meaning the Devil can possess people to do things to fulfill its plan to cause pain and suffering.

Just like god uses people at times to fulfill its plan of bliss and happiness. The real splinter in the mind comes when we analyze how our supernatural beliefs relate to our natural understandings of our society. I am proposing that the students who believe in the Devil actually don't.

The line between choice and force becomes blurred when it is established that the Devil makes people do evil things. "The Devil made me do it" is not an excuse that we can use ANYWHERE in our society. As humans we demand you take responsibility for your actions regardless of our beliefs about evil and where it comes from.

I am asking everyone who reads this to critically analyze the concept of the Devil as the origin of evil. How do you distinguish between acts of evil that were caused by a person's choice rather than by some manipulation of the Devil? If the Devil does actually exist, then there MUST be some cases where an innocent person was used or tricked to fulfill an act of evil designed by the Devil.

The real questions that need to be answered are, who makes such judgments, what do you base your judgments on, and do I even care if there is a difference between choice of the individual and coercion by the Devil?

If the Devil is a lie, then there is no need to attribute evil to it. If the Devil does exist, then as logical human beings in a democratic society, we cannot just stand idly by as innocent people are put in jail or murdered for crimes they did not commit.

Is it fair to give someone the death penalty for a crime they didn't knowingly commit? That makes the people who convicted the accused just as guilty. If god is the ultimate judge, then we have no need for a justice system.

There are egregious logical errors in the belief of a purely evil supernatural being. I just hope that someday, as a species, humankind can move forward with their thinking.

Dominic Ripoli is a senior Legal Communications major from Antioch, California.