National Front (UK) and Devil in Christianity: Difference between pages

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{{dablink|For the [[Islamic]] devil, see [[Iblis]]. See [[Satan]] for the [[Judaism|Jewish]] view or see [[Devil]] for the devil in other religions, the term devil, and the concept influenced by Christianity in general.}}
{{Infobox_British_Political_Party |
party_name = National Front |
party_articletitle = British National Front|
party_logo = [[Image:Unionnf.PNG‎|The logo of the British National Party]] |
leader = [[Tom Holmes the loser]]
foundation = 1967 |
ideology = [[White Nationalism]] <br>[[British Nationalism]] <br>[[Right-wing populism]] <br>[[Euroscepticism]] <br>[[Third Position]] |
headquarters = PO Box 114, [[Solihull]],
[[West Midlands (county)|West Midlands]], B91 2UR |
colours = [[Red]], [[White]] and [[Blue]] |
website = [http://www.natfront.com/ www.natfront.com] |
position = [[Far right]] |
european = [[Euronat]] |
europarl = n/a |
international = n/a }}
The '''British National Front''' (most commonly called the '''National Front''', and often known as the '''NF''') is a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[political party]] whose major political activities were during the 1970s and 1980s. <ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/low/dates/stories/march/25/newsid_2531000/2531185.stm | title=1975: National Front rallies against Europe| publisher=[[BBC]] | date= 1975-03-25 | first= | last= | accessdate =2007-03-01}}</ref> They are widely considered a racist group, and the British Prison Service and Police Services forbid membership of the National Front (as well as the [[British National Party]] and [[Combat 18]]).<ref>http://psi.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/PSI_2001_042_staff_membership_of_racist_groups_and_organisations.doc</ref> The National Front states that it is not a [[Nazi party]], and that it is a democratic political movement. 'We believe in [[Social Justice]], National Freedom and the introduction of a [[Bill of Rights]] for everyone.'<ref>[http://www.natfront.com/nf_faqs_1.html National Front - 100 questions and answers - The Faqs<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The NF opposes all economic and [[Cultural imperialism]]. 'Nations should be free to determine their own political systems, their own economic systems and to develop their own culture.' <ref>[http://www.natfront.com/nfsop.html National Front - Statement of Policy<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>


[[Image:Lucifer Liege Luc Viatour.jpg|thumb|right|200px|''Lucifer'', by [[Guillaume Geefs]] (Cathedral of St. Paul, [[Liège]], Belgium)]]In mainstream [[Christianity]], the [[Devil]] is named [[Satan]], sometimes [[Lucifer]]. He is a [[fallen angel]] who rebelled against [[God]]. He is often identified as the serpent in the [[Garden of Eden]], whose persuasions led to [[original sin]] and the need for [[Jesus]] [[Christ|Christ's]] redemption. He is also identified as the Accuser of [[Book of Job|Job]], the tempter of the [[Gospels]], and the [[dragon]] in the [[Book of Revelation]].
==Late 1960s: Formation==
A move towards unity on the far right had been growing during the 1960s as groups worked more closely together. Impetus was provided by the [[United Kingdom general election, 1966|1966 general election]] when a moderate [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] was defeated and [[A. K. Chesterton]], a cousin of the novelist [[G. K. Chesterton]] and leader of the [[League of Empire Loyalists]] (LEL), argued that a patriotic and racialist [[Right-wing politics|right wing]] party would have won the election.<ref>M. Walker, ''The National Front'', Glasgow: Fontana Collins, 1977, p. 58</ref> Soon Chesterton opened talks with the 1960s incarnation of the [[British National Party (1960s)|British National Party]] (who had already been discussing a possible deal with the new [[National Democratic Party (UK, 1966)|National Democratic Party]]) and agreed a merger with them, with the BNP's Philip Maxwell addressing the LEL conference in October 1966.<ref>Walker, [[op cit]], p. 65</ref> A portion of the [[Racial Preservation Society]] led by Robin Beauclair also agreed to participate (although the remainder threw their lot in the NDP, its house political party under David Brown) and so the NF was founded on February 7, 1967.<ref>S. Taylor, ''The National Front in English Politics'', London: Macmillan, 1982, pp. 18-19</ref>


Traditionally, Christians have understood the Devil to be the author of lies and promoter of [[evil]], however he can go no further than the word of God allows. [[Liberal Christianity]] however, often views the devil metaphorically. Much of the popular history of the Devil is not biblical; instead, it is a post-medieval Christian reading of the scriptures influenced by medieval and pre-medieval Christian popular mythology.
Its purpose was to oppose [[immigration]] and [[Multiculturalism|multiculturalist]] policies in Britain, and multinational agreements such as the [[United Nations]] or the [[North Atlantic Treaty Organisation]] as replacements for negotiated bilateral agreements between nations. The new group placed a ban on [[neo-Nazi]] groups being allowed to join the party, but members of [[John Tyndall (politician)|John Tyndall]]'s neo-Nazi [[Greater Britain Movement]] joined as individual members by a policy of [[entryism]] to circumvent the ban<ref>Taylor, op cit, p. 19</ref> (this led to several members resigning in protest, most notably Rodney Legg, who went on to become an acclaimed local historian and conservationist).
==Characteristics of the Devil==
Teachings about the Devil vary, depending on the local folklore. Still, the characteristics present in the Bible are present in each depiction.


==Early 1970s: Growth==
===The Devil as rebel===
The National Front grew during the 1970s and had as many as 20,000 members by 1974{{Fact|date=February 2008}}. It did particularly well in local elections and polled 44% in [[Deptford, London]] (with a splinter group), almost beating the incumbent [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] candidate, who only won due to the split in the vote. It came third in three [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|parliamentary]] [[by-election]]s. In only one of these instances — the [[Newham South by-election, 1974]] (where the candidate was former [[Young Communist League]] member Mike Lobb<ref>Election address, February 1974</ref>) — NF outperformed the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives]].


According to the gospels of Matthew (chapter 4) and Luke (chapter 4), the Devil tempted Jesus at the beginning of his ministry. After Jesus fasted forty days in the wilderness, the Devil approached Jesus with offers of stones turned to bread, rulership over the kingdoms of the Earth (but with subservience to the Devil himself), and spectacular protection from physical harm. Satan uses the Scripture of the Old Testament to solidify his arguments. This would indicate Satan's full knowledge of all of Scripture, and a use of that knowledge to tempt and deceive man (Mat 4). Jesus refused all three temptations, rebuking Satan with His own knowledge of Scripture (Mat 4).
Its electoral base largely consisted of [[blue-collar]] workers and the [[self-employment|self-employed]] who resented immigrant competition in the labour market or simply the appearance of immigrants. The party also attracted a few disillusioned [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives]], who gave the party much needed electoral expertise and respectability. The Conservatives came particularly from the [[Conservative Monday Club]] group within the Conservative Party that had been founded in hostile reaction to [[Harold Macmillan]]'s "[[Wind of Change (speech)|Wind Of Change]]" speech. The NF fought on a platform of opposition to [[communism]] and [[liberalism]], support for [[Ulster loyalism]], opposition to the [[European Economic Community]], and the compulsory [[repatriation]] of new [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] immigrants that were able to come over to Britain because of its unique passport system of the period that allowed Commonwealth citizens to Britain as equal citizens.


Christianity holds several different views on Christ's role in defeating Satan. Some emphasize Christ's death and resurrection as sealing Satan's fate, so that the Devil is already defeated though not banished. Others emphasize the Devil's final judgment when Christ returns, at which time the terror and deceit of Satan will have no more effect on the world. This is because mankind will face final judgment, and the earth will be purged or cleansed with fire. Satan will be bound to the [[lake of fire]] (Rev 20) with the Beast, the false prophet, and all those whose names are not in the [[Book of Life]]. There will no longer be any way for Satan to have an impact on mankind.
A common sight in England in the 1970s, the NF was well-known for its noisy [[Demonstration (people)|demonstrations]], particularly in [[London]], where it often faced [[anti-fascism|anti-fascist]] protestors from opposing left-wing groups, including the [[International Marxist Group]] and the International Socialists (later the [[Socialist Workers Party (Britain)|SWP]]) supported [[Anti-Nazi League]]. Opponents of the National Front claimed it to be a [[neo-fascist]] organization, and its activities were opposed by [[Anti-racism|anti-racist]] groups such as [[Searchlight Magazine|Searchlight]].


===Possession by the Devil===
The NF was led at first by Chesterton, who left under a cloud after half of the directorate (led by the NF's major financer, Gordon Marshall) moved a [[Motion of no confidence|vote of no confidence]] in him. He was replaced in 1970 by the party's office manager [[John O'Brien (UK politician)|John O'Brien]], a former Conservative and supporter of [[Enoch Powell]]. O'Brien however left when he realised the NF's leadership functions were being systematically taken over by the former [[Greater Britain Movement]] members in order to ensure the party was really being run by [[John Tyndall (politician)|John Tyndall]] and his deputy [[Martin Webster]].<ref>Taylor, op cit, pp. 22-23</ref> He and the NF's treasurer Clare McDonald led a small group of supporters into John Davis' [[National Independence Party (United Kingdom)|National Independence Party]], and the leadership passed to Tyndall and Webster.
The Devil, as well as his demons, are portrayed as able to possess and control humans. The [[Roman Catholic Church]] occasionally performs [[exorcism]]s, and some [[Evangelical Christianity|Evangelicals]] do so regularly. Demons can also possess household objects, especially electrical appliances: according to Vatican exorcist Gabriele Amorth, "Demons occupy a house and appear in electrical goods. ... [I]t is normal for domestic appliances to be involved and for demons [to] make their presence known via electricity."<ref>[http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_sat4.htm]]</ref>


==Mid 1970s: Success and infighting==
===The Devil and black magic===
Since the Middle Ages, the Devil has been described as granting spells and magic powers to sorcerers and witches. In [[Acts of the Apostles]] 16:16 [[Saint Paul]] meets 'a slave girl who had an evil spirit that enabled her to predict the future'. He performs an exorcism using the name of [[Jesus Christ]]. However in the Old Testament practitioners of black magic were required to be put to death. ({{bibleverse||Exodus|22:18}}).
The NF's success in the 1973 [[West Bromwich]] by-election shocked many when the NF candidate finished third on 16%, and saved his deposit for the only time in NF history. This result was largely due to the candidate [[Martin Webster]]'s own adopted 'chummy' persona for the campaign as "Big Mart", and the NF flooding the areas with hired coachloads of supporters over the four weeks of the by-election at the party's expense. The party thereafter enjoyed respectable results, even if it could not win any seats. The NF's first 'elected' councillor won in a by-election for [[Carrickfergus]] [[Town council|Town Council]] in [[Northern Ireland]] in 1975 when the only other candidate dropped out (there was also the temporary defection of two Conservative Councillors in Wandsworth, London, one of whom — Athlene O'Connell — was later accused of failing to have ever severed her NF links).


==History of the Devil in Christianity==
In 1974, the [[ITV]] [[documentary film|documentary]] ''[[This Week (Thames Television TV series)|This Week]]'' exposed the [[neo-Nazi]] pasts (and continued links with [[Nazi]]s from other countries) of Tyndall and Webster. This resulted in a stormy annual conference two weeks later, where Tyndall was booed with chants of "Nazi! Nazi!" when he tried to make his speech. This led to the leadership being passed to the [[populism|populist]] [[John Kingsley Read]]. A standoff between Read and his supporters (such as [[Roy Painter]] and [[Denis Pirie]]) and Tyndall and Webster followed, leading to a temporary stand-still in NF growth. Before long, Read and his supporters were forced out by intimidation tactics of Tyndall's [[Honor guard|Honour Guard]], and Tyndall returned as leader. Read formed the short-lived [[National Party (UK, 1976)|National Party]], which won two council seats in [[Blackburn]] in 1976.<ref>M. Walker, ''The National Front'', Glasgow: Fontana, 1977, pp. 187-90 </ref>
===The Devil in the Old Testament===


In some Christians' views, the Devil's first appearance in the Old Testament is as the serpent in the Garden of Eden that appears in the story of [[Adam and Eve]] eating the fruit (traditionally identified as an apple, though not identified as such in the Bible) of the [[Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil]]. In God's rebuke to the serpent, he tells it "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." ({{bibleverse||Genesis|3:14-15}})
==Late 1970s: Riot and downfall==
If anything encapsulated the NF under Tyndall and Webster - and the clumsy response by its opponents - it was the events of August 1977, when a large NF march specifically went through the largely non-white areas of [[Lewisham]] in [[South East London]] under an inflammatory slogan claiming that 70% of muggers were black whilst 70% of muggers' victims were white (n.b. these figures came courtesy of an ill-worded [[News release|press statement]] from Chief of the Metropolitan Police Sir [[Kenneth Newman]] that was actually intended to illustrate how poor relations between the black community and the police had become, i.e. - black victims of crime seldom bothered to report it).


Christian scriptures identify the serpent with the Devil. The deuterocanonical [[Book of Wisdom]] says, "But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world, and they who are in his possession experience it." (Wisdom 2:24) Satan is implicitly identified, in the New Testament, with the serpent in Eden, in Revelation 12:9: "This great dragon--the ancient serpent called the Devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world--was thrown down to the earth with all his angels."
As the NF were at that time taking part in the [[Birmingham, Ladywood|Birmingham Ladywood]] by-election, such a large march elsewhere can only be construed as being deliberately to provoke trouble. Two-hundred seventy policemen were injured (56 hospitalized), over 200 were arrested, and 78 marchers or protesters injured, and an attempt to destroy the local police station saw the first use of riot shields on British soil outside of Northern Ireland.


When identified with the term, "[[Satan]]" (from Hebrew שָׂטָן, ''Adversary''), the Devil also appears in the heavenly court to challenge Job, with God's permission. This seems to be Satan's primary role- to use whatever guiles he may to cause humans to sin, and ultimately cause them to get sent to hell.
The event is often referred to by [[militant anti-fascism|militant anti-fascists]] as the [[Battle of Lewisham]].<ref>[http://lewisham77.blogspot.com/ Lewisham '77 history site]</ref>, along similar lines to the previous [[Battle of Cable Street]] against [[Oswald Mosley]]. However, as journalist Martin Walker pointed out, the march achieved Tyndall and Webster's aim of causing trouble and ensuring that their opponents took all the blame for it.


Some Christian concepts of the Devil include [[Lucifer]], which traditionally gives a name to the Devil. The name, Lucifer, is translated from the Latin, meaning loosely, "Light Bringer" (analogous to the Greek, [[Phosphorus]]) and is also used symbolically to mean the "Morning Star", (i.e. Venus), which held some significant meanings for Babylonians as mentioned in Isaiah 14:12. In this view, Lucifer is not used to refer exclusively to the "[[Lucifer#The_Morning_Star_in_Isaiah_14:12|king of Babylon]]", but rather solely (or additionally) makes reference to Satan before he fell, while he was yet uncorrupted, but powerful and glorious, and an angel of God.
The real damage to the NF at Lewisham was that plenty of its ordinary members began to have second thoughts about the sort of organisation they were in: seeing little attraction in having bricks and [[smoke bomb]]s rain down on them just so Tyndall and Webster could have excellent propaganda material and [[prime time]] media coverage.


In [[Eastern Orthodox Christianity]], Satan is one of humanity's three enemies, along with sin and death (in some other forms of [[Christianity]] the other two enemies of mankind are "the world",<ref>{{bibleverse||Jam|4:4}}</ref> and self (or the [[flesh]]), which is to be taken as man's natural tendency to [[sin]]). <ref>{{bibleverse||Rom|6:6}}</ref>
1979 was a disastrous year for the National Front. One view is that the rise to prominence of the newly reinvigorated [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] under [[Margaret Thatcher]] was a factor. Thatcher's tough right-wing stance on [[immigration]] and [[law and order (politics)|law and order]] caused the NF's support to haemorrhage. Many ex-[[Tories]] returned to the fold from the NF or its myriad splinter groups.


===The Devil in the New Testament===
Also Tyndall insisted on using party funds to nominate extra candidates so the NF would be standing in 303 seats in order to give the impression of growing strength. This brought the party to the verge of [[bankruptcy]] when all the deposits were lost: for most 'candidates' were candidates in name only, and did no [[electioneering]] whatsoever.
[[Image:Ary Scheffer - The Temptation of Christ (1854).jpg|thumb|left|The Devil depicted in ''The Temptation of Christ'', by [[Ary Scheffer]], 1854.]]


The Devil figures much more prominently in the [[New Testament]] and in [[Christianity|Christian]] [[theology]] generally. The New Testament records numerous accounts of the Devil working against God and his plan.
Front [[Deputy Leader|deputy leader]] [[Martin Webster]] claimed two decades later that the activities of the [[Anti-Nazi League]] played a key part in the NF's collapse at the end of the 1970s, but this claim runs contrary to events: for the [[Anti-Nazi League]] collapsed in early 1979 amid claims of financial impropriety, with former celebrity supporters such as [[Brian Clough]] disowning the organisation. The NF stood their largest number of parliamentary candidates at the [[United Kingdom general election, 1979|1979 General Election]] only a few months later. Furthermore, a damning full set of minutes of National Front Directorate meetings from late 1979 to the 1986 "Third Way" versus "Flag Group" split, deposited by former NF leader [[Patrick Harrington]] in the library of the University of Southampton, revealed that during the party's post-1979 wilderness years they were in the habit of "tipping off the Reds" in order to give their activities greater credibility with the public by being attended by hordes of angry protestors. This fact was later confirmed by [[MI5]] mole Andy Carmichael, who was [[West Midlands (region)|West Midlands]] Regional Organiser for the NF during the 1990s.


The [[Temptation of Christ]] features the Devil, and is described in all three [[synoptic gospel]]s, ({{niv|Matthew|4:1-11|Matthew 4:1-11}}, {{niv|Mark|1:12-13|Mark 1:12-13}}, and {{niv|Luke|4:1-13|Luke 4:1-13}}), although in Mark's gospel he is called [[Satan]].
Thus, the three important factors in the NF's collapse were [[Margaret Thatcher]]'s "swamping" speech designed to cream off the NF vote in key marginals, [[John Tyndall (politician)|John Tyndall]]'s rash diktat on the NF standing in 303 seats, and - ironically - the collapse of the ANL.


In all three [[synoptic gospel]]s, ({{bibleverse||Matthew|9:22-29}}, {{bibleverse||Mark|3:22-30}}, and {{bibleverse||Luke|11:14-20}}), Jesus' critics accuse him of gaining his power to cast out demons from Beelzebub, the chief demon (often identified with Satan in mainstream Christendom). In response, Jesus says that a house divided against itself will fall, so, logically speaking, why would the Devil allow one to defeat the Devil's works with his own power?
Tyndall's leadership was challenged by [[Andrew Fountaine]] after the disaster. Although Tyndall saw off the challenge, Fountaine and his followers split from the party to form the NF [[Constitutional Movement]]. The influential [[Leicester]] branch of the NF also split around this time, leading to the formation of the short lived [[British Democratic Party]]. In the face of these splits, the NF members finally rebelled and expelled Tyndall. He was replaced ostensibly by [[Andrew Brons]]: but the real leader was [[Martin Webster]], who much to everyone's surprise, backed the expulsion. Tyndall went on to eventually form the [[British National Party]] - ironically, Tyndall and his acolytes had been banned from the original BNP).


There are numerous incidences of demonic possession in the New Testament. Satan himself is said to have entered [[Judas Iscariot]] before [[The kiss of Judas|before Judas's betrayal]]. ({{niv|Luke|22:3|Luke 22:3}}) Jesus encounters those who are possessed and casts out the evil spirit(s). A person may have one demon or multiple demons inhabiting their body. Jesus encountered a man filled with numerous demons in Mark 5:1-20. Jessie Penn-Lewis's "[[War On The Saints]]" includes dates and recorded examples of demon possession in recent history.
==1980s: Two National Fronts==
The party rapidly declined during the 1980s, although it retained some support in the West Midlands and in parts of London (usually centred around the entourage of Terry Blackham). The party tried in vain to gain support in Northern Ireland on several occasions.


===The Devil in Traditional Christianity===
The party effectively split into two halves during the 1980s, after they'd successfully expelled [[Martin Webster]] and his partner Peter Salt from the NF. On one side were the [[Political Soldier]] ideas of young radicals such as [[Nick Griffin]], [[Patrick Harrington]], Phil Andrews, [[Derek Holland]], who were known as the [[Third Way]]. They had little interest in contesting elections, preferring a revolutionary strategy.
[[Image:Guido_Reni_031.jpg|right|200px|thumb|[[St. Michael]]'s defeat of Satan.]]


In [[John Milton]]'s epic poem ''[[Paradise Lost]]'', the theme is further developed &mdash; Satan is believed to have been an [[archangel]] who turned against [[God]] before the creation of man. Prophecies in [[Isaiah]] 14<ref>For example, see Jerome, "To Eustochium", Letter 22.4, To Eustochium</ref> and [[Ezekiel]] 28 are thought by some to be referring metaphorically to Satan, rather than to the king of Babylon.
The opposition NF [[Flag Group]] however contained the traditionalists such as [[Ian Anderson (politician)|Ian Anderson]], [[Martin Wingfield]], Tina 'Tin-Tin' Wingfield, [[Joe Pearce (politician)|Joe Pearce]] (initially associated with the Third Way faction) and Steve Brady, who ran candidates under the NF banner in the [[United Kingdom general election, 1987|1987 general election]]. The Flag faction did some political dabbling of their own, and the ideas of [[Social Credit]] and [[Distributism]] were popular, but the chief preoccupation was still [[race relations]].


According to most [[Christian eschatology]], Satan will wage a final war against [[Jesus]], before being cast into Hell for "aeonios." <ref>Aeonios, literally translated, means of or pertaining to an age, which is incorrectly translated as "all eternity."</ref> The [[Unification Church]], a sect that deviates from mainstream Christianity, teaches that Satan will be restored in the [[eschatology|last days]] and become a good angel again <ref>see [http://www.tparents.org/library/unification/books/lcah/0-toc.htm Lucifer, A Criminal Against Humanity]</ref>. A few early Church Fathers are known to have prayed for Satan's eventual repentance<ref name="Kelly" />; it was not generally believed that this would happen. On the other hand, Dispensationalists teach that Jesus returns to earth before the [[Great Tribulation|Tribulational]] period to reclaim the righteous, dead and living, to meet Him in the air (known as the [[Rapture]] <ref>see {{bibleverse|1|Thess|4:17}}</ref>. Many Fundamentalists believe that immediately following this, the Tribulational period will occur as prophesied in the book of Daniel, while others (especially [[Seventh-day Adventists]]) believe that immediately following Jesus' Second Coming, Satan will be bound on this Earth for a thousand years, after which he will be “loosed for a little season” <ref>a short time, see {{bibleverse||Rev|20:1-3}}</ref>&mdash;this is when the battle of [[Armageddon]] (the final confrontation between good and evil) will be waged&mdash;and Satan and his followers will be destroyed once and for all, the Earth will be cleansed of all evil and there will be “a new Heaven and a new Earth” where sin will reign no more.<ref>{{bibleverse||Rev|21:1-4}}</ref>
Having two parties within one saved the NF from oblivion after 1979, when the phrase "let a thousand initiatives bloom" was coined to allow internal diversity in the hope of recapturing success, but inevitably it led to clashes bordering on high farce: at the [[Vauxhall by-election, 1989|Vauxhall by-election]] Patrick Harrington stood as the [[Official National Front]] candidate against [[Ted Budden]] for the Flag NF, both sides cat-calling at one another during the declaration of the result.


In the New Testament, [[Letter of Jude]] (Jude 1:9) the [[Archangel Michael]] is described arguing with the Devil over the body of [[Moses]]. This dispute is shown in the painting by [[Guido Reni]] called "St. Michael the Archangel" showing Satan being crushed underfoot.
By 1990, the Political Soldiers had fallen out with one another, splintering into Harrington's [[Third Way (UK)]], and Griffin's [[International Third Position]] (ITP), leaving the Flag Group under [[Ian Anderson (politician)|Ian Anderson]] and [[Martin Wingfield]] to continue alone. Griffin's pamphlet "Attempted Murder".<ref>[http://www.aryanunity.com/attempted_murder.html The Ebanks File<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> gave a very colourful - if biased and somewhat bitter - overview of this period of the NF's history.


==Other views==
Its opponents viewed it during the 1980s and 1990s as a [[white power skinhead]] party with barely concealed [[Neo-Nazism|neo-Nazi]] views — something that the Front denied. Despite popular and tabloid media perceptions (and the line propagated by ''[[Searchlight Magazine|Searchlight]]''), the NF actually lost a lot of racist skinhead support as a result of the group's support for non-white radicals such as [[Louis Farrakhan]]. The former supporters either moved to the [[British National Party]], the rapidly declining [[British Movement]], or simply to the ''White Noise'' [[Umbrella organization|umbrella group]] [[Blood and Honour]]. Meanwhile, leftist and non-political [[skinhead]]s — particularly those in [[Oi!]] bands such as the [[Angelic Upstarts]], [[Peter and the Test Tube Babies]] and the [[Toy Dolls]] — spoke out against the NF's racist views or made it clear they had no interest in politics. Around this time, one pro-NF skinhead [[fanzine]] asked the [[Macc Lads]] to perform at a ''White Noise'' fundraiser even though their guitarist, ''The Beater'', was Asian.{{Fact|date=September 2007}}
===Gnostics===
In various [[Gnostic]] sects, Satan was praised as the giver of knowledge, sometimes with references to [[Lucifer]], “the light-bringer.”


===Middle Ages===
Nick Griffin and Derek Holland even tried to enlist the financial aid of Libya's [[Muammar al-Gaddafi]], but this was promptly rejected once the Libyans found out about the NF's reputation as ''fascist'' (a third of Libya's male population was exterminated by Mussolini's [[fascism|fascist]] troops during [[World War II]]). However, the NF received five thousand copies of Gadaffi's [[The Green Book|Green Book]], which influenced Phil Andrews into leaving the NF to form the successful [[Isleworth Community Group]], the first of several such "grassroots" groups in English local elections whereby nominally independent candidates stand under a collective [[flag of convenience]] to appear more attractive to voters.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/programmes/2001/bnp_special/roots/1984.stm BBC News | Programmes | Under the skin of the BNP<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>.<ref>http://www.thirdway.org/files/reviews/copsey.html</ref>.
[[Image:Nuremberg chronicles - Devil and Woman on Horseback (CLXXXIXv).jpg|thumb|250px|right|The Devil on horseback. ''[[Nuremberg Chronicle]]'' ([[1493]]).]]
Particularly in the medieval period, Satan was often depicted as having horns and a goat's hindquarters. He has also been depicted as carrying a pitchfork, and with a forked tail. None of these images seem to be based on Biblical materials, as Satan's physical appearance is never described in the bible, Qur'an or any other religious text. Rather, this image is apparently based on pagan [[horned god]]s, such as [[Pan (god)|Pan]] and [[Dionysus]], common to many [[mythology|mythologies]] <ref>Powell, Barry B. Classical Myth. Second ed. With new translations of ancient texts by Herbert M. Howe. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1998.</ref>. Pan in particular looks very much like the images of the medieval Satan. Some images are based on [[Baphomet]], which is portrayed in Eliphas Lévi's 1854 Dogme et rituel de la haute magie (English translation Transcendental Magic, its Doctrine and Ritual)<ref>[http://www.templarhistory.com/levi.html Eliphas Lévi: The Man Behind Baphomet]</ref>. Even some Satanists use Baphomet as the image of Satan in Satanic worship. It has been alleged that this image was chosen specifically to discredit the [[Horned God]] <ref name ="Kelly"> Kelly, Henry A. ''Satan: A Biography''. Cambridge University Press, 2006.</ref>.


The [[Middle Ages|medieval]] [[Cathar]]s identified the devil with the [[demiurge]] of older [[gnosticism|gnostic]] and [[Neoplatonism|Neoplatonic]] tradition. Earlier sects believed the [[Old Testament]] [[Tetragrammaton|Yahweh]] was, in fact, the devil, based partially on ethical interpretations of the [[Bible]] and partially on the beliefs of earlier gnostic sects (such as the [[Valentinians]]) who regarded the god of the Old Testament as evil or as an imperfect Demiurge. Early [[Gnosticism|Gnostics]] called the Demiurge ''[[Yaw (god)|Yao]],'' the [[Aramaic language|Aramaic]] cognate to the [[Tetragrammaton]], YHWH (Yahweh). Moreover, modern research into [[Ugarit]]ic texts revealed that the names of the Jewish god were the same as earlier gods worshipped in the same region; Yahweh is cognate to Ugaritic [[Yaw (god)|Yaw]] who was the Semitic deity of chaos, evil, and world domination.
==1990s and 2000s==
In the 1990s, the NF declined as the [[British National Party]] (BNP) began to grow. As a result of this, [[Ian Anderson (politician)|Ian Anderson]] decided to change the party name and in 1995 relaunched it as the [[National Democrats (UK)|National Democrats]]. The move proved unpopular (and the name change [[Ballot Result|ballot result]] much disputed). Over half of the 600 members continued the NF under the reluctant leadership of previous deputy leader John McAuley. He later passed the job onto [[Tom Holmes]]. The National Democrats continued to publish the old NF newspaper ''The Flag'' for a while, and beat the NF at the [[Uxbridge (UK Parliament constituency)|Uxbridge by-election of 1997]] in which the candidates were the respective party leaders. The NF launched a new paper ''[[The Flame]]'', which is still published irregularly, but Anderson kept all the old NF printing equipment.


===As a sympathetic character===
The party fielded seven candidates at the [[United Kingdom general election, 1997|1997 General Election]]. Notably, the NF and BNP did not stand against each other in any seat at that election. It fielded 13 candidates at the [[United Kingdom general election, 2005|2005 General Election]], none of whom saved their deposit. The NF's current National Chairman remains [[Tom Holmes]].
[[Image:GustaveDoreParadiseLostSatanProfile.jpg|thumb|left|Satan, from Gustave Doré's illustations for ''Paradise Lost''.]]


The [[epic poetry|epic poem]] by [[John Milton]], ''[[Paradise Lost]]'', has a stylized depiction of the devil that influenced [[C. S. Lewis]] (''[[The Screwtape Letters]]'' and ''[[Space Trilogy]]''), and the [[J. R. R. Tolkien]] characters [[Morgoth]] and [[Sauron]]. Satan acts much like a [[protagonist]] of the first half of the story, styling himself as an ambitious underdog rebelling against [[Heaven]]. He becomes less sympathetic in the second half as the snake that tempts [[Adam and Eve]] in the [[Garden of Eden]].
The National Front gained a local council seat on 3 May 2007 when candidate Simon Deacon was elected unopposed to Markyate [[Parish council|Parish Council]], near [[St Albans]] (there were 10 vacancies but only 9 candidates). It had been 32 years since the NF's only previous councillor was elected. The NF had hoped that [[Tom Holmes]] could also win the Nelson ward council seat on [[Great Yarmouth]] Borough Council; he polled 22.9% of the votes cast.


Both ''[[Faust]]'' and ''[[The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus]]'' feature the demon known as [[Mephistopheles]], (also spelled Mephistophilius), who is summoned by Faust to sell his soul for a limited number of years of pleasure. Mephistopheles often shows regret and remorse for rebelling against God. In one famous scene from ''Faustus'', Mephistopheles tells Faust that he cannot leave [[Hell]]. When Faust tells him that he seems to be free of Hell at that moment, the devil responds with "''Why this is hell, nor am I out of it./ Think’st thou that I, who saw the face of God,/And tasted the eternal joys of heaven,/ Am not tormented with ten thousand hells/ In being deprived of everlasting bliss?''" Rather than glorifying the Devil, he is shown as a sad figure.
There has been a repositioning of the NF's policy on marches and demonstrations since the expulsion from the party in 2007 of Terry Blackham, the former National Activities Organiser. These have been reduced in favour of electoral campaigning. In the [[London Assembly election, 2008]] held on 1 May, Paul Winnett of the NF polled 11,288 votes (5.56% of those cast) in the [[Bexley and Bromley]] Constituency. The NF came ahead of the [[Green Party]] and the [[UK Independence Party]]. In the [[Greenwich and Lewisham]] Constituency, [[Tess Culnane]] of the National Front polled 8,509 votes (5.79% of those cast) coming ahead of the [[UK Independence Party]]. Tess Culnane also stood for the NF in the atypical [[Haltemprice and Howden by-election, 2008]] held on 10 July, coming fourth with 544 votes (2.3%). (another party for losers)
<div style="clear: both"></div>


==Party logo==


The party's conjoined letters logo is well known. The original version leaned to the right and some versions had a right leaning split level [[Union Flag]] to the left side of it (a style later copied by the airline company [[Air UK]] for their own logo). Allegedly it was [[A. K. Chesterton]] himself that came up with the design, taking the idea from the then logo for [[InterCity]] trains - however it also bears a strong resemblance to the old "Ministry of Food" logo from World War Two. Other logos have been used (including a ghostly figure holding a [[shield]], and a slobbering [[bulldog]] for the Young NF, but the "Conjoined" lettering remains the better known.


== Names of the Devil in Christianity==
==See also==
=== Old and New Testament names ===
* [[British Nationalism]]
* [[British National Party]]


Originally, only the epithet of "the satan" ("the adversary") was used to denote the character in the Hebrew deity's court that later became known as "the Devil." (The term "satan" was also used to designate human enemies of the Hebrews that [[Yahweh]] raised against them.) The article was lost and this title became a proper name: '''Satan'''. There is no unambiguous reference to the Devil in the Torah, the Prophets, or the Writings.
==Footnotes==
<!--See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref(erences/)> tags-->
{{reflist|2}}


{{bibleverse||Zechariah|3:1}} has been erroneously interpreted by some to mean Satan, "the Devil", but such is not the case. The [[Hebrew Bible]] views ha-satan as an angel ministering to the desires of God, acting as Chief Prosecutor.
==Bibliography==
*Billig, M. (1978). ''Fascists: A social psychological view of the National Front''. London: [[Academic Press]]. Very much an 'academic' book on the NF, with statistical as much as political/sociological analysis.


*'''[[Azazel]]''': {{bibleverse||Leviticus|16:8}} "And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for Azazel." Also, {{bibleverse||Leviticus|16:10}} {{bibleverse||Leviticus|16:26}}
*Walker, Martin (1977) ''The National Front'' (also expanded edition 1978) Fontana/Collins. This was written by a ''Guardian'' journalist of the period who had unlimited access to all the key players within the NF circa 1967-1977: ie. Rosine de Bounevialle, Rodney Legg, John O'Brien, Roy Painter, John Kingsley Read, John Tyndall and Martin Webster, as well as the widow of Arthur K Chesterton. By his own admission in the book, Walker's shadowing of the NF was to have an unintended influence on events within the party!


*'''Satan''': {{bibleverse||Luke|10:18}} "I saw Satan fall like [[lightning]] from heaven." See also {{bibleverse||Matthew|4:10}} {{bibleverse||Matthew|12:26}} {{bibleverse||Mark|4:15}} {{bibleverse||Luke|22:31}} {{bibleverse||Acts|26:18}} {{bibleverse||1Corinthians|5:5}} {{bibleverse||2Corinthians|11:14}} {{bibleverse||1Thessalonians|2:18}} {{bibleverse||1Timothy|5:15}} {{bibleverse||Revelation|3:9}} {{bibleverse||Revelation|20:2}}
==External links==

* [http://www.natfront.com National Front website]
*'''The Tempter''': {{bibleverse||Matthew|4:3}}--"And when [[Temptation of Christ|the tempter came to him]]." Also, {{bibleverse||1Thessalonians|3:5}}
* [http://www.londonnationalfront.org.uk/ London National Front website]

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/low/dates/stories/march/25/newsid_2531000/2531185.stm BBC 1975: National Front rallies against Europe]
*In {{bibleverse||Matthew|10:25}}, {{bibleverse||Matthew|12:24}}, {{bibleverse||Mark|3:22}}, and openly in {{bibleverse||Luke|11:18-19}} there is an implied connection between Satan and [[Beelzebub]] (originally a [[Semitic]] [[deity]] called [[Baal]], and referred to as ''Baal-zebul'', meaning ''lord of princes'') '''Beelzebub''' (lit. ''Lord of the Flies'') has now come to be analogous to Satan.
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/media/video/otdvideo/75/03/25/2433_25-03-75?size=4x3&bgc=6699CC&nbram=1&nbram=1&bbram=1&news=1 1975 video]

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVYLuiNfp4o National Front Counter Demo Against Muslims June 2007 ]
*'''The Wicked One''': {{bibleverse||Matthew|13:19}}--"Then cometh the wicked one." {{bibleverse||Matthew|6:13}}, {{bibleverse|1|John|5:19}}. This title suggests that Satan is one who is wicked himself. [[Abrahamic religion]]s generally regarded sin as a physical manifestation of opposition to God, and therefore evil; dissent only comes from the topic of 'where does sin come from?'

*In {{bibleverse||John|12:31}} and {{bibleverse||John|14:30}} Satan is called '''Prince of this World''' (Rex Mundi); this became a nickname for him.

*In {{bibleverse|2|Corinthians|6:15}} the Devil is referred as '''[[Belial]]'''. "What agreement does Christ have with Belial?" Also, in the [[Old Testament]], rebellious people and nonbelievers are sometimes called 'sons of Belial'. See also {{bibleverse||Deuteronomy|13:13}} {{bibleverse||Judges|20:13}} {{bibleverse||1Samuel|2:12}} {{bibleverse||2Samuel|23:6}} {{bibleverse||1Kings|21:10}} {{bibleverse||2Chronicles|13:7}}

*In {{bibleverse|2|Corinthians|4:4}} the Devil is called "the god of this world"

*{{bibleverse|1|Peter|5:8}}--"Your '''Adversary''' the devil." By adversary is meant one who takes a stand against another. In the Christian worldview, Satan is the adversary of both God and the believers.

*'''The Devil, diabolos''': This name is ascribed to Satan at least 33 times in the Christian scriptures and indicates that Satan is an accuser or slanderer ({{bibleverse||Revelation|12:9}}).

*'''The [[European dragon|Dragon]]''' or '''The Old Serpent''': These epithets are used extensively in the [[Book of Revelation]].

There are some who erroneously claim that the word 'devil' is from 'd'evil' -'of evil.' Some also believe that because the word 'evil' itself is 'live' spelt backward, the word originated through the nature of evil being "against living things," or the antithesis of life itself. Both claims are false, as the words are etymologically derived from pre-existing languages.

===Further development===

When the [[Bible]] was translated into [[Latin]] (the [[Vulgate]]), the name [[Lucifer]] appeared as a translation of "[[Morning Star]]", or the planet [[Venus]], in [[Isaiah]] 14:12. Isaiah 14:1-23 is a passage largely concerned with the plight of [[Babylon]], and its king is referred to as "morning star, son of the dawn". This is because the Babylonian king was considered to be of godly status and of symbolic divine parentage ([[Bel (mythology)|Bel]] and [[Ishtar]], associated with the planet Venus).

While this information is available to scholars today via translated Babylonian [[Cuneiform script|cuneiform]] text taken from clay tablets, it was not as readily available at the time of the Latin translation of the Bible. Thus, early Christian tradition interpreted the passage as a reference to the moment Satan was thrown from [[Heaven]]. Lucifer became another name for Satan and has remained so due to Christian [[dogma]] and popular tradition.

The [[Hebrew Bible]] word which was later translated to "Lucifer" in English is הילל (transliterated HYLL). Though this word, ''Heilel'', has come to be translated as "morning-star" from the Septuagint's translation of the Scriptures, the letter ה in Hebrew often indicates singularity, much as the English "the," in which case the translation would be ה "the" ילל "yell," or "the wailing yell."

Later, for unknown reasons, [[Christian demonology|Christian demonologists]] appeared to designate "Satan", "Lucifer", and "Beelzebub" as different entities, each with a different rank in the hellish hierarchy. One hypothesis is that this might have been an attempt to establish a hellish trinity with the same person, akin to the Christian [[Trinity]] of [[God the Father|Father]], [[Son of God|Son]] and the [[Holy Spirit]], but most demonologists do not carry this view.

===In Christian tradition===

Christian tradition differs from that of Christian demonology in that ''Satan'', ''Lucifer'', ''Leviathan'' and ''Beelzebub'' all are names that refer to "''the Devil''", and ''Prince of this World'', ''The Beast'' and ''Dragon'' (and rarely ''Serpent'' or ''The Old Serpent'') use to be elliptic forms to refer to him. ''The Enemy'', ''The Evil One'' and ''The Tempter'' are other elliptic forms to name the Devil. ''[[Belial]]'' is held by many to be another name for the Devil. Christian demonology, in contrast, does not have several nicknames for Satan.

It should be noted that the name ''[[Mephistopheles]]'' is used by some people to refer to the Devil, but it is a mere folkloric custom, and has nothing to do with Christian demonology and Christian tradition. ''Prince of Darkness'' and ''Lord of Darkness'' are also folkloric names, although they tend to be incorporated to Christian tradition.

In English, the Devil has a number of [[epithet|epithets]], including Old Scratch, Old Nick and others.

==Disputes==
===Is the Devil in Hell?===
The belief that Satan is in [[Hell]] has its roots in Christian literature rather than in the Bible. The Bible states that he still roams heaven and earth.<ref>{{bibleverse||Job|1:6-7}}</ref> It also states that Satan appeared with other angels "before the Lord," presumably in heaven. When God asked Satan where he had been, Satan replied, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it". {{bibleverse|1|Peter|5:8}} declares, "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour".

===How could an angel commit sin and rebel against God?===
[[Thomas Aquinas]], in his ''[[Summa Theologiae]]'', said:

<blockquote>"An angel or any other rational creature considered in his own nature, can sin; and to whatever creature it belongs not to sin, such creature has it as a gift of grace, and not from the condition of nature. The reason of this is, because ''sinning is nothing else than a deviation from that rectitude which an act ought to have''; whether we speak of sin in nature, art, or morals. That act alone, the rule of which is the very virtue of the agent, can never fall short of rectitude. Were the craftsman's hand the rule itself engraving, he could not engrave the wood otherwise than rightly; but if the rightness of engraving be judged by another rule, then the engraving may be right or faulty." </blockquote>

==In fiction and popular culture==
{{Main|Satan in literature|Satan in popular culture}}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}


{{UK far right}}
{{New Testament people}}
{{White supremist organizations}}


[[Category:British National Front| ]]
[[Category:Demons in Christianity]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1967]]
[[Category:Satanism]]
[[Category:Political parties in the United Kingdom|National Front]]
[[Category:Neo-Nazism]]
[[Category:Racism]]
[[Category:Discrimination]]
[[Category:Neo-Nazi political parties]]


[[ar:الشيطان في المسيحية]]
[[de:British National Front]]
[[el:Εθνικό Μέτωπο (Βρετανία)]]
[[fr:Front national britannique]]
[[hsb:British National Front]]
[[it:National Front]]
[[ja:イギリス国民戦線]]
[[no:National Front]]
[[ru:Британский национальный фронт]]
[[fi:British National Front]]
[[sv:National Front]]

Revision as of 16:05, 10 October 2008

For the Islamic devil, see Iblis. See Satan for the Jewish view or see Devil for the devil in other religions, the term devil, and the concept influenced by Christianity in general.
Lucifer, by Guillaume Geefs (Cathedral of St. Paul, Liège, Belgium)

In mainstream Christianity, the Devil is named Satan, sometimes Lucifer. He is a fallen angel who rebelled against God. He is often identified as the serpent in the Garden of Eden, whose persuasions led to original sin and the need for Jesus Christ's redemption. He is also identified as the Accuser of Job, the tempter of the Gospels, and the dragon in the Book of Revelation.

Traditionally, Christians have understood the Devil to be the author of lies and promoter of evil, however he can go no further than the word of God allows. Liberal Christianity however, often views the devil metaphorically. Much of the popular history of the Devil is not biblical; instead, it is a post-medieval Christian reading of the scriptures influenced by medieval and pre-medieval Christian popular mythology.

Characteristics of the Devil

Teachings about the Devil vary, depending on the local folklore. Still, the characteristics present in the Bible are present in each depiction.

The Devil as rebel

According to the gospels of Matthew (chapter 4) and Luke (chapter 4), the Devil tempted Jesus at the beginning of his ministry. After Jesus fasted forty days in the wilderness, the Devil approached Jesus with offers of stones turned to bread, rulership over the kingdoms of the Earth (but with subservience to the Devil himself), and spectacular protection from physical harm. Satan uses the Scripture of the Old Testament to solidify his arguments. This would indicate Satan's full knowledge of all of Scripture, and a use of that knowledge to tempt and deceive man (Mat 4). Jesus refused all three temptations, rebuking Satan with His own knowledge of Scripture (Mat 4).

Christianity holds several different views on Christ's role in defeating Satan. Some emphasize Christ's death and resurrection as sealing Satan's fate, so that the Devil is already defeated though not banished. Others emphasize the Devil's final judgment when Christ returns, at which time the terror and deceit of Satan will have no more effect on the world. This is because mankind will face final judgment, and the earth will be purged or cleansed with fire. Satan will be bound to the lake of fire (Rev 20) with the Beast, the false prophet, and all those whose names are not in the Book of Life. There will no longer be any way for Satan to have an impact on mankind.

Possession by the Devil

The Devil, as well as his demons, are portrayed as able to possess and control humans. The Roman Catholic Church occasionally performs exorcisms, and some Evangelicals do so regularly. Demons can also possess household objects, especially electrical appliances: according to Vatican exorcist Gabriele Amorth, "Demons occupy a house and appear in electrical goods. ... [I]t is normal for domestic appliances to be involved and for demons [to] make their presence known via electricity."[1]

The Devil and black magic

Since the Middle Ages, the Devil has been described as granting spells and magic powers to sorcerers and witches. In Acts of the Apostles 16:16 Saint Paul meets 'a slave girl who had an evil spirit that enabled her to predict the future'. He performs an exorcism using the name of Jesus Christ. However in the Old Testament practitioners of black magic were required to be put to death. (Exodus 22:18).

History of the Devil in Christianity

The Devil in the Old Testament

In some Christians' views, the Devil's first appearance in the Old Testament is as the serpent in the Garden of Eden that appears in the story of Adam and Eve eating the fruit (traditionally identified as an apple, though not identified as such in the Bible) of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. In God's rebuke to the serpent, he tells it "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Genesis 3:14–15)

Christian scriptures identify the serpent with the Devil. The deuterocanonical Book of Wisdom says, "But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world, and they who are in his possession experience it." (Wisdom 2:24) Satan is implicitly identified, in the New Testament, with the serpent in Eden, in Revelation 12:9: "This great dragon--the ancient serpent called the Devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world--was thrown down to the earth with all his angels."

When identified with the term, "Satan" (from Hebrew שָׂטָן, Adversary), the Devil also appears in the heavenly court to challenge Job, with God's permission. This seems to be Satan's primary role- to use whatever guiles he may to cause humans to sin, and ultimately cause them to get sent to hell.

Some Christian concepts of the Devil include Lucifer, which traditionally gives a name to the Devil. The name, Lucifer, is translated from the Latin, meaning loosely, "Light Bringer" (analogous to the Greek, Phosphorus) and is also used symbolically to mean the "Morning Star", (i.e. Venus), which held some significant meanings for Babylonians as mentioned in Isaiah 14:12. In this view, Lucifer is not used to refer exclusively to the "king of Babylon", but rather solely (or additionally) makes reference to Satan before he fell, while he was yet uncorrupted, but powerful and glorious, and an angel of God.

In Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Satan is one of humanity's three enemies, along with sin and death (in some other forms of Christianity the other two enemies of mankind are "the world",[2] and self (or the flesh), which is to be taken as man's natural tendency to sin). [3]

The Devil in the New Testament

The Devil depicted in The Temptation of Christ, by Ary Scheffer, 1854.

The Devil figures much more prominently in the New Testament and in Christian theology generally. The New Testament records numerous accounts of the Devil working against God and his plan.

The Temptation of Christ features the Devil, and is described in all three synoptic gospels, (4:1-11 Matthew 4:1–11, 1:12-13 Mark 1:12–13, and 4:1-13 Luke 4:1–13), although in Mark's gospel he is called Satan.

In all three synoptic gospels, (Matthew 9:22–29, Mark 3:22–30, and Luke 11:14–20), Jesus' critics accuse him of gaining his power to cast out demons from Beelzebub, the chief demon (often identified with Satan in mainstream Christendom). In response, Jesus says that a house divided against itself will fall, so, logically speaking, why would the Devil allow one to defeat the Devil's works with his own power?

There are numerous incidences of demonic possession in the New Testament. Satan himself is said to have entered Judas Iscariot before before Judas's betrayal. (22:3 Luke 22:3) Jesus encounters those who are possessed and casts out the evil spirit(s). A person may have one demon or multiple demons inhabiting their body. Jesus encountered a man filled with numerous demons in Mark 5:1-20. Jessie Penn-Lewis's "War On The Saints" includes dates and recorded examples of demon possession in recent history.

The Devil in Traditional Christianity

St. Michael's defeat of Satan.

In John Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost, the theme is further developed — Satan is believed to have been an archangel who turned against God before the creation of man. Prophecies in Isaiah 14[4] and Ezekiel 28 are thought by some to be referring metaphorically to Satan, rather than to the king of Babylon.

According to most Christian eschatology, Satan will wage a final war against Jesus, before being cast into Hell for "aeonios." [5] The Unification Church, a sect that deviates from mainstream Christianity, teaches that Satan will be restored in the last days and become a good angel again [6]. A few early Church Fathers are known to have prayed for Satan's eventual repentance[7]; it was not generally believed that this would happen. On the other hand, Dispensationalists teach that Jesus returns to earth before the Tribulational period to reclaim the righteous, dead and living, to meet Him in the air (known as the Rapture [8]. Many Fundamentalists believe that immediately following this, the Tribulational period will occur as prophesied in the book of Daniel, while others (especially Seventh-day Adventists) believe that immediately following Jesus' Second Coming, Satan will be bound on this Earth for a thousand years, after which he will be “loosed for a little season” [9]—this is when the battle of Armageddon (the final confrontation between good and evil) will be waged—and Satan and his followers will be destroyed once and for all, the Earth will be cleansed of all evil and there will be “a new Heaven and a new Earth” where sin will reign no more.[10]

In the New Testament, Letter of Jude (Jude 1:9) the Archangel Michael is described arguing with the Devil over the body of Moses. This dispute is shown in the painting by Guido Reni called "St. Michael the Archangel" showing Satan being crushed underfoot.

Other views

Gnostics

In various Gnostic sects, Satan was praised as the giver of knowledge, sometimes with references to Lucifer, “the light-bringer.”

Middle Ages

The Devil on horseback. Nuremberg Chronicle (1493).

Particularly in the medieval period, Satan was often depicted as having horns and a goat's hindquarters. He has also been depicted as carrying a pitchfork, and with a forked tail. None of these images seem to be based on Biblical materials, as Satan's physical appearance is never described in the bible, Qur'an or any other religious text. Rather, this image is apparently based on pagan horned gods, such as Pan and Dionysus, common to many mythologies [11]. Pan in particular looks very much like the images of the medieval Satan. Some images are based on Baphomet, which is portrayed in Eliphas Lévi's 1854 Dogme et rituel de la haute magie (English translation Transcendental Magic, its Doctrine and Ritual)[12]. Even some Satanists use Baphomet as the image of Satan in Satanic worship. It has been alleged that this image was chosen specifically to discredit the Horned God [7].

The medieval Cathars identified the devil with the demiurge of older gnostic and Neoplatonic tradition. Earlier sects believed the Old Testament Yahweh was, in fact, the devil, based partially on ethical interpretations of the Bible and partially on the beliefs of earlier gnostic sects (such as the Valentinians) who regarded the god of the Old Testament as evil or as an imperfect Demiurge. Early Gnostics called the Demiurge Yao, the Aramaic cognate to the Tetragrammaton, YHWH (Yahweh). Moreover, modern research into Ugaritic texts revealed that the names of the Jewish god were the same as earlier gods worshipped in the same region; Yahweh is cognate to Ugaritic Yaw who was the Semitic deity of chaos, evil, and world domination.

As a sympathetic character

Satan, from Gustave Doré's illustations for Paradise Lost.

The epic poem by John Milton, Paradise Lost, has a stylized depiction of the devil that influenced C. S. Lewis (The Screwtape Letters and Space Trilogy), and the J. R. R. Tolkien characters Morgoth and Sauron. Satan acts much like a protagonist of the first half of the story, styling himself as an ambitious underdog rebelling against Heaven. He becomes less sympathetic in the second half as the snake that tempts Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

Both Faust and The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus feature the demon known as Mephistopheles, (also spelled Mephistophilius), who is summoned by Faust to sell his soul for a limited number of years of pleasure. Mephistopheles often shows regret and remorse for rebelling against God. In one famous scene from Faustus, Mephistopheles tells Faust that he cannot leave Hell. When Faust tells him that he seems to be free of Hell at that moment, the devil responds with "Why this is hell, nor am I out of it./ Think’st thou that I, who saw the face of God,/And tasted the eternal joys of heaven,/ Am not tormented with ten thousand hells/ In being deprived of everlasting bliss?" Rather than glorifying the Devil, he is shown as a sad figure.


Names of the Devil in Christianity

Old and New Testament names

Originally, only the epithet of "the satan" ("the adversary") was used to denote the character in the Hebrew deity's court that later became known as "the Devil." (The term "satan" was also used to designate human enemies of the Hebrews that Yahweh raised against them.) The article was lost and this title became a proper name: Satan. There is no unambiguous reference to the Devil in the Torah, the Prophets, or the Writings.

Zechariah 3:1 has been erroneously interpreted by some to mean Satan, "the Devil", but such is not the case. The Hebrew Bible views ha-satan as an angel ministering to the desires of God, acting as Chief Prosecutor.

  • The Wicked One: Matthew 13:19--"Then cometh the wicked one." Matthew 6:13, 1 John 5:19. This title suggests that Satan is one who is wicked himself. Abrahamic religions generally regarded sin as a physical manifestation of opposition to God, and therefore evil; dissent only comes from the topic of 'where does sin come from?'
  • In John 12:31 and John 14:30 Satan is called Prince of this World (Rex Mundi); this became a nickname for him.
  • 1 Peter 5:8--"Your Adversary the devil." By adversary is meant one who takes a stand against another. In the Christian worldview, Satan is the adversary of both God and the believers.
  • The Devil, diabolos: This name is ascribed to Satan at least 33 times in the Christian scriptures and indicates that Satan is an accuser or slanderer (Revelation 12:9).

There are some who erroneously claim that the word 'devil' is from 'd'evil' -'of evil.' Some also believe that because the word 'evil' itself is 'live' spelt backward, the word originated through the nature of evil being "against living things," or the antithesis of life itself. Both claims are false, as the words are etymologically derived from pre-existing languages.

Further development

When the Bible was translated into Latin (the Vulgate), the name Lucifer appeared as a translation of "Morning Star", or the planet Venus, in Isaiah 14:12. Isaiah 14:1-23 is a passage largely concerned with the plight of Babylon, and its king is referred to as "morning star, son of the dawn". This is because the Babylonian king was considered to be of godly status and of symbolic divine parentage (Bel and Ishtar, associated with the planet Venus).

While this information is available to scholars today via translated Babylonian cuneiform text taken from clay tablets, it was not as readily available at the time of the Latin translation of the Bible. Thus, early Christian tradition interpreted the passage as a reference to the moment Satan was thrown from Heaven. Lucifer became another name for Satan and has remained so due to Christian dogma and popular tradition.

The Hebrew Bible word which was later translated to "Lucifer" in English is הילל (transliterated HYLL). Though this word, Heilel, has come to be translated as "morning-star" from the Septuagint's translation of the Scriptures, the letter ה in Hebrew often indicates singularity, much as the English "the," in which case the translation would be ה "the" ילל "yell," or "the wailing yell."

Later, for unknown reasons, Christian demonologists appeared to designate "Satan", "Lucifer", and "Beelzebub" as different entities, each with a different rank in the hellish hierarchy. One hypothesis is that this might have been an attempt to establish a hellish trinity with the same person, akin to the Christian Trinity of Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, but most demonologists do not carry this view.

In Christian tradition

Christian tradition differs from that of Christian demonology in that Satan, Lucifer, Leviathan and Beelzebub all are names that refer to "the Devil", and Prince of this World, The Beast and Dragon (and rarely Serpent or The Old Serpent) use to be elliptic forms to refer to him. The Enemy, The Evil One and The Tempter are other elliptic forms to name the Devil. Belial is held by many to be another name for the Devil. Christian demonology, in contrast, does not have several nicknames for Satan.

It should be noted that the name Mephistopheles is used by some people to refer to the Devil, but it is a mere folkloric custom, and has nothing to do with Christian demonology and Christian tradition. Prince of Darkness and Lord of Darkness are also folkloric names, although they tend to be incorporated to Christian tradition.

In English, the Devil has a number of epithets, including Old Scratch, Old Nick and others.

Disputes

Is the Devil in Hell?

The belief that Satan is in Hell has its roots in Christian literature rather than in the Bible. The Bible states that he still roams heaven and earth.[13] It also states that Satan appeared with other angels "before the Lord," presumably in heaven. When God asked Satan where he had been, Satan replied, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it". 1 Peter 5:8 declares, "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour".

How could an angel commit sin and rebel against God?

Thomas Aquinas, in his Summa Theologiae, said:

"An angel or any other rational creature considered in his own nature, can sin; and to whatever creature it belongs not to sin, such creature has it as a gift of grace, and not from the condition of nature. The reason of this is, because sinning is nothing else than a deviation from that rectitude which an act ought to have; whether we speak of sin in nature, art, or morals. That act alone, the rule of which is the very virtue of the agent, can never fall short of rectitude. Were the craftsman's hand the rule itself engraving, he could not engrave the wood otherwise than rightly; but if the rightness of engraving be judged by another rule, then the engraving may be right or faulty."

In fiction and popular culture

Main articles: Satan in literature and Satan in popular culture

References

  1. ^ [1]]
  2. ^ Jam 4:4Template:Bibleverse with invalid book
  3. ^ Rom 6:6
  4. ^ For example, see Jerome, "To Eustochium", Letter 22.4, To Eustochium
  5. ^ Aeonios, literally translated, means of or pertaining to an age, which is incorrectly translated as "all eternity."
  6. ^ see Lucifer, A Criminal Against Humanity
  7. ^ a b Kelly, Henry A. Satan: A Biography. Cambridge University Press, 2006.
  8. ^ see 1 Thess 4:17
  9. ^ a short time, see Rev 20:1–3
  10. ^ Rev 21:1–4
  11. ^ Powell, Barry B. Classical Myth. Second ed. With new translations of ancient texts by Herbert M. Howe. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1998.
  12. ^ Eliphas Lévi: The Man Behind Baphomet
  13. ^ Job 1:6–7
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