Dualism & Christianity v. 1.0
by Iain Mac an tSaoir

    Many parts of Paganism maintain sets of polarities. One of these is the god-goddess polarity that is common to modern Paganism. In more traditional pagan paths, such as those following European traditions, the polarity is comprised of polar opposites. As an example of the later are the Germanic and Celtic peoples who believe that the two primordial elements are fire (upper realm of sky) and water/ice (lower realm), with this realm (land) sitting mostly as the middle struggle ground between the two. hot and cold, night and day, fire and water, etc, are examples of oppositions in which one can never completely overcome the other. Those are forms of dualism. Another, and very ancient example of dualism would be the teachings of Zororaster who taught of an absolute good versus an absolute evil in eternal conflict.

    Sometimes people think of Christianity as maintaining that last sort of dualism. They incorrectly think of our Faith as having two equals sitting in oppsition to each other. G-d sitting as good and in opposition to Satan and evil, who in that scheme is equal in all ways to G-d. That is not though what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that G-d created a great many things, including angels. One of those angels was Lucifer. His name means "light bearer", and in fact he is said to appear as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). Lucifer was and is stunningly beautiful, in fact the most beautiful of the angels. His beauty and power got the better of him, though, and he came to view himself as equal to G-d.

    As a result of his ego Lucifer started a rebellion (Isaiah 14, Ezekial 28). Egomaniacs really do believe they are all that they think of themselves. About one third of the angels followed him. After he rebelled his name changed and he started being called Satan, which means "adversary". He then came to Earth, which at that point was a paradise, and talked humans into believing they too could be as G-d. Based on the assumption that they could be as G-d, the humans followed their own short sighted and unwise ethical logic and also rebelled. From that time until the end, G-d has worked tirelessly and with ultimate sacrifice, to call back out those who will be loyal to Him.

   Yes, Satan is absolutely evil. In fact some of his many epithets are, "a murderer from the beginning" and "the father of lies" (John 8:44). But he was not always so as he rebelled sometime after the creation of the Earth and its inhabitants. Absolutely he has caused terrible suffering. In fact, the world has been temporarily ‘given into the hand’ of Satan (Job 9:24). And his full rebellious wrath will come upon the earth in the future (Revelation 12:9,10). This is not though dualism. The Creator always has power over the created. If Satan were equal in his opposition to G-d then G-d could neither completely overcome him, nor eventually do away with him altogether. Yet G-d did restrain Satan during the affliciton of Job (Book of Job). Eventually, in the future, he will be completely bound up (Revelation 20). Ultimately he and all others still in rebellion will be cast into the lake of fire (Isaiah 24:21 & Revelation 20). Thus Satan is neither all powerful, nor is he in an eternal opposition (either past or future), thus no dualism. G-d is simply biding his time waiting for the last faithful person to be called out. He has been, is, and always will be in complete control.

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