Free Republic

It would be easy if Satan came as he is often portrayed, with horns and a pitchfork. We would naturally flee this ugliness.Alas, he often comes cloaked in beauty, in sheep’s clothing: He claims to offer us freedom and autonomy from an unreasonable God and Church, liberation from rules and being “told what to do.” He cloaks himself in the false righteousness of being “tolerant” and “not judging others.” He exalts us by telling us we have finally come of age and can disregard the “hang-ups” and “repression” our ancestors had of sex and pleasure. He flatters us by...

VATICAN CITY, JULY 29, 2004 (Zenit.org).- We should take the devil "very seriously," but without losing confidence in the love of God, says the theologian of the Pontifical Household. Cardinal Georges Cottier gave this interview in the wake of last Saturday's murder of a priest in the cathedral of Santiago, Chile. The killing was linked to Satanism. Q: In the great mystery of evil, how much does the action of the devil count and how much responsibility does man bear? Cardinal Cottier: The devil is without a doubt the great seducer because he tries to lead man to sin by...