# God or Satan: Who's winning? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 1, 2006, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-or-satan-whos-winning/354941 "2006-05-01T13:15:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-or-satan-whos-winning/354941/41 "2006-05-02T00:18:21Z")
Good is winning right now. We are winning battles against disease, natural disasters, wars, repression, mental illness, pain & suffering, etc all over the world. ---
**Author:** ![Mayo\_Speaks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mayo\_Speaks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mayo_Speaks)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-or-satan-whos-winning/354941/42 "2006-05-02T01:02:24Z")
> [@Winston Smith](#): > > Sounds like you’re saying evil:short-term, good:long-term, then, eh? You got the second part right. I don’t know about the short term, although I’ll admit it often seems bleak. But like I said, it doesn’t matter (in the grand scheme of things) since I know the eventual outcome. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-or-satan-whos-winning/354941/43 "2006-05-02T01:21:39Z")
I think “stupid” is going to trounce Good _and_ Evil, while they’re preoccupied with each other. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-or-satan-whos-winning/354941/44 "2006-05-02T01:41:59Z")
> [@Sublight](#): > > I think Evil has adopted a winning strategy of convincing people they’re doing Good. THANK YOU! You know, I’m an Atheist. If I weren’t though; I’d have to wonder if it wasn’t the devil who put wrote the bible and NOT God. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_in\_second\_hand\_clothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9d8465/32.png) [@wolf\_in\_second\_hand\_clothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_in_second_hand_clothing)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-or-satan-whos-winning/354941/45 "2006-05-02T01:54:58Z")
Is the [dinosaur](http://www.teamspecialolympics.com/?sec=archive&auth=Special_Olympics&cid=hfc/00005.gif) evil? Eh, I’m going to go with evil, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-or-satan-whos-winning/354941/46 "2006-05-02T03:46:41Z")
> [@the raindog](#): > > They’re not logical, and apparently not from any thorough working knowledge of the bible. (without regard to doctrine or dogma, or the absence thereof) As is true of many atheists, I have read the Bible all the way through, even the goyisher parts. I’m quite aware of various doctrines that explain why God just had to slaughter everyone. Now, if you’d like to actually respond to my post, I invite you to open a GD thread. I won’t hijack this one anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-or-satan-whos-winning/354941/47 "2006-05-02T03:48:07Z")
> [@Wesley Clark](#): > > Good is winning right now. We are winning battles against disease, natural disasters, wars, repression, mental illness, pain & suffering, etc all over the world. I’ll agree with that. But is Good allied with God or Satan. Perhaps Good is going against God’s will after all. After all, the more godless we get the more scientific we get in general, and vice versa. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-or-satan-whos-winning/354941/48 "2006-05-02T03:49:15Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > I think “stupid” is going to trounce Good _and_ Evil, while they’re preoccupied with each other. Bingo! I think Einstein said “the only two infinite things are the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the universe.” (Or something like that.) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-or-satan-whos-winning/354941/49 "2006-05-02T04:19:03Z")
Moving thread from IMHO to Great Debates. ---
**Author:** ![Othersider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cab0a1/32.png) [@Othersider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Othersider)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-or-satan-whos-winning/354941/50 "2006-05-02T04:55:18Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Bingo! I think Einstein said “the only two infinite things are the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the universe.” (Or something like that.) He probably did; it’s been attributed to him many times. It’s on the back of _The Darwin Awards_, which was where I most recently saw it. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-or-satan-whos-winning/354941/51 "2006-05-02T06:20:34Z")
> [@Othersider](#): > > It’s on the back of _The Darwin Awards_, which was where I most recently saw it. You make it sound like it’s a book or movie now? I’ve only known it as a website. Cool. Now if only the 'Dope came in handy offline format 😉 As to the OP, I’m (an atheist and) vaguely on the side of Good slowly gaining the upper hand - going more-or-less with what **Der Trihs** and **Wesley Clark** have said. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-or-satan-whos-winning/354941/52 "2006-05-02T07:17:01Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > You make it sound like it’s a book or movie now? I’ve only known it as a website. Cool. According to Wikipedia there are 4 Darwin Awards books; I’ve only read the first. > [@Wikipedia](#): > > The Darwin Awards: Evolution in Action (2000) ISBN 0452283442 > The Darwin Awards II: Unnatural Selection (2001) ISBN 0452284015 > The Darwin Awards III: Survival of the Fittest (2003) ISBN 0525947736 > The Darwin Awards IV: Intelligent Design (2006) ISBN TBD ---
**Author:** ![Tortuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@Tortuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tortuga)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-or-satan-whos-winning/354941/53 "2006-05-02T08:17:43Z")
I just lost the Best Damn Dog In the World™ to bone cancer, so I’m all in a moral salad toss up about this one: Good: For almost nine years there existed an embodiment of pure joy and happiness on the planet, a creature who would make each person he touched feel as if they were the greatest, purest, most wonderful beings ever _and I took this “everyday” blessing for granted_ (me, I feel selfishly pissed since I only got to have him for 7 months) Evil: He ended his time here in pain and in fear. Perhaps someday there will be a Gospel of Snowball but I doubt it. Ours is a common story and anecdotal evidence supporting my lack of faith in an Omniscient Omnipotent Shithead. Although, honestly, I really don’t know. I think belief in a higher power is important, (it gives people a sense of purpose, meaning, and helps them keep in line for social hierarchies) but I have a hard time believing in an omnipotent omniscient deity which allows so much savage torture to go on. (Not talking about my dog, but Darfur and all the wonderful little domestic evils whcih are perpetrated daily–are these all exercises in Job and Abraham-type faith? What a repetitive weasel.) My husband believes, and I love him for it. As far as the actual question, good v. evil…I just think humanity has overrun the joint. Human behaviors–I think there’s something said about divinity and profanity? I do believe in pure evil in human form as it refers to unredemptive behavior. I do not believe it is balanced by pure good and selfless behavior. So I guess I might say that evil is wining, but I really don’t think so. I think it’s just humanity, hypocritical, stupid, self-important humanity. It’s all subjective. I have found such joy in my husband and the animals I interact with, and I find myself feeling overwhelmingly blessed or “lucky” does this balance out what someone else is feeling? Good v. Evil, a question bigger even than the internet. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![mrklutz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@mrklutz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrklutz)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-or-satan-whos-winning/354941/54 "2006-05-02T16:16:55Z")
> [@Tortuga](#): > > …Good: For almost nine years there existed an embodiment of pure joy and happiness on the planet, a creature who would make each person he touched feel as if they were the greatest, purest, most wonderful beings ever… Yeah, I think whoever first said “god is love” was dyslexic. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-or-satan-whos-winning/354941.md?page=2)