The Devil Made Me Post This

Tim Boucher, of the Gnostically inclined Pop Occulture, has posted an interesting riff on The Role of Satan in Universalism. Sample quote:

[T]his is a rather more nuanced view of Satan’s purpose than simply “evil incarnate.” Rather than just saying he’s evil, it asks us what the purpose of evil could be. And it suggests that perhaps the purpose of evil is simply to challenge us to become better, rather than to simply drag us down into the muck. We might even go so far as to consider Satan as the “house player” in a casino, or “playing against the computer” in a video game. In order to enjoy a game and learn from it, we need someone to pit ourselves against. If there is no opponent, then there is no challenge to overcome and no opportunity for growth.

Hmmmm. Satan as a self-help guru or life coach. There are stranger things!