A demon is a supernatural being, typically associated with evil, prevalent historically in
religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies and television series. The original Greek word daimon does not carry negative connotations.
Meaning of the word demon is an evil spirit or devil. a person, habit, obsession, etc, thought of as evil, cruel, or persistently tormenting. Also called: daemon, daimon an attendant or ministering spirit; geniusthe demon of inspiration.
Demon's in Religion
Demon's in Christianity
In Christianity, demons are angels who fell from right standing with God due to their sin an rebellion. According to Christian beliefs, God created angels good (cf. Gen. 1:31), but with a free will and therefore they were able to make good or bad choices. According to the Bible, some angels made bad choices and rebelled against God, and were banished from heaven as a result ( 14:12, Luke 10:18, Rev. 12:3-9).
The leader of the rebellious angels was Satan (also called the Devil), who has became God's and humanity's chief adversary. He is identified with the serpent who tempts Adam and Eve in Genesis.
Demons are evil in that they oppose God, who is good and righteous. Because they have sinned in rebellion against God, and are not able to be forgiven like people can be, their fate is hell and eternal punishment. According to the teachings of Jesus Christ, demons are "cursed" and will be thrown into an "everlasting fire" (Matt. 25:41), Peter says they will undergo judgment (2 Pet. 2:4), and Jude says they are sentenced to being in chains in eternal darkness (Jude 1:6).
Satan (Lucifer)
Satan,also known as the Devil,is an entity in the Abrahamic religions that seduces humans into sin or falsehood. In Christianity and Islam, he is usually seen as either a fallen angel or a genie, who used to possess great piety and beauty, but rebelled against God, who nevertheless allows him temporary power over the fallen world and a host of demons. In Judaism, Satan is typically regarded as a metaphor for the yetzer hara, or "evil inclination", or as an agent subservient to God. Satan also appears as Shayāṭīn in IslamIc religion .
Origin of Lucifer:
Lucifer is just another name for Satan, who as head of the evil world-system is the real, though invisible, power behind the successive rulers of Tyre, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, and all of those evil rulers that we have seen come and go in the history of the world. This passage goes beyond human history and marks the beginning of sin in the universe and the very fall of Satan in the pristine, sinless spheres before the creation of man.
What kind of iniquity was found of him? In the book of Ezekiel, God has let us stand with Him at the very beginning, to see the origin and the creation of Satan. But, why does God say this? What is this iniquity? We must look back to Isaiah 14:12, which tells us of Lucifer/Satan's choice. "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit on the mount of assembly on the heights of Zaphon; I will ascend to the tops of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High." Did you notice in this passage all of the "I wills. " He said he would exalt his throne above the stars of God. The word "stars" here does not refer to what we see in the night sky. It refers to the angels of God. In other words, "I will take over heaven, I will be God." That is Lucifer/Satan's sin and that is the iniquity that was found in him. He does not want to be God's servant. He does not want to do what he was created to do. He wants to be served and there are millions who have chosen to do just that; serve him. They have listened to his lies and chosen to follow him. Eve believed the lie that she would be like God. The reason Lucifer/Satan tempted her with that was because it is the very thing that he wants -- to be God.
Demon's in Buddhism
In Buddhist cosmology,
Mara is associated with death, rebirth and desire. Nyanaponika Thera has described
Mara as "the personification of the forces antagonistic to enlightenment."
The word "Māra" comes from the Sanskrit form of the verbal root mṛ. It takes a present indicative form mṛyate and a causative form mārayati (with strengthening of the root vowel from ṛ to ār). Māra is a verbal noun from the causative root and means 'causing death' or 'killing'. It is related to other words for death from the same root, such as: maraṇa and mṛtyu. The latter is a name for death personified and is sometimes identified with yama.
Demon's in Hinduism
I'm going to refer two major demons in Hinduism.
Ravana
The ten-headed demon (rakshasa) monarch of Hinduism is known as Ravana. The main events of the well-known epic The Ramayana ("Rama's Journey") include his kidnapping of Sita and subsequent defeat by her husband Rama. After driving out his brother Kubera, Ravana ruled the kingdom of Lanka (perhaps not the same as current Sri Lanka). The yearly Ram Lila event, which is especially well-liked in northern India, culminates in Ravana's defeat and the burning of enormous demon effigies.
In Rajasthani paintings of scenes from the Ramayana, Ravana is depicted realistically with 10 heads and 20 arms, flying away with Sita, engaging in combat with Rama, and sitting with his demon council members. One of the most popular incidents shown in sculpture is his shaking of Mount Kailas. Shiva stopped him by using his toe to push the mountain down, trapping him there for a thousand years. At Ellora in the state of Maharashtra and at Elephanta Island in the Port of Mumbai, notable examples of this portrayal can be found.
Kali
According to Hindus, Kali is the reigning lord of the Kali Yuga and nemesis of Kalki, the 10th and final avatar of the Hindu God Vishnu. In the Kalki Purana, he is portrayed as a male mortal demon and he is the source of all evil. In the Satya Yuga, he was a gandharva. In the Mahabharat, he created the war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas in a game of Chausar.
Kali is the ruler of the most corrupt and violent of the Hindu cycles, in which mankind abandons the gods, and morality is replaced with open hostility and depravity. This cycle is known as the
Kali Yuga, named after its infernal nature and the demon which oversees such evil.
Kali symbolizes everything that is unholy, the destruction of balance, peace and life itself. When life becomes intolerable for good people and mankind is entirely under Kali's chaotic power, it is prophecized that Kalki shall be born and take arms against Kali and his many minions, becoming the "divine chastiser" who shall punish the wicked men who thrive in the Kali Yuga at the cost of others. He shall also do battle with Kali personally and slay the monster to free the universe from Kali's cruel rule and re-establish order. This allows the coming of the Satya Yuga, a golden age where mankind is said to learn from the gods and prosper for many centuries before inevitably becoming slowly corrupt again, as is the nature of the infinite cycle that makes up Hindu cosmology.
Islamic demon
Jinni, plural jinn, also called genie, Arabic jinnī, in Arabic mythology, a supernatural spirit below the level of angels and devils. Ghūl (treacherous spirits of changing shape), ʿifrīt (diabolic, evil spirits), and siʿlā (treacherous spirits of invariable form) constitute classes of jinn. J
Jinnare beings of flame or air who are capable of assuming human or animal form and are said to dwell in all conceivable inanimate objects—stones, trees, ruins—underneath the earth, in the air, and in fire. They possess the bodily needs of human beings and can even be killed, but they are free from all physical restraints. Jinn delight in punishing humans for any harm done them, intentionally or unintentionally, and are said to be responsible for many diseases and all kinds of accidents; however, those human beings knowing the proper magical procedure can exploit the jinn to their advantage.
See you soon in #2nd post about demons.
Reference:
jinn by https://www.britannica.com
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