This idea hasn’t been completely thought through to its logical conclusion, so feel free to critique if you find it lacking.

Judaism does not really have a Satan¹, which is to say that there is no evil force which opposes god. Instead we have the yetzer hatov and the yetzer harah – the good and evil inclinations which are present in all of us. Fundamentally we believe that god created everything – both the good and the evil.² This is the reason that we are required to bless god both for the good and the bad. Christianity on the other hand has a very clearly defined Satan who functions as an independent force which is opposed to god.³ Since Judaism believes that god is the one source for all forces in the universe, evil had to stem from god too. Jewish theology would seem to oppose any force in the universe that was greater than, equal to, or not originating from god.

Why did Christianity redefine evil as stemming from an independent force rather than stemming from god? Perhaps the reason is that Christianity was trying to humanize god. (For obvious reasons). Christianity has a god that more people can relate to⁴. A more human god means a god which can be opposed, just as a human being can. In this case it means that (depending on your point of view) either god has been demoted to the same level as evil, or evil has been promoted to the same level as god, in order to make god more approachable by humans.

1 – Someone is going to bring up Iyov (Job in English) to show that there is a Satan. I’ll admit that Iyov would seem to throw a monkey wrench in my initial premise, but I think it’s evident that the theology of evil presented in Iyov is in a great minority when it comes to the biblical and post biblical literature. The talmud in fact (Bava Batra 15a) questions whether or not Iyov was actually a real person or just an allegory, a view which is supported by the Rambam. Whether or not it is literal, Satan has not developed as an independent force in Jewish thought. The majority of the talmudic literature which discusses bad occurrences refers to them as an occurrence of god and not Satan. Further, Satan, even in Iyov, does not appear capable of independent action without the permission of god. (See the Jewish Encyclopedia article for more).

2 – As a side note, the talmud goes so far to prove this point (very likely as a guard against dualism), that one who repeats the word modim (we thank you) twice during prayer is assumed to be a heretic and removed from the synagogue.

3 – I’m no expert on the NT, but the Jewish Encyclopedia tells me that Satan even tried to seduce Jesus/god. The idea that Satan could override or even corrupt god (even if he didn’t succeed) should show how different the two views are.

4 – http://www.jesusismyhomeboy.com/

I’m not the first person to point out that coming into the NFL playoffs this year, the field was wide open – much more so than in recent years. Almost any team in the playoffs had a good argument for why it would go all the way, and the favorites were not as heavily favored as they sometimes are. Even with that being said, I don’t think anyone predicted the Eagles and the Cardinals would be playing each other in the NFC championship game. The Cardinals being a weak pass-only team I think this will be an ideal matchup for the Eagles, and seems very much like a rematch of the 2001 NFC championship game. (The Eagles vs. a Kurt Warner led pass-only team with a good offense and poor defense).

I could go on of course, but if you wanted sports analysis you’d be reading ESPN. I have felt for a long time that Kurt Warner is one of the best role models and best people in professional sports. I lived in St. Louis from 1999-2003, when Warner was playing for the Rams. In 1999 the whole country loved him because his story was too good to be true. He was a former college QB who had been out of football and was working as a stockboy in an Iowa grocery store. One day he gets a call from a coach offering him the chance to be a backup. He accepts, and in training camp the starter breaks his ankle. Warner steps into the starting role for a team that had been 3-13 the year before and leads them to a super bowl while earning himself an MVP and super bowl MVP honors. If you wrote that in a movie script, people would dismiss it as unrealistic. Through it all Warner was humble, kind, and decent. He performed countless hours of community service, and set an exemplary model of both on the field and off the field behavior. Once the honeymoon period wore off he started taking heat- he was labeled a bible-thumper for his deeply religious convictions (he is a born again Christian, and repeatedly thanks god after a win). When his wife was shown on TV, the next week sports talk radio mentioned that she was “ugly”. You know what I say – good for him. I’m glad he isn’t a standard pompous athlete who thinks he is the greatest gift to mankind ever and marries a former playboy bunny. So what if he always thanks Jesus after a win – isn’t it nice to see an athlete who realizes he is not the highest power in the universe? In the Warner household, the Warner children are asked what color their guests eyes are – it’s how the parents ensure their children make eye contact. When they eat out at restaurants, they pick one other family to randomly and anonymously buy dinner for. Warner is a father of six children, he helps others, and most importantly, he has his priorities straight. He realizes football is not the ultimate goal in life, that there are larger and more important things out there (like family and religion). In today’s world, where perfection and complete dedication is demanded and expected of athletes who have done nothing other than play their sport for their entire lives, it’s nice to see one who understands the larger picture. While their are many other athletes who have many admirable traits, Warner is one of the few who I would actually want my children looking up to as a role model. I have the feeling he’ll retire soon (he is closing in on 40), and I will always remember him as one of the greatest men of his generation to play the game. This coming Sunday, he’s going down.

One more note – the Cardinals have Stephen Spach, (pronounced like Spock), who I blogged about once before when he was on the Eagles.