Okay, so insofar as the devil has existence, he is loved by God. After all, if God didn’t keep willing the existence of a thing, it wouldn’t exist, and existence is a good, and willing the good for something is loving it. Right?
So I have to explain all this when Second Son asks me if God hates the devil. (Here’s what haunts me behind that question – my forbidding them to say they hate anyone, except the devil.)
Months later: “Dad, shouldn’t we love the devil? Becuase God loves the devil.” (Missing middle term: we should love as God loves.)
Let the distinctions commence – while you try to help make dinner and calm the crying baby, etc.
Sigh.
Matthew,
Maybe this opens another can of worms altogether – but hot on the heels of B16’s first encyclical – we should remember, of course, that we can NEVER love as God loves. It is impossible to love perfectly – but, as the saints have shown us, the attempt must be made as stridently as possible just to keep from falling behind…
Nor are we required to love the devil – as we were neither responsible for his creation nor subject according to Christian rights and duties to afford him anything more than complete denial of our attention.
Again, per God’s request and in accordance with the example of the Saints….
JOB