The person asked the question, specifically, why Christians conflate the two, and whether it is true that they are always the same person. Notice that the question asks not just for a dogmatic response, but a comparative religious analysis. While it is true that “modern Christians treat them like the same person”, saying “they are the same person” doesn’t answer the question at all. It asked why do Christians treat them like the same person, and the actual answer is that medieval Christians conflated a lot of things, made up a bunch of demons, and also took secular sources like Milton and Dante as authoritative gospel, rather than religious fiction. If you’re going based on the actual bible, Lucifer is a star in the sky, and precisely nothing more. Even the Serpent from the garden is only conflated with Satan.
Literally ignore the other people. They clearly don’t know what they’re talking about
This is my issue with your previous comment. It’s clear to me that we interpreted the question differently. Different interpretations does not make either of us wrong. I chose to answer with established current beliefs, you chose to answer with theological history. Both are correct.
medieval Christians conflated a lot of things, made up a bunch of demons
This wasn’t just an organic movement of peasants creating their own interpretations. It was literally taught by the church. Your own source about Satan specifically mentions pope Gregory IX accusing Cathars as following a heretical religion of Lucifer. This suggests that Lucifer and Satan were considered the same by the church, long before the 11th century. The demons that were “made up” were almost all Pagan gods. It was a deliberate action by the church to get them to convert.
The person asked the question, specifically, why Christians conflate the two, and whether it is true that they are always the same person. Notice that the question asks not just for a dogmatic response, but a comparative religious analysis. While it is true that “modern Christians treat them like the same person”, saying “they are the same person” doesn’t answer the question at all. It asked why do Christians treat them like the same person, and the actual answer is that medieval Christians conflated a lot of things, made up a bunch of demons, and also took secular sources like Milton and Dante as authoritative gospel, rather than religious fiction. If you’re going based on the actual bible, Lucifer is a star in the sky, and precisely nothing more. Even the Serpent from the garden is only conflated with Satan.
This is my issue with your previous comment. It’s clear to me that we interpreted the question differently. Different interpretations does not make either of us wrong. I chose to answer with established current beliefs, you chose to answer with theological history. Both are correct.
This wasn’t just an organic movement of peasants creating their own interpretations. It was literally taught by the church. Your own source about Satan specifically mentions pope Gregory IX accusing Cathars as following a heretical religion of Lucifer. This suggests that Lucifer and Satan were considered the same by the church, long before the 11th century. The demons that were “made up” were almost all Pagan gods. It was a deliberate action by the church to get them to convert.