The devil

The devil is, unquestionably, the most creative of human inventions. He is picturesque, colorful, striking, and, consequently, a formidable character. He is, above all, effective.
No other thing or concept has been known to have so thoroughly achieved its purpose. No one has ever heard of his not being diabolical or of people being hypocritical about their fear of him.


Admiration for the devil as a literary figure must not be confused with demonism, which is a primitive practice defined by the freedictionary.com as:

demonism

n

1. (Theology)

a. belief in the existence and power of demons

b. worship of demons

2. (Theology) another word for demonology

ˈdemonist n