Satan explains the presence of evil in which religions?

• A. Christianity and Hinduism
• B. Judaism and Islam
• C. Buddhism and Judaism
• D. Judaism and Christianity

Answer: (B)

The idea tested is how evil is accounted for through a figure like Satan within religious beliefs. In Judaism and Islam, Satan plays a clearly defined role as an adversary or tempter operating under God’s permission, which frames evil as something that can be tested or resisted rather than something created by a single rebellious force. In Judaism, Satan acts as an accuser or tester in the heavenly court, highlighting human responsibility and the idea that evil tests faith within a divinely governed order. In Islam, Iblis’s disobedience explains temptation, but ultimate accountability and the presence of evil come from human free will and God’s wise plan, with evil allowed to test believers.

This pairing fits best because it centers on a Satan-like figure that provides a framework for explaining evil within a God-centered worldview. In Christianity, while Satan is a force of temptation, the common emphasis is often on the Fall and human sin as the origin of evil rather than a role where Satan alone explains its presence. Hinduism and Buddhism don’t feature Satan in the same way; they explain suffering and evil through other concepts such as karma, ignorance, or moral consequences rather than a single demonic figure who accounts for evil.