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Time and again mankind has proven himself to be resourceful, skilled, and deliberate in taking on the forces of nature. When mankind acts in a way that is contrary to the forces of nature, such as building fixtures or structures in the path of well-known paths of natural destruction, then mankind is challenging the forces of nature that bind mankind to the earth - the domain that God created for and gave to mankind.
However, when mankind succumbs to his own inner capacity for evil, then he is exercising free will. That that capacity for evil is capable of reaching extraordinary levels of destruction is the manifestation not of the devil, but of man's own reaction to the incremental levels of evil, the fueling of power that comes from exercising free will over others who are not capable, or who won't, act to prevent that exercise of free will over them.
The answer as to how God allows mankind to commit atrocities is that He exercises no more control over mankind's free will than He does over the forces of nature. To explain mankind's capacity for evil as being the work of the devil, it is a description, the visual, if you will, by which man relates to in attempting to psychologically understand these horrific events.
It is pertinent to point out that the Old Testament does not reference Satan or the devil as more than a trickster until after 538 BCE (Dictionary of Theology and Religious Studies, 2008, p. ). This is because it was not until after the concept of entity was introduced to the Hebrews during the time that the Hebrews were exposed to outside religious beliefs, most notably the Persian Zoroastrianism (Dictionary...
). What this suggests is that the Persians, like the Hebrews and the Christians, and, I would suggest, the Muslims, use the religious stories to address the problems experienced in their communities, and to resolve, lead, and inspire the community in general in conducting themselves in a way that is not subject to the power of the sins and vices.
Does this mean that God never intervenes in the free will of mankind? That is to be decided on an individual, case by case basis. But if we are to follow the example of the Bible, any man who enters the Kingdom of Heaven with a heavy heart of evil will, like the Biblical Satan, be cast out of God's Kingdom. God rules the heaven's, man rules the earth, and while we may see miracles that cause us to be certain of God's divine intervention, such divine intervention would no doubt come to person through faith, which would call upon God to intervene. Demonstrations of the power of good vs. that of evil are necessary to inspire hope.
Works Cited
Dictionary of Theology and Religious Studies?
A www.questiaschool.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5002381507
Power, Samantha. "Bystanders to Genocide: Why the United States Let the Rwandan Tragedy Happen." The Atlantic Monthly Sept. 2001: 84-108. Questia. 26 Feb. 2008 http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5002381507.
A www.questiaschool.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5865370
Rickaby, Joseph. Free Will and Four English Philosophers: Hobbes, Locke, Hume and Mill. London: Burns and Oates, 1906. Questia. 26 Feb. 2008 http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5865370.
Works Cited
Dictionary of Theology and Religious Studies?
A www.questiaschool.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5002381507
Power, Samantha. "Bystanders to Genocide: Why the United States Let the Rwandan Tragedy Happen." The Atlantic Monthly Sept. 2001: 84-108. Questia. 26 Feb. 2008 http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5002381507.
A www.questiaschool.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5865370
Rickaby, Joseph. Free Will and Four English Philosophers: Hobbes, Locke, Hume and Mill. London: Burns and Oates, 1906. Questia. 26 Feb. 2008 http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5865370.
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