YouTube: The Truth That Sets You Free
A basic reason we argue over religion is because we do not clarify the nature of the paradigm we and others embrace. The paradigm is the basic premise that initiates a specific trajectory of logic. Unlike the two rails of the train track that appear to meet in the distance, the paradigms of separation and oneness will never meet. People make the choice to be on one side or the other.
The train track, however, must be understood as one thing, not two. This means that it needs both rails to be whole. Remove one rail and the track cannot function as intended. One rail is the appearance of separation from God, the other rail is the truth of our oneness. The whole train track represents the truth of oneness in a world full of appearances of separation.
The spiritual path is like the train track that requires both rails. If we go too far to the rail of separation, we deny our own spiritual wholeness. If we go too far to the rail of oneness, we may not function so well in a world that believes separation from God is the norm.
There is a major difference between the belief in separation and the acknowledgment of the appearance of separation.
When we leave this body, all problems associated with it disappear. This means that 100% of our problems are resolved. The spiritual path, which is our challenge of learning to live successfully in a world of appearances dissolves. The train track goes away. We experience the truth of our oneness with God with absolutely no struggle. This is why no one wants to come back to their body. All their questions are answered. All their perceived inadequacies are resolved. Every problem associated with the human condition is gone.
The problem is, we have a body. Because we have a body, we have a train track with two rails. We have the truth of our oneness with God, and we have an abundance of appearances that suggest we are separate from God.
“I do not pray that thou should take them out of the world, but that thou should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”
John 17:15-16
J Douglas Bottorff 
Do you believe there is a real Hell and a real Satan?
No, I do not believe in these ideas in the classical sense. Both negate the omnipresence of God which, in my book, is not possible. Yes, there is human suffering and there are people behaving very badly. But to think there exists a place of eternal torment or an evil force that rivals the one presence and one power is the invention of a mentality that was and is spiritually asleep.
So w hy is it written in the bible that Satan tempted him while he was in the desert fasting?
It is written in Mark 1:13 obviously because Mark believed in Satan. You asked me if I believed in Hell and Satan, and I said no. If you would have asked me if Mark believed in Hell and Satan, I would have said yes.
Yes, my Lamsa Bible has only a single verse at Mark 1:12-13 “…when Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days being tempted by Satan.” No details, except that he was with the wild beasts and the angels ministered to him. I am sure that many people of that time believed in Satan, and some still do, so the idea of temptation had/has to be personified.
According to the story, Jesus was in the wilderness alone. Have you ever wondered how Mark knew, down to the word, how this all transpired? I feel safe saying that the author or authors of Mark are including this piece as part of the Jesus legend being passed around by word of mouth. Metaphysically, the story is rich. Historically, who could possibly know what may have transpired in the consciousness of a newly awakened mystic?