Why does the devil need an advocate?"

Good question. He needs one for the same reason God needs our hands and voices--his presence is unseen and unheard.

There is a theory abroad that since Satan is not all powerful or omnipresent, the growth in the human population is leaving him more dependent on working through surrogates. If so, he doesn't seem to be having any trouble recruiting them.

Because he's already been sentenced to eternal damnation and he's eager to bring as many clueless souls as he can with him?

"The Devil's Advocate" was a popular(never official)name for a Church lawyer charged with making the case against a person's being declared an official Saint by the Catholic Church. In other words, when the Church was considering whether or not to declare someone a Saint, the 'yes' side had an advocate, and so did the 'no' side to argue the evidence before officials of the Congregation of Saints. Unfortunately, that way of arriving at a decision paralleled legal processes, and particularly Italian legal processes, in another way--the lawyers back-and-forth and tactical delays tended to go on interminably. Pope John Paul II reformed the process, making it much less like a trial and more like an historical investigation, which has sped things up quite a bit---and eliminated the position once called 'the devil's advocate.'

Can't have a two party system without some!

Because not many folk believe in him and the libs haven't much else to do these days with the great lose on their side. ok - just joking about the libs - they still have yet to pick their leader.

Because too many are willing to do his work pro bono.

Happy Thxgvng to you. Hey, I haven't seen anything on the money for oil deal with the UN.
Seems like the story has fallen off the face of the earth. Love to hear your take on it.
Have a great holiday. I think that bacon is gonna run from you!!

From what I've always been told, what Mike Perry said is correct

Perhaps the Devil needs an advocate because God has so many on his side. I frequently have people knock on my door and try to draw me to God. But, I've yet to have anyone try to convert me to Satanism.

I know a few Christian lawyers, but I can't help thinking that the devil can't possibly NEED any more.

(Isn't there a joke about that? Something about God threatening to sue the Devil, and the response, typically, is "where will YOU get a lawyer?")