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The Formula for Evil

Atrocities like the Aurora theater shooting force us to ask questions. CNN Belief Blog went to Twitter to ask Where Was God in the Aurora Massacre? Examiner.com asked Did Batman influence James Holmes’ actions? and proceeded to explore violent images (films, music, video games, etc.) and their potential affect on culture. Of course, the debate about gun laws is raging again. But by far the most interesting questions have to do with how a human being comes to do such a thing.

It’s fascinating, and a a little frustrating, to watch such a discussion unfold in the media. Because the secular press often eschews moral distinctions, it forms answers rather than judgments. So instead of condemning the killer, we often try to shift the blame; we look for chemical conditions and social forces, someone or something that will take the actual culprit off the hook.

It’s as if we refuse to see anyone as simply evil.

Two opposing paradigms are at work in our national psyche. Either, James Holmes, the killer, was

  • An evil man, or
  • A victim

But is there a middle ground? Can Holmes have been both a victim and an evil man?

Can bad people be helpless byproducts of their environments and also responsible for their maladjustment?

I think it’s possible. . .

So what causes “bad people” to happen? Nowadays, the answers typically fall into these three categories:

  • Parents — familial influences
  • Peers — social influences
  • Predestination — genetic influences

One of the first questions asked about a “bad man” — like the Colorado shooter — concerns his background. Where did he come from? What forces shaped him? Was he abused, molested, abandoned, etc.? This, we believe, holds a clue about the man’s malfunction.

In 2004, Larry King interviewed the father of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. I watched the interview like psychological voyeur, looking for clues as to how serial killers were made. The questions were fairly routine — What was Jeffrey like? Any signs of maladjustment? What would you do different? — but underneath was THE nagging question. How can we prevent our kids from becoming serial killers? Or in this case…

How can you prevent your child from becoming James Holmes?

This is really the underlying question. Is there a formula for evil and a way to stop its spread?

As much as parents want their kids to grow up balanced, well-adjusted and happy, there are no guarantees. It is totally possible to do everything right — read bedtime stories, be affirmative, discipline with consistency — and still raise a “bad” kid. Conversely, many “good” people come out of dysfunctional households. In fact, it can be argued that every household is slightly dysfunctional. So the equation’s not as airtight as we’d like.

To complicate matters, there’s articles like this wherein an American psychologist suggests

Though relationships with parents greatly affect the day-to-day happiness of children, just as marital relationships greatly affect the day-to-day happiness of adults, neither leaves deep marks on the personality. In the long run, it is what happens to them outside the parental home that makes children turn out the way they do. (emphasis mine)

According to this professional, “outside influences such as popular culture, friends or street gangs have a much greater influence on children than family life or even genetic make-up.”

So much for good parenting.

Compounding all this is the reality that “internal” conditions — biological, chemical, spiritual — do affect people’s behavior. While Jesus told some people to stop sinning, others required exorcisms. Call it what you will, but the Bible affirms an invisible dimension to people’s problems. It’s not always about textbook parenting, healthy eating and a membership at the spa. Being the greatest mother ever will not stifle adolescence (which some equate with “demonic possession”). Likewise, perfect parenting is no match for mental illness.

So who’s to blame?

I’m wondering if the question is unanswerable; that we live with this modernistic hangover, this misguided notion that everything can be dissected and repaired — including humans. Some have referred to this as the “triumph of the therapeutic.” Thus, we abandon the Judeo-Christian model of evil and human depravity for something far more clinical and morally ambiguous. We approach marriage and child-rearing and social interaction with a therapeutic mentality.  We want a formula for raising healthy children, a recipe for a long-lasting marriage, a manual for diagnosing and treating chemical imbalance. We want to know “the secret” to not producing shooters and serial killers, as if humans are robots on an assembly line needing circuits, fuses and fresh oil.

Could it be our species is too complex, too nuanced, too fragile for diagrams and definitions? Is it possible that there is no way to prevent James Holmes and Jeffrey Dahmer from happening, that we are far too broken for psycho-babble and medication?

And that evil is very real, lying just below the surface of each one of us?

So is it parents, peers or predestination? Hmm. It could be all three. . . or none of the above.

{ 6 comments… add one }
  • Ame July 25, 2012, 7:21 AM

    my 14 year-old daughter went to washington dc with a group from school where they toured the Holocaust museum. she’s an avid reader – can easily consume five books a week during school and often two a day without school. she has a momma who willingly talks about everything as it is. and she has a grounded faith and reads her Bible.

    when i talked to her about this experience, the one thing she said that stood out was, “I realized there truly are evil people in this world.”

    of the four of us growing up in our parent’s abusive and greatly dysfunctional home, two of us made it out unscathed – well, two of us made it out without making series of bad choices with significant consequences … meaning the other two didn’t.

    one thing that always disturbs me when i read it in the bible is when a person’s personality and character are described before they’re even born – it’s as though they don’t have a choice.

    “So is it parents, peers or predestination? Hmm. It could be all three. . . or none of the above.”

    yes.

    • Jessica Thomas July 25, 2012, 8:05 AM

      I think predestination due to genetics is a lie from the evil one that’s being spread by scientists who are seeking easy answers and solutions. Certainly some genetic conditions predestine a child for certain deformities or problems, but the factors influencing personality are too broad to pin down.

      Mike, I’d much rather you use the term “predisposition”. We are predisposed to certain conditions, physically or mentally, that can be “turned off” or “turned on” depending on environment and the choices we make.

      I think determinism comes into play because choice A *will* result in Y. Choice B *will* result in *Z*. The Bible is a map of the predetermined results. None of us can get away with saying, “I’m going to cheat on my spouse in a way that doesn’t damage my family.” Nope. Sorry. God already warned you this would happen. You chose A, now you have to deal with Y.

  • Joel Q July 25, 2012, 9:31 AM

    Great topic.
    We have broken people trying to raise children.
    I don’t care how great a person or family may seem, the parent-child releationships are not always a reflection of that, and can be hidden. The man who killed at New Life Church in Colo Springs came from a Christian family.

    According to the book, “Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters” (great book by the way) Fathers have the most influence over a daughter’s self esteem. So if that type of positive relationship is not there, outside, peer, influence can destroy a child. I can assume a parent has that same kind of influence over a boy.

    The problem must begin at home, but that is only the first rung on this ladder. There are many things that can have a negative impact over a person. But to turn them into a killer, there must be something more. It’s a combination, including our human sinful condition.

  • Jason H. July 25, 2012, 9:53 AM

    For such a complex issue, it’s amazing how we often want a quick, simply answer we can neatly file away and forget.

    A friend and fellow believer has spent over a decade extensively studying the physiological effects of pornography usage on the brain. What he shared with me greatly influenced my understanding of scripture on where our sinful nature resides.
    When he first confessed to his church family that he was addicted to pornography, many dismissed his “addiction” and chastised him to simply stop. With little useful advice from others, he and his wife set out to understand what was occurring within him spiritually and physically. While working to address the spiritual aspects, they also worked with doctors to better understand what was behind these deep urges.

    They discovered that physically, usage of these images – even by recollection only – changed brain physiology to patterns similar to those suffering from drug and alcohol addiction. In the end, the lust of the mind changed him physically. Whether it was first rooted within his spirit or physical body, they acted together in creating and reinforcing a dependency that played out in both.

    Mankind is a unique creation in the universe – an eternal spiritual being temporarily housed in an imperfect physical body. To me, scripture seems to indicate it is a complex interaction of both. Our heart and mind influences our physical actions, and yet our actions can in turn influence our minds and hearts.

    I wish I could understand what was behind these horrible events, but I am thankful that God knows. The only thing I do know is that these people need God in their lives for comfort and healing.

  • Katherine Coble July 25, 2012, 12:39 PM

    I hesitated to post this comment because people already think I’m loony enough, I’m sure. But I’ve had an agreement with some fellow believers for several years now that there is some sort of spirit of oppression that lingers around Christopher Nolan films. I am on record as having said that BEFORE Heath Ledger died on the second Batman movie. When that event happened more than one of the people I’d advanced this theory to called me to say “I think your Nolan theory may be more than just a theory.”

    Now I don’t say that Nolan is evil, or Bale or any of the other people working on the film. I have no evidence for such a claim. But something about his movies invites a spirit of oppression. I fasted and prayed before this one came out and when the shooting happened I was just saddened beyond belief. I don’t really want to be proven right on this one. As for my prayers, I assume that without them it could have been worse. I don’t know why God didn’t stay that boy’s hand entirely, but I sure think some of the bullets missed their marks because angels stood in the way.

  • Jill July 26, 2012, 10:18 AM

    James Holmes looks so drugged on camera that I don’t know how he can operate in real life. We are not getting the whole story on this one and, therefore, it’s difficult to judge whether he was a victim or not. The powers we don’t see might not be spirits after all. Then again, there might be layers upon layers of hidden truth.

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