This is only a brief introduction to a very complex subject which seeks to define the parameters surrounding the profiling of very evil people! Whilst there are at least 4 subdivisions of psychopath, I will nonetheless at this stage treat them all as one, and, look at 5 common traits that impact all the various types. The five areas that I want to introduce with respect to psychopathic profile are:
a. No Conscience:
Romans 1:28 says "..God gave them over to a reprobate mind..". A mind void of judgment. The word judgment or to judge means the ability to "know" or discern the difference between good and evil, or, between true and false, or, between sin and righteousness, etc., and, also knows the consequences of wrong decisions and actions! This is the beginning of conscience. A reprobate mind may well know the difference between right and wrong but it is of no significance to them. They do not experience guilt or fear at what they have done. Conscience measures everything. Fallen conscience measures wrongly.
b. No empathy. No emotionality:
Conscience drives emotions! No conscience - no emotions! That is why psychopaths can murder, rape or manipulate without being troubled by feelings of guilt, or, empathy which recognises and feels the pain that they have caused others!
c. Visions of Grandeur. Evil Imagination:
The Bible speaks of the sinister power of an evil imagination! In Genesis, God reveals that one of the main reasons He destroyed the world by flood was because of "evil imagination". Also the main reason He scattered all the peoples and destroyed the Tower of Babel was because of "visions of grandeur". The people believed they could build their tower to reach up to Heaven!!
d. Religious Mania:
Often with psychopaths there is a sense of either being an extremely important person sent by God to rid the world of evil, or, that they themselves are God! It is this massive sense of self importance which drives them to believe in their own divinity or their divine purpose. In their own minds they have ascended above all of life around them. They have a huge inflated ego which drastically diminishes everyone and everything around them into expendable insignificance!
e. Ritual Violence:
Often their physical or sexual or verbal violence is ritualised. They have a complex pattern of brutalising people. They spend long periods of time before the violence organising, planning and sequencing how their violence will be performed. They also plan extensively, the "explanations and philosophies" for what they do, for themselves to understand, and, for others if they ever get caught or confronted.
As you can see from the above very brief introductory attributes, the term psychopath summarises these 5 characteristics. Serial rapists, serial killers, mass murderers, terrorists, assassins, etc., all fall into this category of being psychopathic! Apply these five attributes to the Islamic terrorists who recently psychopathically attacked the USA on September 11th.
By Pastor Allan Anderson MDiv, Phd.
- No conscience.
- No empathy.
- Visions of grandeur.
- Religious mania.
- Ritual violence.
a. No Conscience:
Romans 1:28 says "..God gave them over to a reprobate mind..". A mind void of judgment. The word judgment or to judge means the ability to "know" or discern the difference between good and evil, or, between true and false, or, between sin and righteousness, etc., and, also knows the consequences of wrong decisions and actions! This is the beginning of conscience. A reprobate mind may well know the difference between right and wrong but it is of no significance to them. They do not experience guilt or fear at what they have done. Conscience measures everything. Fallen conscience measures wrongly.
b. No empathy. No emotionality:
Conscience drives emotions! No conscience - no emotions! That is why psychopaths can murder, rape or manipulate without being troubled by feelings of guilt, or, empathy which recognises and feels the pain that they have caused others!
c. Visions of Grandeur. Evil Imagination:
The Bible speaks of the sinister power of an evil imagination! In Genesis, God reveals that one of the main reasons He destroyed the world by flood was because of "evil imagination". Also the main reason He scattered all the peoples and destroyed the Tower of Babel was because of "visions of grandeur". The people believed they could build their tower to reach up to Heaven!!
d. Religious Mania:
Often with psychopaths there is a sense of either being an extremely important person sent by God to rid the world of evil, or, that they themselves are God! It is this massive sense of self importance which drives them to believe in their own divinity or their divine purpose. In their own minds they have ascended above all of life around them. They have a huge inflated ego which drastically diminishes everyone and everything around them into expendable insignificance!
e. Ritual Violence:
Often their physical or sexual or verbal violence is ritualised. They have a complex pattern of brutalising people. They spend long periods of time before the violence organising, planning and sequencing how their violence will be performed. They also plan extensively, the "explanations and philosophies" for what they do, for themselves to understand, and, for others if they ever get caught or confronted.
As you can see from the above very brief introductory attributes, the term psychopath summarises these 5 characteristics. Serial rapists, serial killers, mass murderers, terrorists, assassins, etc., all fall into this category of being psychopathic! Apply these five attributes to the Islamic terrorists who recently psychopathically attacked the USA on September 11th.
By Pastor Allan Anderson MDiv, Phd.