Debbie and I sat and watched an interview with Dennis Rader the other night, the BTK killer in Wichita, Kansas.
Denise Ono writes, "for more than 30 years, he terrorized the Wichita, Kansas, area, killing at least 10 people and taunting police and local media from 1974 until earlier this year."
We, like many, were struck by his calm demeanor as he described during the interview how he chose, tracked and killed his victims.
A psychopathic murderer and a family man and church leader AT THE SAME TIME.
We all have a dark side, but that's the extreme!
According to J. Reid Meloy, a forensic psychologist who has written extensively on criminal behavior, antisocial personality disorder affects around 2 percent to 5 percent of the population. Only about 1 percent of the population can be described as having psychopathic personality disorder.
"They tend to be very cruel and aggressive, detached, grandiose (they have a very high opinion of themselves), chronically manipulative and often have histories of criminal behavior," he writes.
Many are highly socialized and are able to keep their psychopathic personalities separate from their public daily lives he said. He added that they often try to get into positions of authority.
Former FBI profiler Clint Van Zandt describes Rader as, "someone who has no conscience, no guilt, someone who takes no responsibility for his actions."
Ono writes, "After his capture, Rader said he couldn't control himself. He blamed his behavior on "demons" or "Factor X". He also claimed to have been dropped on his head as a child."
Here's the question: Was Rader able to control himself, or was he controlled by an insane compulsion at the time of the murders? How could he purport to be a believer in Christ, a leader in his church and a serial killer at the same time? Was he insane, demon possessed or both?
Can God forgive Dennis Rader?
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3 comments:
George:
I had nightmares after watching that program. It is beyond my imagination that someone who looked so "normal" could be so evil. I personally don't believe he ever had a relationship with Jesus. But there are so many people sitting in our churches that are the same way. They look "normal" on the outside and are professing with their lips that Jesus is Lord but their heart is far from God. They don't kill people but neither are they serving God. Is there a varying degree of sin?
I personally don't think Dennis Radar is insane. He knew exactly what he was doing. Demon possessed, perhaps.
Can God forgive him? Whether I want to believe or not that forgiveness is available - God says if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive our sins.
The program said that his first victim, Mrs. Otello, was still alive and looked at him and said, " May God have mercy on your soul". Mind blowing.
Lord, help us all to stay so close to you that no evil thought will even come into our minds.
BTK was (and is) most definitely sane...but he is also smart enough to play the game with the tools that our society has provided him. It is outside of normal understanding to comprehend that anyone could do these things and not be insane...therefore, if he plays up the insanity (which demon possession would fall into) defense, he more than likely has a chance to avoid jail.
As to the bigger question, God will forgive our sins if we humbly and truly are repentent...that goes for what some would call the major sins as well as the minor ones. God counts them all as sin, with all of them separating us from Him...but we must also remember that we must forgive others as well. Is that possible in this case? Can the families of the victims, and we in general, forgive this man for his atrocities through the years? I'd like to think that I can but I am distanced from this, having no (not even remote) contact with this case or those involved in it. If he had killed someone in my family, would I be so forgiving? I just don't know... and that causes me some concern. May God give these families and communities involved the comfort and wisdom to give forgiveness to this man...the Lord truly knows he needs it for what he has done. But will he ask?
Please travel in step with God,
Jon
There is nothing insane about him. The definition of insanity in a court of law is “such unsoundness of mind or lack of understanding as prevents one from having the mental capacity required by law to enter into a particular relationship, status, or transaction…Websters, p. 625). This man knew exactly what he was doing. It was premeditated, demented, all the while living as a productive citizen. He was caught because his pride couldn’t keep it to himself. He loves to flaunt and exalt what he did. He feels like a celebrity (a reason I’m purposefully not using his name in this blog).
I can’t answer if he is demon possessed, but all sin starts small. He did not wake up one day and say he would choose to kill. He slowly allowed things to enter his mind, his life, that led to more destructive behavior (i.e., pornography, evil acts of killing animals, etc.). Unfortunately he allowed evil to pervade his thinking until the thinking and reading was no longer enjoyable. He had to find an outlet to play out his fantasies. Society labels him as a psychopath, but does that mean all those that sacrificed their children in the Old Testament were as well? I understand them to making choices of serving other things other than God himself. And I agree with Debbie and Rick – he can be forgiven and only God will know the sincerity of his hearts. I am amazed at the woman who is ready to die and can say “may God have mercy on your soul.” I would say that woman new Christ and understood the grace and forgiveness that only can be found in Christ.
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