Lots to say about sociopathy and psychopathy. It seems these are two popular words these days, given the recent movie ‘Joker’, the urban riots that followed, urban crime, promotion of sexual deviancy, and a somewhat warped political scene. But what does the bible say about these conditions?
Both conditions appear to center on egocentrism combined with shallow emotional states, or is it states of excess emotion? Whatever state of being, a general immaturity prevails resulting in unacceptable social behaviors. We hear of a lack of empathy, cold hearted demeanors, irresponsible behaviors, dependency on people, or drugs or alcohol, or government. Although, independence is what they wish for. Within the prevailing anti-social behaviors such as is so common now: rudeness, disrespect, crime and let us not forget white collar crime, it is those with some sort of personality disorder that are the culprits.
But the root of sociopathy and psychopathy as seen by any psychologist are moral and spiritual defects. Jesus says that it is what comes out of a person, that defiles. “From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.” (Mark 7:21-23) So it appears that psychopathy is a tendency to sin, while sociopathy is sin without sin’s recognition, conscience or remorse. Sounds worse to me.
Along this line, could it be man’s carnal nature? St. Paul thought so. In Romans 8: 5-8, St. Paul said, “The concern of the flesh is death, but the concern of the spirit is life and peace. For the concern of the flesh is hostility toward God; it does not submit to the law of God, nor can it; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 1:28-29) Clearly, if they are not of the spirit, but of the flesh, they are not of the mind to acknowledge God. And so, the wickedness, rebelliousness, ruthlessness to which St. Paul refers is rooted in the hatred of God. More so, those who give approval to such acts are just as guilty, or should one say, complicit. Just who bailed out those rioters in Portland and Minneapolis?
History going back to Genesis illustrates how God nearly destroyed an entire earthly population because of psychopathic and sociopathic behavior. The Lord said, ”I will wipe out from the earth the human beings I have created, and not only the human beings, but also the animals and the crawling things, and the birds of the air, for I regret that I made them. But Noah found favor with the Lord.” (Genesis 6:7-8)
Even one’s children who were stubborn and rebellious to their parents would warrant the fate of stoning as written in Deuteronomy 21.
Today there is a different approach to pathological behaviors. Today we invite people to repent and transform their lives. The call to repentance is a call to avoid being left out of the Kingdom of God. “Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor boy prostitutes, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor robbers, will inherit the Kingdom of God. That is what some of you used to be, but now you have had yourselves washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God.” (1 Corinthians 6: 9-11)
For if your lives are then transformed, you have created a new self the way God wants you, in holiness and righteousness, stated in Ephesians 4. This is the ideal and goal in the Christian life. St. Paul sums it all up in Colossians 3 when he exhorts to put away earthy immorality, impurity, passion and evil desires. Rather, “Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17)
And again, Romans 8 contrasts the flesh and the spirit. “Hence, now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life in Jesus Christ has freed you from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2)
Next concern is the decision between Christian conversion, social engineering, drugs or a combination of the three as the solution to sociopathy and psychopathy. Efforts since ‘A Clockwork Orange’ give no hope. I heard recently that LSD is making a comeback as a cure for schizophrenia. What a ya gonna do? The beat goes on.
