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Post by Josh on Jan 6, 2013 20:46:43 GMT -8
Psychologists describe a sociopath as someone who, among other anomalies, "lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience".
Can/ should Christians accept the notion that there are some individuals who have no conscience or sense of morality? Can God hold someone morally responsible who has never violated their conscience?
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Post by robin on Jan 25, 2013 12:26:02 GMT -8
I believe that there are those who fit this description, but but don't believe they were born this way. Somewhere along the way something has happened to them that has caused this change in their personality. I have recently listened to a 3 part interview of Russ Diszdar that discussed the topic of child abuse and mind control, and multiple personality disorders and his conclusions after working with these individuals over many decades is that serious abuse, usually sexual, is the underlying reason for sociopaths, multiple personality disorders and so on.
As Jesus said
"It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin." Luke 17:2
God doesn't only know of our sins but the reasons for them. Judgment day will be very frighting for those who have abuse children and have cause their lives to be ruined from that abuse.
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Post by Josh on Jan 25, 2013 13:33:31 GMT -8
Should the sociopath who was the victim of such abuse be considered morally accountable in any way? |
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Post by robin on Jan 25, 2013 15:32:42 GMT -8
God judges people based on the light they are given, so depending on the level of intervention and success of bringing light and understanding to that individual their level of responsibility could very. I believe there is at least some conscience and knowledge of right and wrong even in the most sever case where these individuals have internal moral struggles even if they are few and far between and God will Judge based on His knowledge of those struggles.
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Post by LadyAjax on Jan 27, 2013 17:06:58 GMT -8
God judges people based on the light they are given, so depending on the level of intervention and success of bringing light and understanding to that individual their level of responsibility could very. What is the scriptural basis for this idea, I don't know that I've ever heard it. |
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Post by robin on Jan 30, 2013 19:07:01 GMT -8
Luke 12:42-48 Jesus lays out this principle.
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Post by Josh on Jan 30, 2013 21:16:05 GMT -8
Luke 12:42-48
New International Version (NIV) 42 The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43 It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. 47 “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Also, I think Romans 2:12-16 touches on this as well: Romans 2:12-16New International Version (NIV) 12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.)16 This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares. |
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Post by Josh on Jan 30, 2013 21:22:32 GMT -8
God judges people based on the light they are given, so depending on the level of intervention and success of bringing light and understanding to that individual their level of responsibility could very. I believe there is at least some conscience and knowledge of right and wrong even in the most sever case where these individuals have internal moral struggles even if they are few and far between and God will Judge based on His knowledge of those struggles. I want to believe that everyone has, as you say, at least experience of moral conscience no matter how damaged or calloused that sense is or becomes. However, what about infants or some of those who are severely disabled- do you think that even they have this? |
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Post by robin on Feb 2, 2013 10:20:33 GMT -8
I don't know. In a fallen and far from perfect world we are given a an all knowing Judge (God) who sorts out these matters on out on our behalf. I do believe in an age of accountability and then we have issues of mental retardation so I think God has children in creation that He is simply please to poor out his grace upon. However, these people who God loves deeply are here perhaps as a test to the rest of humanity that has been given all sorts of gifts of discernment and mental capability.
Does this help answer your questions?
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Post by Josh on Oct 26, 2016 8:57:37 GMT -8
After listening to some more podcasts and reading some articles, I'd like to return to this subject though I think we did a pretty good job at fleshing it out.
Particularly, I'd like to add that I do think there are people who are born without the experience of felt conscience- that is, feelings of remorse or guilt over wrong actions. I still totally agree with you Robin, that a conscience can be seared through abuse and therefor there is a strong "nurture" component to this question. But, I think there is good evidence from the "nature" side that there is a small percentage of people who are simply born with limited or no ability to feel the feelings associated with a conscience.
That said, it's my observation that the universal moral law isn't really dependent on people "feeling it". That, of course, is a nice benefit God has bestowed on most of us. But there are many cases of sociopaths, or even simply people who don't have access to emotional intelligence (just listened to an interesting podcast along these lines about a man with Asperger's), finding a non-emotional route to accessing the moral law, which usually ends up being through some kind of intellectual reasoning. So, I guess my point is that whether one feels moral responsibility or whether one has access to a way to think it, both can be said to be morally accountable.
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