Yeah the updated story you linked makes it sound like he had some serious mental problems. Obviously anyone who kills a child like that has problems, but he was also saying things like the child had demons and he was trying to get the police officers pen because he thought it was knife in order to remove the demons. Such a tragic story, even more so if he had a mental condition and wasn't just some father with anger management issues.
This is where my beliefs about mental illness and my beliefs about responsibility and justice get all muddled. My first reaction is to say yeah, send him to a "special" section of hell that is totally horrific. But then I am sure if I understood the circumstances I may be inclined to have some mercy for this man. Maybe not.
From a religious perspective then, if you have a mental disease, say this guy is schizophrenic, is he still responsible for his actions and thus receive the same punishment as someone who is perfectly sane? I have never really thought about how that would work and I am curious.
I have never felt that morally you could be held accountable to God (or Aliens or whatever you believe) to the same degree as someone who is sane for the same action committed by some one who did not comprehend their actions.
I still feel you are held accountable for the actions or consequences of your crimes or maybe what brought you to this point (as in the case of drug induced psychosis).
I've always felt a totally sane narcisitic killer like ted bundy or Jeffery Dahmer are far scarier then Ed Geine (although his crimes were more disturbing)
Just hope that if I see them in the after life they don't have the words "I stomped my 2 year old to death " on his t-shirt.
10 comments:
its giving me an error when i click the link.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080616/ap_on_re_us/baby_killed;_ylt=AjOBgf2ykl_IcnlQA8ABR59vzwcF
fuck
that is awful. thanks for the link, kasey
i fixed my broke link as well.
Yeah the updated story you linked makes it sound like he had some serious mental problems. Obviously anyone who kills a child like that has problems, but he was also saying things like the child had demons and he was trying to get the police officers pen because he thought it was knife in order to remove the demons.
Such a tragic story, even more so if he had a mental condition and wasn't just some father with anger management issues.
This is where my beliefs about mental illness and my beliefs about responsibility and justice get all muddled. My first reaction is to say yeah, send him to a "special" section of hell that is totally horrific. But then I am sure if I understood the circumstances I may be inclined to have some mercy for this man. Maybe not.
I admit my own reactionary thoughts on this. Even reading the story I knew there was more, but it still frustrates and sickens me.
Now, theologically I realize there is a hope and need for redemption, and from that standpoint don't actually want any damned.
From a religious perspective then, if you have a mental disease, say this guy is schizophrenic, is he still responsible for his actions and thus receive the same punishment as someone who is perfectly sane? I have never really thought about how that would work and I am curious.
I have never felt that morally you could be held accountable to God (or Aliens or whatever you believe) to the same degree as someone who is sane for the same action committed by some one who did not comprehend their actions.
I still feel you are held accountable for the actions or consequences of your crimes or maybe what brought you to this point (as in the case of drug induced psychosis).
I've always felt a totally sane narcisitic killer like ted bundy or Jeffery Dahmer are far scarier then Ed Geine (although his crimes were more disturbing)
Just hope that if I see them in the after life they don't have the words "I stomped my 2 year old to death " on his t-shirt.
in
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