The Growing Obsession with Serial Killers

[step_by_step]

Not sure where this topic belongs so please move it if necessary.

Personally, I am a huge fan of psychology. I know that doesn't sit well with a lot of Christians, but that's a debate for another time. I love studying the mind and the wonderful, fascinating way that God made it. I like to look at criminals and their motivations and study how childhood traumas and other factors can push them to do what they've done.

What I don't like is logging onto Netflix and seeing Ted Bundy staring at me, and then getting on Facebook and seeing lengthy discussions about him. I don't like that.

My generation seems to have this very weird fascination with serial killers, psychopathy, and other twisted things. I've seen Tumblr blogs dedicated to lusting after school shooters. I've seen women commenting on posts about the recent Ted Bundy documentary, saying that they would "gladly be his victim any day" because he's so attractive. This is...so incredibly disturbing.

So my question is, what do you think caused this weird phenomenon and obsession with twisted minds? Do you think it's right to create whole documentaries and movies centered around men like Ted Bundy? And do you think it's okay for us, as Christians, to get roped into the hype?

And, considering that Zac Efron will be portraying Ted Bundy in the upcoming movie, do you think that the media goes too far in glamorizing/romanticizing serial killers and mental illness?

Please keep discussions on topic and civil! Thank you!

 

[com7fy8]

Personally, I am a huge fan of psychology.

Our Apostle Paul says, "and be renewed in the spirit of your mind," (Ephesians 4:23)

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7)

So, in my evaluation of psychological things, I understand the mind has a spiritual level of function. And I understand that a personality has preferences, and preferences have to do with desires of the heart which is spiritual.

And there is "the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience," Paul says in Ephesians 2:2.

Satan has different desires and the emotions and drives associated with his desires. His emotions are dominating and dictatorial and driving and wasting and degrading. So, these can effect a person's personality.

So, this is basic to things I think and say about psychology.

And if I am correct, we can see why physical medications are not known to cure personality problems. They might help to ease symptoms and physical medical effects, but they do not actually cure at the spiritual root because they are physical.

But in Jesus, God's love can cure us at our roots so we more and more easily do not give in to dominating and driving and wasting and cruel emotions and feelings. God's love almighty casts out fear with its various sorts of "torment" > 1 John 4:17-18.

 

[com7fy8]

I like to look at criminals and their motivations and study how childhood traumas and other factors can push them to do what they've done.

I have been an evil person for the sake of it, while I was in the seventh and eighth grades. So, at times I might read and listen to what ones say about what makes a predator tick. And I understand that, since all of us have sinned, we all can have the same basic things making us tick in our selfish behavior.

It just is that some of us might have been wristwatches while others have been giant alarm clocks. But the same basic principles can be there in anyone's selfish stuff.

So, I will pay attention to the ways they say are in a psychopath, and see if and how I might still have those ways working in me, though not the way they do in the psychopath.

For example, the predator can use charm to win the trust of the victim. Well, I also might use charm in order to get on the good side of someone I want to use. I just don't want to use the person to entertain myself by torturing and killing the person.

By the way > I did find it quite entertaining to make others cry. But now I might have less obviously cruel ways of only using another person.

But God's love does not have us just using anyone; but Jesus has us loving any and all people . . . in God's all-loving love >

"if you love those who love you, what reward have you?" (in Matthew 5:46)

But why would someone so readily trust a psychopath who has no clue about what real love is? You would think their victims would easily be able to see how they really are, and not trust them.

But culture can have people looking for the "you can use me act" . . . so they themselves can trust someone who they hope to use. The "you can use me" act includes, of course, acting charming so you can fool someone into thinking you will be so nice in how you give the person what he or she wants.

And, of course, talk smart and be a good communicator, so your victim will think you are smart enough to understand what he or she wants and do it that way.

So, when a person is looking for someone to use, it can be easy to charm and fool that person. And I suspect this is why a predator can actually win the trust of a total stranger and even draw him or her into isolation where the predator can get total power over the victim.

Because ones are judging by appearance > one's acting and talk . . . when Jesus says not to evaluate by appearance > John 7:24. But Satan's kingdom has an automatic shutdown of expecting ourselves to be able to evaluate reliably by making sure with God. And so, then, so many have gotten with people they do not belong with, and predators have been able to fool their way even all the way into being pastors of churches . . . even whole churches, maybe, of ones who can not tell the difference > even though Jesus guarantees how His sheep can tell the difference. But ones can put on the act, that you can use me to fill your pulpit; and ones can be in haste to get pastors, since their groups are not how they need to be in order to get really qualified people like Paul our Apostle requires > 1 Timothy 3:1-10.

So, in psychology, I see how humans are like an animal kingdom . . . in the kingdom of selfishness > there are predator animals and prey animals. And the prey animals use camouflage where the predator can also hide in order to reach the prey. In Satan's kingdom the prey ones are using their "you can use me" act in order to get people they can use for their selfish purposes, but predators know how to put on that act.

And what is the bait? What is the real preference?

pleasure

Ones want to feel good. And they try to use the ones they suppose will make them feel good. And when you effectively mess with someone getting the pleasure which he or she treasures, then is when a person can get to acting like a lunatic. But while things are going someone's way, no, the person can act quite nice with everyone so no one makes problems for him or her. But mess with what that person treasures, and see what happens.

But Jesus makes us wise to know that pleasure is not love, and things of pleasure can not love us. No material things can. So, the lusts for those things are a cruel trick > first comes the pleasure, but then our weakness for the pleasure multi-tasks to make us weak enough to suffer pain also.

This is why we need to crucify that nature which is so about pleasure . . . and pain. And grow in Jesus and find out how He has us loving This is part of all we trust Jesus for, and why we seek Him for real correction and not only our own version of self discipline > Hebrews 12:4-14.

 

[Soul-searching]

Not sure where this topic belongs so please move it if necessary.

Personally, I am a huge fan of psychology. I know that doesn't sit well with a lot of Christians, but that's a debate for another time. I love studying the mind and the wonderful, fascinating way that God made it. I like to look at criminals and their motivations and study how childhood traumas and other factors can push them to do what they've done.

What I don't like is logging onto Netflix and seeing Ted Bundy staring at me, and then getting on Facebook and seeing lengthy discussions about him. I don't like that.

My generation seems to have this very weird fascination with serial killers, psychopathy, and other twisted things. I've seen Tumblr blogs dedicated to lusting after school shooters. I've seen women commenting on posts about the recent Ted Bundy documentary, saying that they would "gladly be his victim any day" because he's so attractive. This is...so incredibly disturbing.

So my question is, what do you think caused this weird phenomenon and obsession with twisted minds? Do you think it's right to create whole documentaries and movies centered around men like Ted Bundy? And do you think it's okay for us, as Christians, to get roped into the hype?

And, considering that Zac Efron will be portraying Ted Bundy in the upcoming movie, do you think that the media goes too far in glamorizing/romanticizing serial killers and mental illness?

Please keep discussions on topic and civil! Thank you!

I think that it can be educational to watch people who are different, i don´t think it has to affect us in any way, to watch a program about a serial killer. I don´t think it has to mean anything. I know some people are twisted and not well, and are drawn to serial killers, but i don´t think that if we are watching such a show, that it has to say anything.

 

[JackRT]

People have always been intrigued by the unusual. Our folklore, our myths, our literature are filled with the bizarre, monsters, murderers and more. We are curious beings and by and large that is a good thing.

 

[SkyWriting]

Not sure where this topic belongs so please move it if necessary.

Personally, I am a huge fan of psychology. I know that doesn't sit well with a lot of Christians, but that's a debate for another time. I love studying the mind and the wonderful, fascinating way that God made it. I like to look at criminals and their motivations and study how childhood traumas and other factors can push them to do what they've done.

What I don't like is logging onto Netflix and seeing Ted Bundy staring at me, and then getting on Facebook and seeing lengthy discussions about him. I don't like that.

My generation seems to have this very weird fascination with serial killers, psychopathy, and other twisted things. I've seen Tumblr blogs dedicated to lusting after school shooters. I've seen women commenting on posts about the recent Ted Bundy documentary, saying that they would "gladly be his victim any day" because he's so attractive. This is...so incredibly disturbing.

So my question is, what do you think caused this weird phenomenon and obsession with twisted minds? Do you think it's right to create whole documentaries and movies centered around men like Ted Bundy? And do you think it's okay for us, as Christians, to get roped into the hype?

And, considering that Zac Efron will be portraying Ted Bundy in the upcoming movie, do you think that the media goes too far in glamorizing/romanticizing serial killers and mental illness?

Please keep discussions on topic and civil! Thank you!

NPR recently admitted they ignored a story about a mass shooting of 5 people recently.