Psycopathic personalities are devoid of compassion and love

[pepipop]

purportedly and these traits become apparent in childhood. As God is love and we are all created in his image, how can this be so. Their lack of empathy, compassion and ability to love anyone is inherent to their condition. How could a being be created that is incapable of love?

 

[WoundedIcon]

Brain damage, in short. The long answer is that we’re fallen and sickness comes with it. Since we’re body-soul composites, if the brain (body) gets dinged up then so do things we would normally consider spiritual. So some of us have spaghetti legs because of the fall, and some of us are mentally ill. It’s just that the mind and soul overlap and thus mental illnesses can literally spiritually disable people.

I have a bit of the issue myself. As an individual with Asperger’s Syndrome, I’m incapable of truly feeling what others feel. Sure, I can process it logically, but for some reason the closest I ever come to feeling empathy is when it comes to animals. I’m also introverted and analytical. That’s not to say I’m cold though. It’s just that if I’m gonna exercise the virtue of charity it’s not going to be in the warm fuzzy manner that is the Christian standard these days.

Then again, my syndrome also makes me obsessed with orthodoxy — so there’s definitely an upside! And if someone is truly psycopathic or sociopathic odds are they aren’t even culpable in God’s eyes for a single sin they commit and it’s very likely they have a free ticket to Heaven. And a schizophrenic for example could experience many more miracles than the average person because they don’t feel the need to avoid looking crazy — except around doctors! Ha!

 

[Contra_Mundum_1]

Early childhood experiences can damage some people in this way. I have one in the family, and it is truly awful.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

Some mental illness is genetic. Some is environmental. Some is a combination. There are all sorts of disabilities in this earthly life of ours. Why do some people have terrible diseases? Why do some have disfigurements? It’s just life. I think of sociopaths/narcissists/psychopaths as being disfigured, just not outwardly.

Some of them are excellent fakers, though, and one doesn’t realize that there really is no true love possible from them.

 

[pepipop]

Brain damage, in short. The long answer is that we’re fallen and sickness comes with it. Since we’re body-soul composites, if the brain (body) gets dinged up then so do things we would normally consider spiritual. So some of us have spaghetti legs because of the fall, and some of us are mentally ill. It’s just that the mind and soul overlap and thus mental illnesses can literally spiritually disable people.

I have a bit of the issue myself. As an individual with Asperger’s Syndrome, I’m incapable of truly feeling what others feel. Sure, I can process it logically, but for some reason the closest I ever come to feeling empathy is when it comes to animals. I’m also introverted and analytical. That’s not to say I’m cold though. It’s just that if I’m gonna exercise the virtue of charity it’s not going to be in the warm fuzzy manner that is the Christian standard these days.

Then again, my syndrome also makes me obsessed with orthodoxy — so there’s definitely an upside! And if someone is truly psycopathic or sociopathic odds are they aren’t even culpable in God’s eyes for a single sin they commit and it’s very likely they have a free ticket to Heaven. And a schizophrenic for example could experience many more miracles than the average person because they don’t feel the need to avoid looking crazy — except around doctors! Ha!

An interesting point that God would not hold them culpable for any sin - which may be true, however if we are placed on earth to choose to love or reject God,I can only assume their lives on earth are fruitless/pointless?

Potentially, maybe all personality types and people with mental illnesses can choose to follow God’s laws, not necessarily with the warm fuzzy feelings but through logic - I don’t know if there is any research of pysco/sociopaths that choose to believe or follow God;s laws - or are they incapable of doing so?

 

[JDaniel]

purportedly and these traits become apparent in childhood. As God is love and we are all created in his image, how can this be so. Their lack of empathy, compassion and ability to love anyone is inherent to their condition. How could a being be created that is incapable of love?

PP:

We are physical beings, as opposed to Infinite beings, and are, therefore, subject to the aberrations of matter. Our excellent souls can find themselves housed in aberrated matter, which can disjoin a mind from its soul.

At some point in the distant future, when our souls are reunited with our matter, God will prefect our matter.

God bless,
jd

 

[ThinkingSapien]

An interesting point that God would not hold them culpable for any sin - which may be true, however if we are placed on earth to choose to love or reject God,I can only assume their lives on earth are fruitless/pointless?

Potentially, maybe all personality types and people with mental illnesses can choose to follow God’s laws, not necessarily with the warm fuzzy feelings but through logic - I don’t know if there is any research of pysco/sociopaths that choose to believe or follow God;s laws - or are they incapable of doing so?

Check out the DSM-IV on “Antisocial Personality Disorder.” People with disorder are able to learn and follow the rules of society and can do so to get what they want. This makes treatment difficult since they can emulate improvement to get set free earlier. Don’t read to much into instances where one believes there is a God as that in no way suggest you share the same view. “God” is an extremely elastic word. One with a mental illness that believes there is a God could be referring to their own inner voice or even themself.

 

[Arizona_Mike]

I would respectfully disagree with most of the opinions posted so far.

Psychopaths are quite capable of love (for themselves, if no one else), and can show compassion and love for others when they choose to do so. Many psychopaths can behave lovingly towards a spouse or child, yet behave in a shockingly antisocial mode towards others. There is no known compelling organic condition that forces a psychopath to behave in such an antisocial manner, it is clearly a matter of choice. This is why the legal system does not recognize psychopathy as a condition that negates moral culpability for ones actions (as schizophrenia might), and a diagnosed psychopath cannot make a claim of being not guilty by reason of insanity, as psychopaths clearly recognize that their actions are wrong (that is why they take efforts to conceal them, and why despite popular folklore, psychopaths can and do fail polygraph examinations). Psychopaths just see the potential personal benefits of their actions as exceeding the personal risks of possibly being caught and punished. It is considered a behavioral disorder rather than a mental illness in the view of the medical and legal systems…in other words, it is bad behavior.

There could well be contributing factors, and probably are - child abuse, pre-natal issues, etc., but then most sin has factors that predispose us to commit the sin, whether those are the result of our own actions or another’s. It is a tenet of Christianity that none of us will be tempted beyond our capacity to endure.

It should be noted that Psychopathy is also not an either/or condition, it exists on a continuum, and many of us show elements of psychopathy to a greater or lesser degree, i.e., we could all act a little psychopathically in the right set of circumstances or if the goal is sufficient to lead us to make choices to override our moral compunctions. Many people might be surprised to see the results if they took the Hare Psychopathy Screen.

We could probably characterize the condition as a psychological description of a moral issue, i.e., the predisposition to commit evil acts as chosen by the human soul.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

I respectfully disagree that psychopaths can love. They can display outward characteristics that suggest the emotion we call “love.” But it is self-interest more than self-sacrifice. I do not believe that psychopaths or sociopaths can understand true selfless love. It is always about what they can get back from the transaction.