www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Nearly all murderers are mentally ill...

It took a study for them to figure it out: nearly all murderers are mentally ill: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050510/sc_afp/swedensciencemurderpsychiatry_050510172459
Duh! So, is that supposed to make it excusable?

Tammy

Tammy, I guess it's true that a fool and his money are often parted. I do believe the findings about substance abuse, and believe it's a significant factor in murder and many other crimes.

The claim is for Sweden. The authors suggest that such a claim cannot be made, for example, for the US.

Those concepts are so secular. Now I'd rather think of murderers in a Christian way. Either they know what they are doing and are doing it through their own will, or they have subjecated themselves to a demon and are not in control of what they are doing. Either way 'satan' is to blame.

Now that's what Pope John Paul said when asked why he didn't bother to find out 'why' he was shot.

Zenovia

Having had to deal with a violent family member, I do think that mental illness plays a part in the cycle of violence. I've seen reports about studies connecting brain injur y to impulse control and violence. We don't have a complete understanding of that yet, and it is a provoking potential.

On the other hand, I don't think drink or drugs remove culpability. I'm not saying that it's easy for everyone to stop using these things if there is a problem, but I don't think you can blame drugs for violence or anything else. People themselves must take the responsibility for what is done or not done while under the influence. JMHO

Pook

No, it means that they are in need for our mercy, love and mostly our prayers.

Of course, I could see reasons behind why church organists could be murderers. Perhaps they could be, because of dealing with nuns, liturgists, priests, tone-deaf laity - the list could go on. And yet, we rarely make the headlines for killing anyone. Now that's miraculous.

Our Good Father John Paul was such a wise man! I often call on God to grant me more open forgiveness, more unconditional forgiveness, because we often do get caught up in the "why" of things, as if the reason why has anything at all to our responsibility as Christians to forgive.