Sin's Warp on the Mind
The patterns of sin degrade the rational processes of the mind, creating a warping effect known in theology as depravity. We all experience this to some degree, though Christians have the promise of God's grace to fight it. The downgrade of depravity can be noted most clearly in the criminal arena. As such, John MacArthur highlights the findings of sociologists and contrasts that with a Christian worldview: In their two-volume book The Criminal Personality, Samuel Yochelson and Stanton Samenow maintain that criminal behavior is the result of warped thinking. Three entire sections (pp. 251–457) are devoted to “The thinking errors of the criminal.” By studying what criminals think, rather than trying to probe their feelings and backgrounds, these researchers use these sections to share their conclusions. “It is remarkable,” they write, “that the criminal often derives as great an impact from his activities during nonarrestable phases as he does from crime. The criminal’s...