Exploring Evil: What Pushes People Over the Edge?
On a hot Summer afternoon in Butler, Pennsylvania, former President Donald Trump was holding a rally for his re-election. Several minutes into speaking to the crowd, several shots were fired. Donald Trump could be seen grabbing his ear as a bullet “whizzed past,” grazing the former Commander-and-Chief. The US Secret Service acted quickly, shielding the former President and taking out the gunman. Before President Trump was whisked away, he raised his fist in the air, giving the audience an indication, “I’m ok.”
The gunman, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was killed moments after the attempted assassination, FOX News recorded. Mr. Crooks killed one attendee and wounded two others.
Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022. He was one of nearly two dozen students from the school to earn a $500 "star award" from the National Math and Science Initiative. An online recording of his graduation ceremony shows him walking the stage to minimal applause and briefly posing with a school official, the New York Times reported.
Federal Election Commission records show that a donor listed as Thomas Crooks with the same address gave $15 to a Democratic-aligned political action committee called the Progressive Turnout Project in January 2021, reported NBC News.
When reached by CNN late Saturday night, Crooks’ father, Matthew Crooks, said he was trying to figure out “what the hell is going on” but would “wait until I talk to law enforcement” before speaking about his son.
As of the preparation of this sermon, the incident is under investigation. Speculations are flying about social media, and many will wonder about the “whys.” Was it solely political? Did the shooter associate with radicals? What was going through the gunman’s mind?
When the FBI investigates such instances, they gather as much data as possible on the individual(s) who perpetrate a crime. The FBI checks social media, reading habits, friends, family, and associates to try to paint a picture of a criminal.
The investigation they will do in the upcoming days, weeks, and months is not unlike a similar investigation that happened over 25 years ago. An investigation that sought to understand the “why” of Columbine. Why did two high-school boys who seemed to “have it all together” unleash such violence?
To fully understand this, we must travel back to Columbine, the investigative team, and Holy Scriptures to find the “why” of what pushes people over the edge. What causes seemingly ordinary people to commit acts of great evil? Is it the media they consume, the company they keep, or something deeper within?
Chapters:
[00:00] - Introduction: Setting the Scene at the Rally
[00:13] - Attempted Assassination: The Incident Unfolds
[00:35] - Aftermath: Reactions and Immediate Consequences
[01:17] - Who Was the Gunman? Background on Thomas Crooks
[02:04] - Speculations Begin: Questions Arise About the Shooter’s Motives
[03:35] - Introduction to the Sermon’s Main Topic: Exploring Evil and Its Roots
[04:00] - Scripture Reading: Romans 6:16-23
[05:48] - Prayer: Seeking Guidance and Understanding
[06:14] - Revisiting Columbine: The Psychological Autopsy
[08:27] - Media Influence: Dr. Dietz’s Findings and Personal Agency
[10:04] - A Biblical Worldview: Understanding Sin and Human Behavior
[11:04] - The Nature of Carnality: Galatians 5:19-21
[12:01] - Temptation and Sin: A Blueprint of Human Nature
[13:43] - The Biblical Perspective: Understanding the Heart and Its Desires
[16:05] - The Warning of Jesus: Perception and Darkness
[17:22] - The Consequences of Sin: God Giving Them Over
[19:42] - Early Signs of Sin: Studies in Infant and Toddler Behavior
[22:01] - Validating Scripture: How Studies Support the Bible
[23:04] - The Condition of the Unsaved: Servants to Sin
[25:00] - The Role of Believers: Transformation and Righteousness
[27:14] - The Deception of Easy Salvation: The Importance of True Transformation
[29:21] - The Process of Sanctification: Working Out Your Salvation
[31:08] - The Choice of Righteousness: Freedom in Christ
[33:11] - A Contrast of Natures: The Unsaved vs. The Saved
[35:36] - Final Consequences: The Wages of Sin and the Gift of God
[37:01] - The Final Analysis: What It All Means for Believers
[38:37] - The Gospel Message: Understanding Our Fallen World
[40:24] - God’s Mercy: The Sacrifice of Jesus Christ
[42:00] - The High Standards of God: The Seriousness of Sin
[44:01] - The Gift of Salvation: Believing in Jesus’ Sacrifice
[45:08] - The Importance of Relationship: Being Reconciled to God
The article can be found here:
https://robertwimer.com/exploring-evi...
Downloadable sermon materials can be found here:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/nt5qfr...
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