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You said — “Not insane? I wonder. These people are demonically oppressed. I would call that “not” sane, at the least.”

Hey, I almost missed your post. There are way too many here.... :-)

Well, in terms of that “insane” — I mean in a clinical sense. I’m not injecting the Bible’s view of it here, and besides, I don’t see that the Bible refers to these things as mental aberrations, but rather the result of sin and the rejection of God. So, I’m not going there, in terms of the “insane” part.

If we were to look at it from a clinical psychological and psychiatric appraoch, one also has to take into account one’s “worldview” and background in assessing this. Are they able to function “normally” and adequately in their culture and their “norms”. And mind you, the Islamic “norm” is way different than Western culture (not being a “relativist” here, just analytical).

Let me go to the Christian, first and show you what I mean. A Christian believes in the Bible and the resurrection of Christ and life from the dead and a Heaven that all Christians will go to. This is their worldview. So, when a psychiatrist is examining a Christian, he has to take into account that firmly held and believed “worldview” — or else — he could possibly say that they are *delusional* and/or *insane* for believing such things as dead people come alive and there is such a thing as heaven “out there somewhere”. I mean — for a person of another worldview — this might be considered “delusional” and “insane”. In fact, that’s what the Soviets did to the Christians over there, during those Cold War days. They claimed that these Christians were delusional and insane and they were able to “lock them up” under those pretenses.

The point being is that is the Christian’s worldview and when the pyschiatrist takes that into account, then he can make an assessment of whether they are delusional or not and whether they can function properly within their group and worldview and society at large.

It’s the same with the Muslims, over there in their society. They have a different worldview, The psychiatrist is going to take a *different look* and use a different yardstick in determining their state of being — as to whether they are delusional or incapable of functioning in society (i.e., *their* society, not ours). That is going to involve a *different set of criteria* and thus what *we* (as “normal” people over here in this country) would consider absolutely “crazy” — it can be considered “normal” and “functional” in their society.

Of course the psychiatrists are using relativism in making those determinations. But,that’s our present culture in the world today. And in that sense — they are not insane — clinically speaking.

HOWEVER, when we go to the Word of God, we see a different story. We see sin and evil and righteousness and so on... We see salvation and the fighting of evil against good and against God. In light of that, these Jihadists are not *delusional* and are not *insane* — but they are (in light of the Word of God) sinful and evil. They have a religion which is of Satan (*literally* so). This is not psychological language or relativism. This is the absolute and unalterable and perfect Word of God speaking. It’s speaking on a completelly different level. That’s what I’m talking about.

So, I say, they are evil and despicable, but they are not delusional or insane. I hope you get what I mean.

Regards,
Star Traveler