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Crime

Study: Religion May Help Hardcore Criminals Justify Their Crimes

Mar. 11, 2013 11:30pm Billy Hallowell

Many studies have shown the benefits that faith and religion can have in one’s everyday life. But a recent report published in the academic journal Theoretical Criminology has come to some less-than-favorable conclusions about how some hardcore criminals may be exploiting faith to justify their crimes.

Last month, The Vancouver Sun reported that the study, led by Volkan Topalli, a professor of criminal justice at Georgia State University, found that through “purposeful distortion of genuine ignorance” select criminals use theological views to either justify of even further their crimes.

Topalli believes that the implications of the research could be profound, especially considering the plethora of faith-based services and missionary groups that do outreach in America’s prison systems. If substantiated, the findings could change the way that these communications are conducted.

Study: Religion May Help Hardcore Criminals Justify Their Crimes

Credit: AFP/Getty Images

“People have to understand that presenting religious doctrine to people isn’t enough to change their behavior,” the researcher said. “[Faith-based services] have to be systematic and about behaviour change — religion has to be a vehicle, rather than the goal.”

Through the article, entitled, “With God on My Side: The Paradoxical Relationship Between Religious Belief and Criminality Among Hardcore Street Offenders,” Topalli and his team delved deeply into the subject matter, exploring how hardcore criminals react to religions doctrine. Here’s how the abstract describes the study at hand:

Research has found that many street offenders anticipate an early death, making them less prone to delay gratification, more likely to discount the future costs of crime, and thus more likely to offend. Ironically, many such offenders also hold strong religious convictions, including those related to the punitive afterlife consequences of offending. To reconcile these findings, we interviewed 48 active street offenders to determine their expectation of an early demise, belief in the afterlife, and notions of redemption and punishment. Despite the deterrent effects of religion that have been highlighted in prior research, our results indicate that religion may have a counterintuitive criminogenic effect in certain contexts. Through purposeful distortion or genuine ignorance, the hardcore offenders we interviewed are able to exploit the absolvitory tenets of religious doctrine, neutralizing their fear of death to not only allow but encourage offending. This suggests a number of intriguing consequences for deterrence theory and policy.

Photo Credit: AP

As indicated in the above text, the research team interviewed 48 people who were involved in serious crimes ranging from drug dealing to burglary. According to the Sun, many of the criminals the team spoke with seemed to lack an understanding of the Christian faith — the system that the majority of them subscribed to.

For instance, one man seemed to justify murder, using faith and religion to do so. When faced with the notion that killing could lead to hell after death, he said, ”No, no, no, I don’t think that is right. Anything can be forgiven. We live in Hell now and you can do anything in Hell. … God has to forgive everyone, even if they don’t believe in him.”

The Sun also reports that other criminals in the study selectively chose the doctrines they wanted to abide by, while others manipulated Christian principles. For example, another individual said that he always prays before committing a crime to ensure that he stays in good with Jesus. Additionally, he stated his belief that, if he asks Christ for forgiveness, it must be granted.

The study’s main contention is that criminals often try to rectify their illegal activity with their faith. As far as addressing this issue goes, Topalli believes that missionaries should work to rectify some of these misconceptions. Simply relying upon a salvation message and the Bible isn’t necessarily going to prevent these distortions, but addressing them head-on would be helpful.

Read the full report over at the Sun. As Slate notes, there are some cautionary takeaways before making widespread determinations about the results. A sample size of 48 is extremely small and may not, in any real way, yield results that are indicative of criminal behavior at large.

(H/T: Slate)

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Comments (38)

4XGrace
Posted on March 12, 2013 at 11:52am
The criminals that are too smart to be caught go into religion and lead it. Religion and/or politics. Both are full of bullies, psychopaths, sociopaths and psychotics.

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Halo9x
Posted on March 12, 2013 at 11:47am
Since I am currently working at a prison facility as a volunteer chaplain, I would say this is a very real concern. At our Unit we connect the message of redemption with life changes. Over the years I have had my share of guys who say, “God put me here.” To which I reply, “No, you put yourself here, but God is not above taking advantage of the situation to make a difference in your life.” We concentrate on making disciples of Christ so the inmates realize that God expects them as all of us to live godly lives. We have seen some remarkable turn arounds and at least 90% of those who go through our classes do go on to live productive lives when they are released.

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DeavonReye
Posted on March 12, 2013 at 9:55am
I’m sure many do this. The “better to ask for forgiveness later than permission now” types. It is ridiculous, of course, . . . and is another example of how narcissists can use many types of “inputs” to get what they want at the expense of others.

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AUsername
Posted on March 12, 2013 at 9:20am
Yeah it is used by Neo Conservatives to justify their terrorist foreign policy around the world.

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MisterSarcastic
Posted on March 12, 2013 at 7:39am
My father said it a little differently. ‘If you wanna fail, any excuse will do’.

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GETLIFE
Posted on March 12, 2013 at 6:45am
Oh give me a BREAK!
They would come to the same conclusions using the doctrines of any other powerful ideology– religious or NOT.
Take socialism for example….

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ZAP
Posted on March 12, 2013 at 6:08am
One must move beyond religion, beyond doctrines, beyond rules, beyond rituals, and into a life-changing experience of being intimately connected with Christ

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RisetovotesiR
Posted on March 12, 2013 at 4:28am
religious people are either uneducated and delusional or have a form of autism.

why else would the creator of an infinite universe send his zombie son to save you from yourselves?

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- RisetovotesiR
  Posted on March 12, 2013 at 4:41am
  definitely god, definitely!
  
  Report this comment
- john vincent
  Posted on March 12, 2013 at 8:00am
  –good job rise-
  
  your post is a perfect example of the miscreants loose on this earth- but do not be dismayed- there is hope for even the most hardened of criminals-
  
  Back on topic-
  it is only when these misfits get caught does their excuse come to surface-their reasoning is cleverly stupid, and the so called ‘study’ a sham
  
  Report this comment
- battles
  Posted on March 12, 2013 at 10:42am
  He will regret having made this blasphemous statement during the first three minutes of entering into his final abode. But then it will be too late.
  
  Report this comment
loneindividual
Posted on March 12, 2013 at 4:19am
Me: *tortures Criminal with a hot iron*
Criminal: God is gonna send you to Hell!
Me: No he won’t, he’s gotta forgive me for doing this. There’s no difference between you & I now! muahahaha. Do you see how this logic is flawed & how you’re a total moron?
Criminal: I hate you…..

You only forgive when their repentence is complete.

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DLV
Posted on March 12, 2013 at 3:34am
Thats nice criminals. Selectively choosing which passages you want to abide by doesn’t work. Also, if you keep doing something wrong and then say you’re sorry only to do it again. God won’t buy that. Honestly, how stupid are these people?

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- Locked
  Posted on March 12, 2013 at 9:38am
  Well said, DLV. I seem to recall an article about this a few weeks ago, where prisoners called themselves Christians but couldn’t even name half the Commandments. I don’t want to fall prey to the “No True Scotsman” fallacy, but… how do you say you’re a member of a religious group without even knowing the most basic thing about it?
  
  Report this comment
shorelineliz
Posted on March 12, 2013 at 3:27am
Is it possible that what criminals in jail have learned is ‘cheap grace?”

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shorelineliz
Posted on March 12, 2013 at 3:24am
what does this really mean?

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woody4_rom828
Posted on March 12, 2013 at 3:23am
Hmm a sample size of 48. What’s the margin of error on this +/- 50%?

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runyon847
Posted on March 12, 2013 at 2:39am
This is hardly revelatory. Criminals and hypocrites have been using psycholgy anf psychiatry to do as much, blaming rape, voyeurism, pedophilia, theft, alcoholism, homosexuality and a host of other sins on genetics, social factors, conditioning, Twinkies and everyhting else under the sun.
Big deal.

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- shorelineliz
  Posted on March 12, 2013 at 3:21am
  how do you feel?
  
  Report this comment
Witness1974
Posted on March 12, 2013 at 1:19am
“He that saith, ‘I know Him,’ and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (I John 2:4).

Anyone who hasn’t, should read the entire book of 1st John. It will shed light on the contents of this article.

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FOREIGNANDDOMESTIC
Posted on March 12, 2013 at 1:15am
These morons could have interviewed the Hardcore WH Offenders and found the same behavior pattern. In fact, sleazebags on the left have been “using theological views to justify or further their crimes” since the beginning of time.

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Chazael
Posted on March 12, 2013 at 12:35am
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” Matt 6:24

Their love is clear. If they say they love Jesus, they are just lying to themselves.

Unfortunately this is not confined to just those who are confined. Most of so-called “Christianity” today is also lying to themselves. One cannot both love the world and God.

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raybaker35
Posted on March 12, 2013 at 12:32am
Hardcore Criminals can think about any relegion they please. In a cage with a celly for life.

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semihardrock
Posted on March 12, 2013 at 12:09am
I guess it worked for the Federal Reserve…..who is now paying for ALL Federal Employees.

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Margyt
Posted on March 12, 2013 at 12:05am
What a convoluted mess and distortion of faith. We all knew criminals have screwed up ideas of right and wrong. What is new about that? These “researchers” don’t appear to understand faith vs. religion and very likely came with preconceived ideas about “jailhouse conversions”, etc.

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- HappyStretchedThin
  Posted on March 12, 2013 at 12:15am
  Gotta love it when non-believers pretend to understand everything about religion, and take just about everything at face value from the mouths of those guilty of the most extreme examples of immorality in a broader effort to discredit that which they never understood in the first place.
  Measuring conversion isn’t an exact science, granted, but there ARE some signs beyond what twisted versions of a self-justifying “system” of belief those convicts CALL Christianity. Doesn’t this yahoo think the believers going to testify have SOME sense of when the conversion isn’t complete yet?
  
  Report this comment
- The-Monk
  Posted on March 12, 2013 at 12:26am
  Hi HappyStretchedThin,
  
  Good to see you posting tonight. You might want to keep an eye out for something I will be posting here as soon as I finish it. It will be under the heading of CAEROGAP and will be long. I would like a dialog on it with you. Thanks.
  
  Report this comment
- HappyStretchedThin
  Posted on March 12, 2013 at 3:53am
  Hi Monk,
  You likewise. I’ll keep my eye out.
  
  Report this comment
The-Monk
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 11:58pm
“purposeful distortion of genuine ignorance”

Wow…. they were testing Wango. LOL

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- Jake Dog2
  Posted on March 12, 2013 at 12:46am
  Poor Wango. Not
  
  Report this comment
- woody4_rom828
  Posted on March 12, 2013 at 3:20am
  Author or writer misquoted the actual report “purposeful distortion OR genuine ignorance”.
  
  Report this comment
canadianlady
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 11:58pm
This is just gratuitous God bashing. Have they done any studies into how secular humanism enables criminals to justify their crimes? Didn’t think so.

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FalseFactBob
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 11:48pm
Fun Fact: 99% of jihadist justify there crimes for religious purposes. The 1% a guy named Jihad Steve said ” no it wasn’t for any supreme being I just woke up one morning and felt like killing”

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banjarmon
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 11:46pm
Ya want to make a criminal a good person….Beat the H3LL out of him!!!

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spirited
Posted on March 11, 2013 at 11:39pm
Criminal minds can justify murder.

>Some call it social justice.

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- The-Monk
  Posted on March 12, 2013 at 12:00am
  Hi Spirited,
  
  Did you see my replies?
  
  Report this comment
- spirited
  Posted on March 12, 2013 at 2:09am
  Hello MONK –There you are.
  
  Got lost for a while.
  Posted a reply on another Blaze artilce, but in case you missed it:
  
  Yes, the “not a coincidence” and the “little breeze”;^> Thanks.
  
  San Antimo was a clarity experience (both times); as in understand & knowing.
  A Yes! , with a calm, calm. (sigh)
  
  ~>Looking forward to the “long” version & MONK dictionary.
  
  Report this comment

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