May 22, 2025
From Allie Beth Stuckey
Reprinted from an e-newsletter I receive
Hey ________,
Okay, let’s talk about something kinda weird: Why are we so obsessed with true crime? I mean, what is it about curling up with a blanket, a giant bowl of popcorn, and a Netflix doc about some creepy serial killer that feels like a good time? Are we okay?
I dove into this exact question on a recent episode of “Relatable” with my friend Andrew Klavan, who’s not only a Daily Wire host but also the brilliant mind behind The Kingdom of Cain: Finding God in the Literature of Darkness. And let me tell you, our chat was fascinating.
Here’s the deal: Our love for dark stories isn’t exactly new. Way before true crime podcasts were a thing, people were eating up Shakespeare’s bloody tragedies or slogging through Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment.
Why? Because stories about murder, betrayal, and straight-up evil tap into something deep inside us – a need to see justice win, to know there’s a moral order to this crazy world. Andrew even shared how wrestling with absolute evil led him, an unbeliever at the time, straight to faith in God, the source of absolute good. Isn’t that wild? I can just imagine Satan fuming because even the worst of humanity can point people to Jesus. God’s just that good.
But let’s be real — most of us aren’t cracking open Macbeth or The Brothers Karamazov for fun these days. Instead, we’re bingeing Making a Murderer or listening to My Favorite Murder on our commute. It’s the modern way we scratch that itch to weigh good against evil.
So is this obsession healthy? Should we be glued to shows about psychopaths?
Well, not so fast. Scripture’s pretty clear about what we should fix our minds on. Philippians 4:8 says to dwell on whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable. Spoiler alert: Ted Bundy doesn’t make the cut. Plus, the Bible’s got “do not fear” on repeat (like over 100 times — check it).
I remember watching Law & Order with my mom as a kid and suddenly being convinced every stranger was a criminal mastermind out to get me. That paranoia? Not God’s plan for us. Fear and anxiety aren’t fruits of the Spirit.
Even so, there’s something to be said for confronting darkness with the right lens. When we see evil for what it is — real, ugly, and totally opposed to God’s goodness — it can sharpen our appreciation for His light. The key is to filter everything through Scripture. Whether it’s a gritty novel or a true crime doc, we’ve got to ask: What does this teach me about God’s justice, mercy, or truth?
But here’s the kicker: If you want dark stories that point to God’s glory, just open your Bible. Seriously. It’s got more drama, depravity, and redemption than any podcast. Ever read Judges? It’s like a war-torn saga from ancient Israel, but with God’s justice shining through. The Bible doesn’t shy away from the messy, bloody reality of sin; it confronts it head-on to show us why we need a Savior.
If Philippians 4:8 meant “only think happy thoughts,” we’d have to toss out half of Scripture. And let’s not forget: The gospel is only good news because of the bad news. Heaven’s sweetness comes from knowing the darkness of sin we’re leaving behind.
So next time you’re tempted to hit play on that serial killer doc, maybe pause and ask: Is this drawing me closer to God’s truth or just feeding my fear? Better yet, crack open your Bible. It’s the ultimate true crime story — with the best ending ever.
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I don’t ever watch, have never watched true crime programs, well, except for some series from England portraying some crimes committed there. We don’t have Netflix. I know, how do we exist!? Very well, thank you. My wife and I do watch murder mysteries, as long as they are not too graphic — no one needs to see graphic violence or blood and guts displayed merely for effect, because some producer or director is being led by the wrong spirit and thinks it’ll increase ratings, which, sadly in this world, it likely does. Just take a cursory look at films and television programs. Heavy in the occult. Horror. The more graphic and horrible, the more it seems audiences are drawn to them.
This speaks volumes for the times we live in, and is yet another sign of the End of Days. Though few see the association. Woe to them.
Allie Beth Stuckey raises some excellent points in her e-newsletter to me, and to those who receive her work, and now to you.
All of us — true believers born from above walking in the Light, having been saved by our faith and obedience in Salvation [what His name means], Yeshua Hamaishiac, the LORD Jesus Christ, to unbeliever, to any of us living in the throes of evil committing evil desiring to be removed from such a life.
Turn to the LORD and to ALL of the Scriptures, ALL of the Holy Bible ALL the time. Daily. Do not ever neglect the beginning. The timeline of God’s work and our history on this earth.
There is no Old Testament and New Testament. That is the doing me men, sadly.
There IS the whole, woven Word of God for us. From Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 — and every word between. Spend time, especially if not doing so in the Word of God, prior to the genealogy of Jesus and the LORD coming to this fallen world in the flesh.
Daily. Nightly. Always. Taking it into the heart, the spirit, and living it out in life.
The whole Holy Bible is given to us as it is for a reason. Every word. Do not neglect it. There is no Old Testament God and a different New Testament God. There is ONE TRUE IMMUTABLE — UNCHANGING TRIUNE GOD.
Read every word within His Word given to us. To reveal His will. To reveal our natures which never have changed and never will change until and unless we humble ourselves, submit to the LORD, repent of our sin, confess our sin, and ask Jesus to save us by our faith and our commitment to obey, follow, and serve Him all the remainder of our days on this violent, beautiful, wonderful, sinful, fallen, wicked, amazing earth.
The greatest true crime committed on earth is refusing the LORD Jesus Christ as Savior, as Lord of one’s life. Neglecting the whole Holy Bible. Lacking faith in God and His Son, His Word, His ways, refusing His mercy, forgiveness, and free gift of grace, and sealing one’s eternal fate to be cast into the bottomless pit, the depths of eternal fiery hell. THAT is the greatest true crime on earth.
Ken Pullen, A Crooked Path, Friday, May 23rd, 2025
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