Do I like the way he treated her? No, and every woman who has ever known me would tell you it is the exact opposite of the way I (or any other gentleman) would behave.
Do I think his fascistic behavior was in keeping with Scriptural precepts? Or course not -- unless, like liberals, he simply struck from God's word that which was not in keeping with his decidedly demented views.
But, do I think she was a total "victim" who deserves naught but our sympathy? Well, frankly, that's absurd. All along the way, she quite obviously took part in their decisions -- including the decision to get married. When you see the boat you are on is headed for the falls, it is best to jump off at some point -- any point! -- before it hits the rapids. She chose not to. Instead, she chose -- yes, libs and feminazis -- chose to kill her innocent children instead.
IN my humble and saddened opinion, she deserves to die. And he deserves to be shunned by all who know him -- especially by any woman who hopes to lead anything even resembling a sane existence.
From what I have heard so far, Andrea sounds like a typical spousal abuse victim, but instead of physical, it seems psychological... Can we see a parallel to Jim Jones here?
Thomas Szasz has the view that there is a form of "reason" even in the most disturbed schizophrenic's mind, if I understand him correctly.
If I put myself in Andrea's shoes, and were as abused and controlled as she was, I could see a logic to killing her children to protect them from her husband, and his abuse of her. She felt powerless to escape, probably thought she was wicked for wanting to, given his form of controlling her through religious perversion/pornography... (can we say brainwashed here?), and in a bizarre but rational way, she acted to protect her children...
I think Emily Dickinson said it best..."much madness is divinest sense"...
When I compare her behavior to that of Susan Smith, hers seems the less evil, the more acceptable, as her motives as I understand them could be seen as protecting her children, rather than trying to get them out of the way to get a "new guy"
Those of you who want to crucify her are making a categorical mistake. I am not overlooking the fact that 5 babies are dead, but I am saying that she may not be as evil or as guilty as some would make her.
Right now, I do think the husband should be charged with spousal abuse and child endangerment, perhaps with murder...
But, we have to wait for all the testimony to come out...