One of the most fascinating and long-lasting criminal investigations in the history of the United States occurred in connection with the infamous Main Line Murder Case in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For those who don’t remember, this case involved the murder of a teacher at Upper Merion High School in 1979 by the name of Susan Reinert, and the still-unresolved disappearance (and presumed murder) of her two young children.
The investigation, once begun, quickly focused on two individuals—one William Bradfield, a fellow schoolteacher of Reinert’s with whom she was allegedly involved romantically, and the school’s principal, Dr. Jay C. Smith, who also held the rank of colonel in the United States Army Reserve [1]. Both men were convicted of the murders a few years later, with Bradfield sentenced to life imprisonment and Smith sentenced to death [2]. Smith’s conviction was overturned by the Pennsylvania State Supreme Court in 1992 on account of prosecutorial misconduct, and he was set free [3]. Bradfield died in prison in 1998 [4].
Several books and a television miniseries would be produced about this notorious case, regarding which substantial mystery still abounds. If nothing else, the story offers noteworthy proof of the old adage that truth is stranger than fiction.
Confronted With Evil
Having read so much about this case, what has probably intrigued me the most is the manner in which ordinary people often react when confronted by genuine evil. One such example—among others—arising from this case is recounted in a book about the investigation by Dr. Smith’s lawyer. For those not familiar with the story, Smith’s troubles with the law—and one reason he was so quickly presumed guilty of the later murder charges—began with his arrest for impersonating a Brink’s security guard in the act of robbing two local department stores. Upon searching Smith’s home, police found evidence of illegal drug use on his part, in addition to a taste for bizarre varieties of pornography [5].
“Upper Merion High School is not going to be ready for this,” one of the arresting officers observed, shaking his head [6]. He was right. Hundreds of frantic parents demanded an immediate meeting with the school board, which took place within a week of Smith’s arrest. The meeting was punctuated with such angry questions as, “How could a man who has served as the high school principal for 12 years have led such an incredible life?” “How could you do this to us?” “How could you have allowed him to be in charge of our children?” [6].
Predictably, the school board members had no answers, at least none that satisfied the irate questioners [7].
Naïve About Evil
Certainly one can understand the outrage of these parents. But thoughtful reflection on their part—not a likely outcome in such circumstances, to be sure—might have helped them realize that many in this world are good at living double lives, and that appearances can be deceiving. Too many who inhabit the bubble of sedate, sheltered, middle class culture tend to consider dark deeds like robbery and murder as belonging to a different world—a world from which they view themselves as comfortably isolated.
Many Christians have a similar mindset when confronting evil, especially in the church. Often they assume that people doing the devil’s work—in particular pastors, professors, or prominent laypersons who promote erroneous teachings or excuse sinful practices—will be obviously bad, obviously unchristlike, obviously working against God. When such persons come across as loving, compassionate, and winsome in style, it is very difficult to take the position that on the basis of objective inspired evidence, they are working to further the cause of the great adversary of God and humanity.
Like those parents in Upper Merion, Pennsylvania, many of us inhabit what we hold to be a social and cultural “safety zone” where grotesque wickedness and satanic deeds are thought to be far away, not likely to affect the lives of nice people like ourselves who work hard and (at least outwardly) play by the rules. Christians, even Seventh-day Adventists, who attend peaceful and socially vibrant churches where all seems well and nice, have a tough time remembering that the great controversy between Christ and Satan takes no holidays, and that no spiritual Switzerland exists to which refugees from that conflict might flee and recover a haven of peace and quiet.
When I was in college during the Desmond Ford controversy, certain very popular and charismatic teachers gave evidence of sympathy for Ford’s heretical theology, or at least for his right to promote his theories while remaining employed by the church. The style of these teachers was such that they played on the bias often natural on the part of inquiring minds in favor of persons perceived to be “underdogs” thought to be challenging an entrenched and self-protective “establishment.” When those sympathetic to these teachers and to Ford were shown objective inspired evidence that demonstrated Ford’s wrongness and the Biblical rightness of the church’s stance, these sympathizers often fell back on their emotional attachment to these teachers, how “nice” and deeply spiritual the latter presumably were, and so forth. It often seemed that in the opinion of these students and others, a professor or pastor teaching doctrinal error had to sprout horns, grow hair on the palms of one’s hands, or produce other evidences of ill manner or diabolical intent to be considered unqualified to teach in a Seventh-day Adventist school.
Conclusion
The apostle Paul writes:
And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works (II Cor. 11:14-15).
One thinks of the words of William Shakespeare, in Sonnet 147:
For I have sworn thee fair, and thought thee bright
Who art as black as hell, as dark as night [8].
It’s easy to read these words, but much harder to apply them. It’s far too natural to assume God’s enemies will appear overtly godless, despite the overwhelming evidence of the Sacred Record that much of the time they appear quite the opposite. No substitute for constant watchfulness and an awareness of the life-or-death struggle with evil is possible, especially as we near the close of time. Our spiritual worldview must become so thoroughly defined and guided by the written counsel of God, so immersed in the realities of the great controversy, that no matter how apparently loving and Christian the persona of a religious figure might be, departure from the written Word on the part of such a one will instantly trigger loud and persistent warnings.
We cannot, in short, afford to be naïve about evil.
REFERENCES
1. “Jay C. Smith,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_C._Smith
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. William C. Costopoulos, Principal Suspect: The True Story of Dr. Jay Smith and the Main Line Murders (Philadelphia: Camino Books Inc, 1996), p. 23.
6. Ibid, p. 24.
7. Ibid.
8. “Sonnet 147,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonnet_147
Pastor Kevin Paulson holds a Bachelor’s degree in theology from Pacific Union College, a Master of Arts in systematic theology from Loma Linda University, and a Master of Divinity from the SDA Theological Seminary at Andrews University. He served the Greater New York Conference of Seventh-day Adventists for ten years as a Bible instructor, evangelist, and local pastor. He writes regularly for Liberty magazine and does script writing for various evangelistic ministries within the denomination. He continues to hold evangelistic and revival meetings throughout the North American Division and beyond, and is a sought-after seminar speaker relative to current issues in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He presently resides in Berrien Springs, Michigan