The first came from the New York Times:
One person who spoke with [Dear] extensively about his religious views said Mr. Dear, who is 57, had praised people who attacked abortion providers, saying they were doing Gods work. In 2009, said the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of concerns for the privacy of the family, Mr. Dear described as heroes members of the Army of God, a loosely organized group of anti-abortion extremists that has claimed responsibility for a number of killings and bombings.
The Times reporter also interviewed a close relative of Dears Colorado girlfriend Stephanie Bragg, who said the couple were very religious, read the Bible often and are always talking about scripture. The two reportedly lived in a trailer marked with a small cross, and that Bragg couldnt believe Dear was capable of such things.
Nevertheless, Bragg told the relative she had a theory as to what drove her boyfriend to murder several people in cold blood: He believed he was doing Gods will, and Im sure he probably wanted to die in the process of carrying out what Im sure he thought was right.
Another report from the Charleston Post and Courier claimed that Dear was obsessed with an interpretation of the Christian apocalypse, and used dark, bizarre theology to justify disturbing acts of domestic violence against his ex wife.