Do we identify the Planned Parenthood shooter as a ‘radical Christian’?

We now know that Robert Dear, Jr., the man who attacked that Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, is a Christian. At least said he is a Christian.

According to a New York Times article quoting various acquaintances and a divorce affidavit filed by his ex-wife, he talked a lot about Christianity in his online postings. He was obsessed with the world coming to an end.

Dear is militantly anti-abortion. He said people who attacked abortion providers were doing “God’s work.”

Related: Does it matter what Planned Parenthood shooter believes?

The evidence indicates that he considered himself to be Christian.

Except he did a lot of un-Christian things, such as gambling and cheating on his wives, and that attack last week.

So do we identify him as Christian or not? And if we do, how do we distinguish him for most other Christians who would never dream of doing such things? Should we call him a Christian radical? Or Christian terrorist?

As someone who has publicly used the term radical Islam in describing killers who claimed their Islamic faith as justification for similar acts, I would pretty much have to call him a radical Christian.

But my problem is that being Christian myself &#8211 Roman Catholic to be precise &#8211 I find it uncomfortable to use any term that would create even a remote association between my faith and his.

I would much rather refer to him as problem gambler Robert Dear, or serial philanderer Robert Dear, or space alien Robert Dear.

But then if I do choose to ignore his claims to religious authenticity, I would have to do that for every killer claiming religious authenticity, wouldn’t I? And that would get me branded as politically correct.