@90sRetroFan Because a lot of the stories in the Bible are historically dubious enough to the point where the only real usefulness that can be extracted from them, is the archetypes that they represent. For one, Cain was the archetypal farmer, and Abel was the archetypal herder. Combined with the fact that Abel's offering of flesh was what set off Cain's murder attempt, there's at least some evidence that what Cain did was justified. There is zero evidence in the case of Vandyke. Again, we have no motive at all. All we know is that some random man killed some random boy who we happen to dislike. Even if it were true that, one, the story of Cain and Abel actually happened, and that two, Cain really did not kill Abel for the reason we would consider justifiable, then I would accept the fact that Cain isn't someone to admire or even to respect. If the criteria for who this guy murders has nothing to do with whether they initiate violence, then there's no real reason to label him a hero