This may seem entirely unrelated, but I believe it is very much foundational to understanding all of the mess. It talks of the overall controversy between good and evil, and why people do what they do.

https://secureservercdn.net/160.153.138.53/xj0.767.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/The-Great-Controversy-1911.pdf

The same can be found in a free audiobook (good to listen while driving long distances) here:

https://ellenwhiteaudio.org/great-controversy/

On another note, I have a personal theory and it goes like this.

Child abuse and sacrifice seems to go back as far as records go. We know about Moloch from early parts of the bible. I ask myself a question:

Why would the devil want child sacrifice and abuse? My theory is that the devil knows that we are all built with a natural affection for babies. It is built into our biology. When we care about babies, we care about what happens to them, the environment they grow up in, the people they interact and make friends with, and everything that may affect their lives. This is a care for the world, in general. We want babies to grow up and have a great life. This care adds to our own desires to make the world a better place.

The devil, on the other hand, wants people who don't care about anything. He wants them to do all kinds of evil, and the only way he can have servants like that, is for them to be stone-hearted. Uncaring about anything that is good or holy. Such men and women can infect, harm and destroy anything which it would please their master to destroy. It seems to be a fair explanation for why people don't even have children together, such as the Clinton's not being mother and father of Chelsea Clinton, and quite possibly the Obama's and their children. They don't want strong ties to this world, or it's betterment. They can't afford to, or they may find their natural affections growing, rather than being stifled.

Would be interested to hear any thoughts. Cheers.