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Unhinged Society Needs Scapegoats
Unhinged politicians, wrathful preachers, belligerent protesters and hateful pundits pursue a practice as old as the Bible. They create scapegoats.
The practice of the scapegoat has its genesis in the biblical book of Leviticus, where the sins of the people were placed symbolically on the head of an innocent goat. The goat was then driven into the wilderness, taking away the sin that was among the people.
Scapegoats never really freed the Hebrew people from sin any more than our naming of scapegoats really solves contemporary problems.
Yet many Christians regularly practice scapegoating. Whether our anger is full-throated, oxygen-deprived rage or snake-eyed sarcasm or mocking humor, we readily blame others for what is wrong.
Take but a few examples of Christian leaders who scapegoat: Baptist minister Steven Anderson said he wanted to see President Obama die of brain cancer, while former Southern Baptist Convention vice president Wiley Drake prayed for the president's death. Both blamed Obama for their perception of what's wrong. Obama's early pastoral mentor, Jeremiah Wright, blamed the government for a genocide campaign against people of color through the HIV virus. Jerry Falwell blamed gays and the ACLU for the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11.
Of course, scapegoating is not practiced solely in the house of God. Glenn Beck, Congressman Joe Wilson, the birthers, the global warming deniers, the anti-reformers of health care and the anti-tax protesters bark their share of blame. They readily accuse others of being liars, liberals, socialists, environmentalists and Nazis, all enemies of their America.
Perhaps behind the blame game is the loss of the four cardinal virtues.
Writing in "Mere Christianity," C.S. Lewis said that the word "cardinal" came from the Latin word that meant "the hinge of the door." He identified these cardinal virtues as prudence or common sense; temperance or balance; justice or fairness; and fortitude or "guts" when things are tough.
A civil society swings on these four hinges. And right now, our society appears to be becoming unhinged.
By
Robert Parham
|
September 15, 2009; 3:35 PM ET
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Posted by: ThomasBaum | September 16, 2009 2:46 PM
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Yet many Christians regularly practice scapegoating. Whether our anger is full-throated, oxygen-deprived rage or snake-eyed sarcasm or mocking humor, we readily blame others for what is wrong.
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Speaking as a Jew, I'd have to agree that many Christians do practice scapegoating, have, in fact, done so for two thousand years, and not by casting goats out of the city, but via genocide.
Do you think that the essentialism of the "NT" could have had anything to do with that? Do you think that the construction of a deity so loathesome that he indicted humanity for all time for the "sins" committed by Adam and Eve (lol) might have played a role?
Do you think that this monstrous God the father who demanded human sacrifice, holding all of humanity culpable, might have played a role in the Christians' subsequent sacrifice of humans?
And did it help the Christian people?
Word to the wise: Leave the Tanakh, including Leviticus, to those equipped to interpret it. Concentrate on your "NT." Edit it, reform it, as so many of your fellow Christians urge.
Posted by: Farnaz1Mansouri1 | September 15, 2009 8:05 PM
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Farnaz1Mansouri1
You wrote, "Speaking as a Jew, I'd have to agree that many Christians do practice scapegoating, have, in fact, done so for two thousand years, and not by casting goats out of the city, but via genocide."
And many haven't. Also there have been many that aren't "Christian" that have done nasty things thru the ages, have there not? Even tho you do not believe in God, God Is Real and God looks at the person not the "label" that either we or the person apply to themself.
Then you wrote, "Do you think that this monstrous God the father who demanded human sacrifice"
Are you speaking about Abraham or Jesus?
If about Abraham, then if you remember God did not allow it to happen.
If about Jeus then you should remember that Jesus, God-Incarnate, was killed by man not killed by man instructed by God to kill Him, was He?
What you are writing here is quite similiar, if not exactly, what some of those that you speak so harshly about have interpreted events concerning the life and death of Jesus, is it not?
And then, "holding all of humanity culpable,"
Are we "cupable" or are we responsible for what we do with our free will?
And then, "might have played a role in the Christians' subsequent sacrifice of humans?"
I don't know about "subsequent sacrifice of humans" but there have been "Christians" that have killed many people thru the ages in ways very much against the most basic of what Jesus taught but there have been people other than "Christian" that have treated their fellow man horribly also.
As I have mentioned, God looks at the person, not the "label".
And then, "Word to the wise: Leave the Tanakh, including Leviticus, to those equipped to interpret it."
And just who decides who is "equipped to interpret it"?
And then, "Concentrate on your "NT." Edit it, reform it, as so many of your fellow Christians urge."
Whether you like it or not, the OT and the NT make up the bible, it is not your place, my place or anyone else's place to tell others what they can read.
Instead of editting it, reforming it or whatever, maybe some should actually try to take Jesus up on His invitation to "Come follow Me" rather than trying to cram the bible and "their" interpretation of it down other people's throats.
Take care, be ready.
Sincerely, Thomas Paul Moses Baum.