Being as it is Easter for the Xians, I had some thoughts for your consideration. Love to hear your comments.

Several years ago I googled the word “blame.” Actually a few years before that, I was reviewing old posts and things that I had written and found other references to blaming. But the google link pointed me to a Wikipedia page that no longer exists but it described a parable that I thought was interesting. Following is what I recall.

In ancient villages, the residents would bring a goat into the public square. They placed a blanket with many pockets sewn into it over the back of the goat. People then placed things in the pockets that symbolized or were part of bad things that had happened to them. The goat was then driven off into the wild as a sacrifice to placate wrathful mythical gods or evil spirits. It was taking away the bad things that had occurred or were still occurring in the village. The name of the blanket was a “scape.” Thus scapegoat. Throughout history we have sacrificed sheep, goats and virgins to the same cause.

I have related this story to others and then asked them to identify who the most famous scapegoat in history is. Most people correctly identify Jesus as the most famous scapegoat. The liturgy describes him as dying for our sins or taking away the sins of the world.

I see it as part of the human condition where we still believe in some degree of magical thinking. It is an early part of human development but never really leaves many of us. Yes we can use logic and science to solve problems but we may avoid stepping on a sidewalk crack or we will throw spilled salt over our shoulder or many other superstitions. When reporters are at a press conference they are often trying to get somebody to point a finger of blame somewhere. They will then crucify the leader or identified agent of alleged harm and sometimes real harm.

During election campaigns, we need a scapegoat and then often vote strategically to get rid of the current leader only to replace him or her with a new scapegoat. We call them names and accuse them of many things. But I think that obscures the systemic problems underlying the problems that we are blaming on them. Trump is an example. His tweets and press conferences serve to distract us from the real problems in that country and other parts of the world. So while I do not believe he is a scapegoat he is benefitting and perhaps exploiting that characteristic of people many of whom see him as a modern saviour whom they have to defend and not allow to be sent off into the wilderness.

His base is largely made up of people steeped in the American version of scapegoating. It is a frame that he is clever at eliciting from their subconscious. Even those who would not normally support his immoral and unethical behaviour have placed him in the position of Jesus being persecuted and the strange part of this that they then attack his alleged persecutors — another form of scapegoating.

Blame rules our lives. When children are asked “Why did you do that?” after a misbehaviour of some kind, they know (at least subconsciously) that they are being blamed for something and need to find a way to get out of trouble. Rationalizing, lying and denying are often the strategies they — and we — choose. We still see it in our leaders.