HANNAN: On the origin of the blame game

Have you noticed that society seems to be more accusatory and less tolerable of anyone or anything that attempts to hold individuals accountable to any semblance of civility? 

Any such act is deemed as prejudice or hate. Blame is the name of the game, and almost everyone is playing it. You get the sense that some people are just roaming around cyberspace, seeking whom they may devour for saying anything that might remotely promote dignified conduct and encourage polite behavior. 

When did calling something as it were, become defamation and or hate-speech? Many insist on pointing out the flaws of others, blaming anyone but themselves, and refusing to accept responsibility for their actions? 

I cannot help but picture the spoiled, undisciplined 5-year-old, standing on the playground, hands on hips, yelling at Truth and facts, “You’re not the boss of me!” Over the past several decades, we have given birth to, trained up and spoiled a people who are now representative of that 5-year-old.

These days, if anyone calls something as it were, to invoke, perhaps, societal accountability, the media brigade is launched; war declared on that person or organization, and all forms of maneuver employed. Frontal attack by media, being the chief maneuver, for all the world to see.

No. I am not angry, nor has anyone offended me personally. And believe it or not, this piece is not about politics. I have no desire to wade in those murky waters. This piece is about something, or someone, far more insidious if you can imagine such a thing.

We can trace the origins of the “blame game” back to the first book of the Bible. In chapter three of Genesis, we learn that Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s direct commandment and sinned against Him, and consequently tried to hide from Him.

The Bible says, “The Lord God called to Adam and said to him, ‘Where are you?’” Not that God did not know exactly where they were all along. But when Adam answered, God asked him a series of questions relating to their sin, and Adam responded by casting the blame on Eve, saying, “The woman you put here with me — she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”; in essence, saying that if God had not given her to him, he would not have sinned. 

When God questioned Eve, she casts the blame on the serpent, saying, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Hence, the blame game was conceived, eventually giving birth to a culture of blame, in which we now live.

Ever since “the Fall” in the Garden, people have been pointing fingers, blame-shifting and accusing their fellow humans day and night. All the while, attempting to avoid any personal responsibility.

Psychology has many explanations as to why people play the blame game – ego, projection, defense mechanism, vulnerability, etc. I propose it goes much, much deeper than that.

The Bible uses many aliases for Satan, “the serpent,” being just one of them. We learn from the Apostle John that “the accuser” (Satan) accuses us day and night before God. (Revelation 12:10)

When I survey the societal landscape today, I cannot help but see the apparent influence of the “Accuser.”

It is common to hear people say, “There’s so much hatred in the world.”

Or, “There’s so much evil in the world.” Just turn on the news, and you will see that many people, even in our government, are driven not by the desire to bring about a “more perfect Union” or the “general Welfare” of our country. Instead, they are driven by self-interest and hatred of anyone who does not agree with them.

We have all heard the phrase, “The truth hurts,” and most people, when they are hurt or threatened with the possibility of being hurt, try to get rid of it as quickly as possible, or avoid it altogether.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by Me.” (John 14:6) And the Bible says that Jesus was and is the Living Word of God. (John 1:1-5)

We learn from scripture that Satan is a liar and seeks to influence the world with his deception. Jesus, when speaking to the Pharisees, said of Satan, “He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)

Truth holds us accountable for our actions. Truth makes us choose – it forces us to decide. Truth is convicting, and conviction makes us angry if we do not want to change.

There are two forces at work in the unseen world that manifest themselves through visible humanity. Those two forces are Truth and lies. They are at war against each other and have been since the Fall in the Garden.

According to the Bible, we will have to give an account of what we did with Truth – the Lord Jesus Christ when we die. On that day, there will be no one left to blame, only Someone to claim. 

The facts will speak for themselves as to whether we chose to believe The Truth or deny Him when we had the chance. If we denied Him, no amount of blame-shifting on that day will relieve us of our pain. Truth and facts will “be the boss” of us, and we will be held accountable for our actions. 

Lisa Hannan lives in Valdosta with her husband, attorney Miles Hannan, who has been practicing law in Valdosta for more than 30 years. She has a B.S. in psychology from Valdosta State University. You can find her at www.lisahannan.org.