Jesus: The Greatest Scapegoat

It seems more people today are using the Christian god concept as a medication, a solution to all problems, and/or a drug that eases the most difficult of conflicts. The need for a god has never been more prominent than it is today. I was searching some things online earlier and found several sites dedicated to teens and Christ, and it seems that most of these sites were working within the ideology of "If you're hurting, let God help."

It's comforting to think that there is something beyond humanity, something proceeding death, and answers to all questions; it makes humanity feel secure in some odd way, because religion allows us to create our own answers by transferring them onto a god concept.

I believe the reason for this lies in the definition of "human nature." In theory, humanity is both based in the concepts of "good" and "evil," but this false dichotomy plagues humanity, it doesn't help it. By assigning value to thoughts and actions that are inherently neutral, we see that, because we "know" what human nature is by our own experience, and we do not know "god's" nature, we can make a god's nature anything we choose. In other words, we give God the characteristics we lack but hope to have.

Some people direct themselves and others to the bible or other "holy scripture" that defines a god concept that works well for them, but in truth, this is all based on what the person either already believes or lacks. For example, if our personal relationships are floundering or lacking in our social circles, we might view god as a personal entity we can know; if, on the other hand, we see humanity as innately evil, we view a god as having a "fire and brimstone" character, detached from humanity, and thus we need "salvation." (This actually works well for a Church.)

Our god concepts are based on our psychology- what we need, hope, and want affects our god concept. The less we need, the less we tend to think about any type of deity since we've become self-suffieicent and need a god less and less the more we grow.

From my experience, it seems that most people who do not believe in a god concept or remain theologically agnostic are people who either lack nothing or lack everything; conversely, said classification of people who do believe in god do so because they feel the need to be grateful out of obligation or need something from a god they believe they cannot acquire, thus negating their own self-worth and capabilities.

If there is a god, I doubt this deity requests our worship, let alone needs it. Furthermore, I doubt this possibly existing entity wants to be a crutch for those who lack belief in themselves. A god, who is full and capable on its own, does not desire anything by definition, so it is illogical to suggest that the Christian god concept would create us as worshipping sheep or a pathway to "him"self through a blood sacrifice and the consequent threat of eternal damnation if a creation refuses to accept this "gift."

It is true that in traditional Christian ideology, Jesus has become humanity's scapegoat, placing all "sins" on himself and sacrificing himself for us, thus eliminating separation from a god. (It's also easier to relate to Jesus than a god concept because Jesus was a human, and vulnerable to the same experiences we are.) Of course, this stands to reason that there is a chance humanity, or "a god's creation," can be separated based on "sin." However, by definition, if god is self-sufficient, there is nothing we, as mere humans, could do to offend god or become separated from "him", but according to Christian rhetoric, we can, and we do it often simply by our "sinful" nature. We have the power to hurt god, and thus be shunned to eternal damnation because "he's" offended. If we can hurt god, it logically follows that god has weaknesses that cause offense and evetually, very human (and oxymoronic) charcteristics develop in this god concept: retaliation/revenge and hope/mercy.

In terms of hope/mercy, the simple idea that Jesus became a sacrifice to a god concept is, in itself, scary and unnecessary, and yet it is still useful today because it implies humanity is weak and thus can utilize this scapegoat now in other ways-it's a necessary function based on created needs. With an all-powerful god, all this supreme being would have to do is "make it different," but instead chose a path that took to pain and torture of one so "no one else would have to experience it" (yet we do on a daily basis); then, this god concept furthered this pain by allotting free will to creation, but in the event that a creation refused this sacrifice, separation occurs.

The true god concept, one that is self-sufficient and infinite, would not need this or any sacrifice, would not desire or demand worship/appreciation for said sacrifice, or be susceptible to offense. So why is this present in modern day Christianity?

Humanity knows its own nature based in experience, but does not know a god's nature, and, as I said before, can create a god concept in any fashion (including a god's standards and personality based on a psychological interpretation of any holy book). It's easier to transfer our hopes, dreams, and objectives onto something we do not know as opposed to something we do know: ourselves, and this hurts humanity the most. To assume we lack in some regard is placing an unnecessary limitation of humanity, thus making us weak and susceptible to the same offense as the god concept we created.

This has become a sort of "normalcy" now, and most people accept the idea that they are "weak" and in need of a stronger power. I just wonder what humanity would be like if we raised children and taught adults that they don't need anything but themselves and each other.

Kelly Gorski
kellygorski@gmail.com