THE GENESIS OF MODERN PSYCHOLOGY

Genesis is the biblical book of beginnings.  There is the beginning of the world and the cosmos, the beginning of life, of human beings, of sin and its consequences, of nations, of Israel, and some others as well.  Besides these beginnings already mentioned is the beginning of modern psychology.

One of the basic tenants of modern psychology is to absolve guilt by shifting the blame to something other than the person, himself.  Instead of taking responsibility for his wrong actions the responsibility is shifted to something in his childhood, pollutants in the environment, a bad gene, etc.  This concept however did not start in the last century or two, but goes all the way back to our first parents.

Adam and Eve lived in a perfect environment, were physically perfect, and had a perfect Father.  They were given only one prohibition which was to sustain from eating the Fruit of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  In the third chapter of Genesis, we are told that after conversing with the serpent, Eve ate of the forbidden fruit.  She also gave it to Adam and he ate.  God came down to walk with them as was their custom, but Adam and Eve hid themselves.  The LORD confronted them regarding  their sin and the blameshifting began.

Adam started the ball rolling by pointing to Eve.  He responded by saying that the woman gave it to him and he then ate.  By pointing to Eve, Adam was not only blaming her but God himself.  Afterall, it was God who took the initiative to give the first man a helpmeet; Adam in fact was in a deep sleep during her creation.  Adam failed to acknowledge that he knew the law and that he exercised his will in the breaking of God’s commandment.

After Adam’s refusal to accept responsibility, Eve kept the blameshifting ball moving by pointing to the serpent.  “He deceived me,” she said.  No, Eve, it was you who continued to listen even after the serpent questioned God’s goodness (He has withheld something from you) and God’s truth (Surely you will not die).  Eve allowed herself to be drawn into Satan’s web and have her innocence devoured.

The only one who made no attempt to shift the blame was the serpent.  Perhaps it had no thumb to point with or perhaps not being human it had no inclination to refuse responsibility.  The serpent’s situation reminds me of a Three Stooges routine where the misfits are accused of doing something wrong, Moe points to Larry and says, “He did it,”, Larry points to Curly and says, “He did it.”  Poor Curly turns, but has no one else to point to and claims to be a “Victim of Coicumstances.”  I suppose if any creature could truly say “The Devil made me do it,” it would have been the serpent.  But no such protest was made by the speaking reptile.

God held all responsible for their actions.  For all three participants there were grave consequences.  Among the consequences were the serpent moving on its abdomen, the woman bearing pain in childbirth, and the man working by the sweat of his brow.  And, of course, the ultimate sentence that fell upon all, death.  Whether or not we take responsibility for our actions in this earth, we will give an account to God.  God has made a way to save us from the consequences of sin, by sending his Son to die for our sins that we may live with him forever.  The Bible says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son (To take the penalty for our sins), that whosoever believes in him should not perish (Bear the ultimate sentence for sin being eternal death in the Lake of Fire) but have everlasting life.

Have you done wrong?  The Bible says that all have sinned.  Do not shift the blame to someone or something else.  Somewhere along the way you choose to do that which you knew was wrong.  Instead of shifting blame let us acknowledge our wrong, seek forgiveness, from God first and then those we have wronged, and move forward having dealt with our sin on God’s terms.  Trying to deal with guilt by shifting the blame is like taking a painkiller for cancer.  It may give you some temporary relief, but it does not solve the problem.

“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso cofesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”  Proverbs 28:13

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Tags: blame shifting, modern psychology, the fall