Have you ever played the blame game? I'm sure you did in childhood, and you probably have as an adult. Placing blame on others is a sign of immaturity among kids and a sign of depravity among adults. We duck and dodge at every chance to get away from being responsible when we get caught. God has placed a conscience in every person to reveal right and wrong. One poet stated, “A conscience is a kill joy, it takes away the fun, you had in doing something, you shouldn’t oughtta done.” When the conscience activates and makes us feel guilty about doing something we shouldn’t oughtta done, we place blame on others in order to get rid of the guilt.

Here are some classic examples: "Your honor, my client cannot be considered responsible for the horrible crime of decapitating and filleting his family members. His dad yelled at him and took away his tricycle when he was five and he has been in trauma ever since." Or, "Iran hates America because the great Satan has oppressed Iran" (Go figure that one out). Or, "the reason unwanted pregnancies continue and AIDS is still spreading is because moralists do not want sex education and condom distribution." And then there is the original classic, "The woman thou gavest me . . ." When all else fails, blame God, as Adam did.

Whatever happened to personal, individual responsibility? Scape-goating is easier and hurts less. Being responsible means facing up to our own sins, failures, and weaknesses, but exposure through truth is necessary. Admittance of guilt is a must for salvation. Our own sinful state of depravity reveals the desperate need for God. Atheists exist because it is more comfortable for them to not believe in God. After all, if there is a God, they must one day face Him, and that means accountability. Solution? Get rid of God by denying His existence.

When we ignore or reject the truth or place blame on someone else, the sin or the crime doesn’t go away, and the real problem remains. The problem is ME. I choose to lie or tell the truth. I choose to be faithful or unfaithful to my spouse. I choose to steal or be honest. And so on. I realize this is a novel approach for some and may sound too simplistic to the humanistic psychologist, but if everyone began to shoulder his or her own responsibility for his or her own choices, the world would be a lot different beginning tomorrow.

Copied From Joseph Harris @: http://www.miniedition.net -- Used By Permission