But in our attempts to cope, are we turning the tables on the victim and blaming him or her to ease our own discomfort? What scriptures do we have to ignore to do this? Are we in denial? Are we minimizing, excusing, and over-spiritualizing the suffering? Does the victim matter as a person made in the image of God? Or are we dehumanizing the victim by seeing them as merely an example or a display of a theological ideal?

What is the just-world phenomena? Basically human beings believe or want to believe the world is just. Therefore, when something inexplicable happens to someone, we try to explain the event in a way that reconciles it with our understanding of the world. It may result in aid for and defense of the victim, but often this results in our perceiving the victim as having done something to deserve the suffering.

Dr. Melvin J. Lerner, the psychologist who coined the phrase, describes it like this:

A Just World is one in which people “get what they deserve.” The judgment of “deserving” is based on the outcome that someone is entitled to receive.

A Person “P” deserves outcome “X” if P has met the appropriate preconditions for obtaining X. What is implied, also, is that P desires X. If P does not get X, or receives something of less value than X, then P has not received all he or she deserves. Of course, the outcomes in question can be negative rather than positive. P has met the appropriate conditions to avoid the undesirable Y.

Suffice it to say that the determination of appropriate preconditions is, for the most part, socially determined. For example, within any society there are rules about what people should do to avoid Y and to obtain X. What kinds of precondition should have X or Y as consequences?¹

I don’t think this is mere psychobabble but an accurate observation of how sinful people behave. Look at Job’s friends. They had a concept of God and the world. Do good and be rewarded. Do bad and suffer. In order for their friend’s tragedy to fit into their worldview, he must have sinned in secret to merit this punishment from God, which they accused him of to his face. In their minds, Job got what he deserved, but they were wrong. Job indeed was a sinner as all humans are, but he did not sin in a way that made him directly culpable for his suffering. Yet he was blamed nonetheless.

This attitude is very troubling, and I’m grieved beyond words when it comes from the mouths and writings of Christians in regard to abuse.

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