I really do not remember hearing the term scapegoat until I was nearing adulthood, but that doesn’t mean that I did not see it in practice. A scapegoat is someone or group that has been singled out to blame for something that another has done. It was fairly common for me to witness the ‘back and forth’ of the:
“He did it!” “No! he did it!,” lasting sometimes for minutes. It happened when a guilty child was trying to blame another for something that he had done. It would never stop until an adult, listening in, decided that he had heard enough and stopped the ruckus. It wouldn’t take long to determine who was telling the truth and who, almost, became the scapegoat. After I became a parent with six young children, I would hear it all over again: “He did it!” “No! he (or she) did it!” when something was broken or a treat was eaten that belonged to another. Scapegoats, however, are not limited to one youth blaming another.
The art of scapegoating is practiced in adulthood as well. But they have to be much more careful how they practice it, because the penalty for getting caught is usually more serious. The “fall guy” may seek retribution through the criminal law system.
We have all done things, some not very serious, that could make us appear the fool or at least guilty of stupid behavior. During those times we would all like to have had a scapegoat to blame so that we could ‘save face.’ If we were wealthy, possibly, we could hire someone who would be willing to accept the blame for every stupid thing we did. I’ve not heard of professional scapegoats but possibly there are some people who are willing to serve that way.
Scapegoating is sometimes found in large companies where man- agement will blame a lower staff employee for the mistakes of senior executives. The power is theirs, they have the tools to cover up their faults.
A more common adult practice of scapegoating is in the form of ‘projection.’ Our unwanted thoughts and feelings can be consciously or unconsciously projected onto another person or group who become the mental scapegoats for our problems or inadequacies. Projecting is a very common defense mechanism for people. It is more commonly and more appropriately called racism or having a prejudicial mindset.
Scapegoating is not just a modern practice; it was practiced in biblical times and by many ancient societies, as well. The ritual of using a scapegoat began during the Exodus with the original Tabernacle and the ritual continued through the times of the temples in Jerusalem. The rite is described in Leviticus 16.
The scapegoat was a goat that, on the Day of Atonement, was symbolically burdened with the sins of the congregation and designated either for death or more commonly the goat was sent into the desert wilderness to perish. The ritual was supposed to make an Atonement with Jehovah and the sins of the people would be forgiven. Since that time the practice of “scapegoating” has flourished. According to Christian theology the scapegoat in the Old Testament was symbolic or a shadow of Christ, an innocent man, who had the power to take upon himself the sins of the people and who was then crucified just outside the walls of His community.
Many ancient societies adopted a similar practice or ritual. The Ancient Greeks practiced a scapegoating rite in which a cripple, beggar or criminal was cast out of the community, in response to a natural disaster: a plague, famine or an invasion. This was done not for anything the man had done but as a “scapegoat” for his society assuming, I suppose, that the disastrous event was in retribution for the sins of the community.
We are all guilty, from time to time, of actually blaming another or at least wishing to blame another for something that we ourselves have done. May heavenly Father forgive us and may we rather learn to practice the genuine act of repentance for our own sins and shortcomings. Christ has accepted the role of Savior in our behalf.