By Mark Esposito, Weekend Blogger
Can religious beliefs actually retard our intuitions for justice and fairness? Research seems to suggest it might well. The Christian religion has imbued Western thought with the fundamental belief that God presides over a just world – one where sin is punished and rightly-held beliefs and actions are rewarded. We see this attitude in every aspect of human interaction. Today, in some sparkling sports stadium an earnest athlete is bound to thank his deity of choice for the good fortunes that befell his team or his game changing performance. By extension, the loser ( a value loaded word if ever there was one) will decry his lack of luck. From the Book of Job to Pinocchio and Cinderella, this belief in what some psychologists call “immanent justice” or “The Just Word Hypothesis” seeks to explain our plight and our success. It also hardens our attitudes about the poor, victims of crimes and those folks either buoyed or sunk by pure chance.
The Book of Job gets us into the mindset. A saintly man if ever there was one as the Bible itself acknowledges, God allows Satan to test Job with all manner of suffering to determine his worthiness. Stripped of his wealth, prestige and power, Job then loses his children and ultimately his health and vigor. Still, Job endures and never ever curses his fate – or his God. He does consult his friends for some inkling as to the cause of his travails. Their answer, which comes like a thunderclap is: “Behold,” one of them declares, “God will not cast away an innocent man, neither will he uphold evildoers” (Job 8:20). Classic “Blame the Victim” mentality from this coterie of advisers.
Puzzled but resolute, Job however concludes that despite his worldly righteousness, he can never know divine justice and according to the story prostrates himself silent before his Master’s “Just World.’ For that, he is rewarded with the resumption of his wealth and status. He even replaces his children with seven new ones. The clear message to the world however is the same: God handles the world’s justice and we are powerless to exact our own except on only the most superficial level.
Jesus himself gets in on the act in the New Testament. Addressing the multitude in the Sermon on the Mount, he has two distinct things to say about justice and our expectations of it: Blessed are…..those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they will be filled. (Matt. 5:6) and Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matt. 5:10). In modern speak, “Don’t worry God will handle it in his own way and, if you let him do so, you’ll get the whole enchilada. The pearly gates, the mansions, those singing and harp-playing cherubim … you, my faithful believer, get it all.”
Job and Jesus illustrate the two transcending features of Just World Hypothesis: The world is just and if it isn’t in your opinion, it’s still not your problem. Grin and bear it and you’ll get rewarded. As for your neighbor’s suffering the words of that saying from India keeping ringing through my head, “ The tears of your neighbor are just water.”
The same notion has transcended the ages in everything from fairy tales to modern songs. Pinocchio is punished for his lies by the ever-growing nose. Cinderella is rewarded for her suffering. Not through her own works mind you, but through a deity stand-in –her fairy godmother – who whisks her off into a magical world of wealth and power that her tormenting family can never hope to achieve. In our own times, the belief in a Just World has musical accompaniment. Here’s country music star Craig Morgan telling us the value of suffering and what that our reaction to it should be: “It ain’t nothing,” he sings.
“So what?” you are probably asking. Nothing new here. Well, as author and observer to religion, Sam Harris is wont to remind us “Beliefs have consequences.” And research tells us that beliefs in a Just World promote negative attitudes towards victims and the poor and reinforce undesirable attitudes in those unafflicted including emotional callousness, indifference and victim blaming. In one shocking Florida case cited by researchers Claire Andre and Manuel Velasquez, a 22-year-old rape victim saw her confessed attacker exonerated by jury because according to the foreman “We all feel she asked for it [by] the way she was dressed.” Her provocation to the knife-wielding Georgia drifter who raped her twice? Wearing a white lace miniskirt, a green tank top, and no underwear.
Writing on the Santa Clara University website Ethics Page (here), Andre and Velasquez attempt to explain the phenomenon:
The verdict of the jurors in the Fort Lauderdale rape trial may have been influenced by a widespread tendency to believe that victims of misfortune deserve what happens to them. The need to see victims as the recipients of their just deserts can be explained by what psychologists call the Just World Hypothesis. According to the hypothesis, people have a strong desire or need to believe that the world is an orderly, predictable, and just place, where people get what they deserve.
“Get what they deserve” is a ubiquitous rationalization in all manner of situations but most prominently in cases like the one unfolding in Ferguson, Missouri. “They” is the operative word as those using this corollary to Just World Hypothesis always tend to distance themselves from the plight of the victim. Here’s one observer’s reaction to the gunning down of unarmed teenager Michael Brown by an overly-militarized police mindset. Former Prosecutor and Fox News’ Kimberly Guilfoyle offered this little piece of legal advice for those who want to avoid police shootings: “Don’t go out and commit crimes.” Less that insightful on the topic of carnage in the streets but revealing on the mindset of Just World Hypothesis.
We shouldn’t judge Kimberly too harshly. She has lots of company. In the seminal study published in 1966, psychologist Max Lerner observed student reactions to apparently painful electric shocks inflicted on fellow students. The students watching the agony were given the choice to “reassign” the victims to a “reward condition” – stopping the pain and pay a monetary award for the victims’ troubles. Virtually all of the students “jury” voted to stop the pain and dole out the cash. But things changed dramatically when the student “jury” was told they could do nothing about the plight of the victims except watch. In the latter instance, the attitude toward the victim changed. When asked, the student “jury” rejected the suffering of the victim and suggested that the victim somehow deserved the punishment. Aversion reaction? Maybe. But more likely the “Just World Hypothesis” kicking in.
Zick Rubin of Harvard University and Letitia Anne Peplau of UCLA (here) have taken Werner’s work a step further to analyze the attitudes of the student “jurors.” Their findings, published in Journal of Social Issues in 1975, found subscribers to Just World Hypothesis tend to be religious, authoritarian, conservative and admire social institutions and authority figures. Further, the adherents to Just World Hypothesis harbor negative attitudes toward the underprivileged including the poor. They also tend to “feel less of a need to engage in activities to change society or to alleviate plight of social victims.”
These attitudes also shape the mindset of society’s privileged classes as terrific blogger Michael Spindell has written many times on this blog (here and here). The rich truly do think differently than the rest of us and we culturally reinforce the perception. Science proves it. In an earlier study in 1965, Lerner had deduced that student subjects routinely equated success with virtue. In that study Lerner demonstrated this “perceptual link between reward and virtue. Subjects who learned that a fellow student had been awarded a cash prize as a result of a random drawing were likely to conclude that he had in fact worked especially hard. “
A recent article in Salon illuminates (here). Why do the headlines always remind us that rich people are different – and better. “What The Middle Class Doesn’t Understand About Rich People,” “9 Things Rich People Do Differently Every Day,”“15 Surprising Ways Rich People Think Differently” scream the banners. They are “better” aren’t they? They have to be in a Just World.
Study after study says “no”. Researcher Paul Piff finds those with more modest incomes are more generous, charitable, helpful and give a larger percentage of their disposable income to charitable causes than the wealthy. Other studies find that drivers of luxury cars are more likely to cut you off in traffic than drivers of less expensive models. The wealthy are more likely to endorse lying and cheating than their less well-heeled contemporaries reasoning that they are entitled to do so due to superior intellect or work-ethic. Just World Theory?
Zick Rubin and Letitia Anne Peplau say probably “yes” and the successful are prettier, too (here):
The converse of the tendency to blame the victim also seems to be common: Success is often taken as a sign of virtue. Newspaper features on state lottery winners frequently mention the winner’s hard work, good deeds, and admirable qualities, as if these characteristics helped to account for his or her purchase of the lucky ticket. Recent studies have documented people’s tendencies 68 ZICK RUBIN AND LETITIA ANNE PEP1AU BELIEF IN A JUST WORLD 69 to view physically attractive people as more sensitive, kind, and better-natured than less attractive people (Berscheid & Walster, 1974), suggesting that even the “reward” of beauty is often seen as deserved.
Even more perversely we tend to agree with our haughty, rich friends reasoning it must all happen for a reason and in a Just World its got to be merit and not mere happenstance. We are orderly beings despite what you see in other people’s houses on the next episode of Hoarders and we want to believe that merit makes the world go ’round.
What does all this mean? Seemingly, religious culture and our intuitions for justice are at odds despite the seeming congruity. Conservative attitudes shape perceptions of justice and it takes some doing to overcome the “Blame The Victim” mentality. None of this bodes well for those hoping for a peaceful and just outcome for the Michael Brown case. When coupled with institutional racism, Just World Hypothesis takes on the pernicious role of divider along social-economic, racial, and ideological fissures.
Will we ever accept that we are responsible for social justice and that “someone else will do it” just won’t work? As one of my favorite philosophers, Stevie Wonder, says; “Lord, Heaven help us all.”
Sources: See throughout
~Mark Esposito, Weekend Blogger
By the way and for better or worse, the views expressed in this posting are the author’s alone and not necessarily those of the blog, the host, or other weekend bloggers. As an open forum, weekend bloggers post independently without pre-approval or review. Content and any displays of art are solely the author’s decision and responsibility. No infringement of intellectual property rights is intended and will be remedied upon notice from the owner. Fair use is however asserted for such inclusions of quotes, excerpts, photos, art, and the like.
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.
or not
In Greek mythology, the Moirai, often known in English as the Fates were the white-robed incarnations of destiny
Clotho, spun the thread of life from her distaff onto her spindle
Lachesis, measured the thread of life allotted to each person with her measuring rod
Atropos, was the cutter of the thread of life. She chose the manner of each person’s death; and when their time was come, she cut their life-thread with “her abhorred shears”
Mark Esposito, Are you kidding me? You are so far out of reality and the articles you write. If you choose to be self observed and self serving, continue on your path, but you and your left wing spins are so far out in space.
People who follow the word of Christ are taught that we Christians are to reach out and help those in need. I have Christian friends who visit prisons daily to help with personal and legal matters. Other friends work with the unwed mothers, abused women, homeless, etc. These people are Christians.
Since I am involved with serving the needy and low socio-economic, I can say that their are those who have chosen their own path and created their problems. They want emergency help, but don’t intend to change their behavior. However, their are many who need and want help pulling themselves up out of a pit of despair.
There are more Christian and Jewish organizations around the world helping build schools, hospitals, housing, roads, and feeding the poor than any other organization.
Our attitude toward people is what is in our heart and our belief system.
Besides writing your skewed articles, how often do you reach out and serve others? And don’t lie.
There is a marina up the road from this marina where me and my half blind guy live. That marina has an outhouse (as does ours) which was struck twice by lightning. There are two theories as to why lighting struck twice. One is that the users ran out of toilet paper and resorted to the Sears Roebuck version of the Bible. Sears does not make a catalogue anymore and they thought this appropriate. A second theory is that lightning struck twice because they have an antenna attached to the side of the outhouse and it is not grounded. So we have the Sears Roebuck version and the antenna version of why the outhouse got struck by lightning. No one was in there when it happened and so the arse wipe reason is less tenable than the antenna reason. But we have some true believers around here in the Sears Roebuck Bible wiping reason.
The true believers wont drive their cars near that marina when it is raining out or lightning threatens. They wont set foot on the dock at all. Even on Free fish Day. That is good because on Free Fish Day we drink a lot of beer and have some wild women come around. My half blind guy for whom I am guide dog gets quite wild. I don’t let him use the outhouse though because a good guide dog plays all the angles.
Mark’s article here makes a good case that the Just World theory is untrue. So turn it around backwards: The World is Unjust. Then it all makes sense. When you stop “should-ing” on yourself, believing things should be different than they are, that things should be fair and just (according to your standards of values, or anyone else’s), and recognize that The World is the way it is, you can stop being angry and judgmental of others. Sometimes things will go your way, and sometimes, frequently more often than not, they go against your desires. That’s to be expected when The World is Unjust. Nothing to get upset over. Be happy when things go your way. Then you can turn your attention to changing the things you can change in hopes of making life better, instead of focusing on complaining about all the horrible things going wrong in the world everyday.
Of course, then you might have to give up your belief in an invisible, all-powerful, all-good, and all-knowing Being who controls everything and has a plan for your life. That is inconsistent in an Unjust World, where lies, cheating, deception, war, killing, hunger, poverty, disease, and many other forms of “evil” exist. In a Just World controlled by such a benevolent Being, none of those things could possibly exist. The Being just wouldn’t allow it.
10/12/2014…… Shhhhhh, it’s a code. Secret, conspiracy……
Instead of reading all this dribble, why don’t you each read a Bible of your own with the intention of trying to fully understand it and form your own opinions rather than have what it teaches be watered down and slanted by every atheist, agnostic or disbeliever on this blog. You can believe what you want that is your right (at least for now). Meanwhile, I will believe my Bible as apparently there are a number of you that still have blinders on. Just remember that you can read it through and through a dozen times and each time learn something new. When in doubt, it might be wise to ask a theologian instead of a blog. My opinion
It’s 10/12/14.
Think so. So many of these wigged out preachers in Texas it is hard to keep up with them. I guess “right wing watch”
keeps up with them.
on 1, October 12, 2014 at 2:09 pmOlly
LOL, that’s the same sort of deep-thinking that perpetuated the Dark Ages.
****************************
Not at all funny how fundamentalists are taking ME countries back to the stoneage.
SWM,
I’m amazed that anyone who considers themselves reasonable would give any credence to fundamentalists like Barton. Simply unbelievable. Wasn’t he the one who put his foot in his mouth regarding Mormons, when Romney was running? I wonder how many fundies stayed home instead of voting for a Mormon.
LOL, that’s the same sort of deep-thinking that perpetuated the Dark Ages.
Olly, Those far out fundy preachers with that weird look in the eyes are not credible to me, and do not merit thoughtful analysis.
SWM,
And….what? Is that suppose to pass as a thoughtful analysis of the claim? I have to believe you have the capacity for more sincere objectivity than that.
We are nature’s idiots as a consequence of our Christian morality. In nature no wild creature works on the principle that just because it is harmless, innocent and never harms anything else, that no predator will attack. Wild creatures, are by our standards paranoid, treating everything with suspicion, and so stay alive. We trust, assume the best in everyone, and get conned, robbed, and attacked on all sides, because we do not work on the assumption that criminals will attack anyone who gives them the opportunity.
“David Barton (born January 28, 1954) is an American evangelical Christian minister,[1] conservative activist, and author. He founded WallBuilders, a Texas-based organization which promotes the view that it is a myth that the US Constitution insists on separation of church and state.[2][3] Barton is the former vice chair of the Republican Party of Texas. He has been described as a Christian nationalist and “one of the foremost Christian revisionist historians”; much of his work is devoted to advancing the idea, based upon research that many historians describe as flawed,[4] that the United States was founded as an explicitly Christian nation.[5″ wikipedia
“David Barton claims that the famous “Jefferson Bible” was not a result of Thomas Jefferson removing things he disagreed with but rather an effort by Jefferson to share Jesus with the Native Americans.”
Let’s outlaw religion and eat the rich. Always remember that atheists have killed a cool 100 million people in the name of Communism. Zealotry is always the problem, not religion or atheism, it’s zealotry.
Well, to be fair, this new Pope recently said something on the Good Deeds and Good Faith angle… He said atheists could get into heaven. Since we don’t believe in heaven, it’s kind of funny. But it’s the thought that counts. If I’m a good person, and follow the most basic, Jeffersonian Bible tenets of the Pope’s religion (basically, help the poor), then even a guy like me who doesn’t have faith can still get into the imaginary promise land.
The business which humans seem to fall into early and often is that of castigating other humans– throwing dirt on them so to speak. The Ferguson situation is a good example. The outsiders come to that fringe area of Ferguson which is a highway sort of thoroughfare which gets one south to north and has many quik trips and other little shops run by folks who don’t live in Ferguson and is frequented by folks who roll by or troll up from nearby Jennings. Ferguson has a downtown area of old which is located several miles to the west. But the outsiders come from other parts of Saint Louis and from around the country to throw dirt or make money off the situation. There is one band of brothers which comes to break windows and loot the shops. Another to call the White Cop (all caps in some instances) a bigot and the city a Ghetto on one hand and a White Bigot Government on the other hand. The shooting of the 300 pound robber who assaulted the cop who eventually shot him is all about dirt. The cop is dirty, the police department is corrupt, and the city officials are all nasty bigots who want to shoot poor black youths. Al Sharpton is sharp on this one but so are the likes of Don Lemon and the CNN News show which set up base there at that closed up shopping center which is dubbed Northland. They (CNN) claim to be in Ferguson but they are in Jennings. Throwing dirt on Ferguson is like throwing dirt on Selma, Alabama. It is easy and convenient for a Northerner from say Boston to throw dirt on a supposedly redneck bigoted area of the South. Those Bostonians hear the N word all the time back in Boston and think nothing of it. Of course they cant think much any way.
Throwing dirt on other humans seems to fit in with religion. Different religions castigate those of other persuasions. You are dumb if you don’t have Faith. Do not question the tenets of the religion. It is not fried chicken, its Shake N Bake, so to speak. Just have Faith. Say it with a twang. Those tv evangelicals are good at the twang thing when they say Faith. Those who don’t have Faith are dirty. Throw more dirt on them to castigate them. Guys like Al Sharpton bring a little religion into the game when they throw dirt on Ferguson. The only guy on this blog who spent time in Ferguson was the other planet guy – Beldar. He said it got “bad Press” from the “media”. And the Media is The Message here on the Ferguson situation. The cops were wrong for shooting the thief and assault guy. The cops are “militarized”. Black kids have no chance. Don’t ask don’t tell. Black adults are really “kids”. Trayvon was not pounding Zimmerman’s head in the concrete when he got shot. Forget that aspect. Forget the video of Michael Brown assaulting the store clerk when he stole his much needed cigars. Forget all that and prosecute Darren Wilson and put him in prison. Jump on the bandwagon and bring your prayer book while you are at it. Religion. The opiate of the people.
Justice and Religion do not mix. Opposites distract.
Human Nature is the poison that no religion or social contract can remedy. As long as energy is directed towards vilifying the institutions rather than the weakness of our nature, then expect justice to always be at the will of the majority and not the Right.