A common theme at the group is one of blaming the victim for their own suffering and for the harms that befall them. It’s called the Just World Hypothesis. Here is an article that I think is quite relevant to the worldview of the group:
The entire article is fascinating in light of the group’s dynamics and history. Here is a quote that sums it up well: “The belief in a just world may take the place of a genuine commitment to justice. For some people, it is simply easier to assume that forces beyond their control mete out justice. When that occurs, the result may be the abdication of personal responsibility, acquiescence in the face of suffering and misfortune, and indifference towards injustice. Taken to the extreme, indifference can result in the institutionalization of injustice.”I have a two very specific examples highlighting the institutionalization of injustice that I have seen at the group:
1. Nobody in the group visited Michele in the hospital after she had a heart attack. James said we would be enabling her if we visited, so none of us went, not even her own husband. She was in the hospital for over a week.
2. Danny had a terrible motorcycle accident after he and his family left the group. James said it was because Danny left and was no longer under the group’s spiritual protection.
Questions: How do you think Michele and Danny felt about these events and how James and the group interpreted them? After reading the article, can you think of other examples when we blamed the victim for their suffering? Is it right to call ourselves Christians with this worldview?
What about Luke 13:4?
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