“The Sex Offender as Scapegoat” – Vigilante Violence and a Faith Community Response – by Hugh Kirkegaard & Wayne Northey
John 12:20 – 33; John 11:49-52:
49But one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all! 50You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”
51Caiaphas did not say this on his own. Instead, as high priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus would die for the nation,52and not only for the nation, but also for the scattered children of God, to gather them together into one.
Wayne Northey: The above is the classic scapegoating text in the New Testament. You will learn much about scapegoating by reading on.
It was my longstanding friend and colleague Hugh Kirkegaard (currently (2021) and for some years Director of Chaplaincy, Correctional Services Canada, Atlantic Region) who inspired and co-authored this paper; and had worked closely in Toronto with B. O. He arranged for CSC funding for us to attend the COV&R (Colloquium on Violence and Religion) Conference at Emory University, Atlanta in 1999, where we presented on what was turned into the paper highlighted below.
You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.—Caiaphas
It has been translated, published in anthologies, and referenced numerous times since, thanks to the power of René Girard’s insights on scapegoating. The original paper is still on the Emory University COV&R ’99 website here.
Reflections on Capital Punishment by Wayne Northey
Christian support for capital punishment, like Christian participation in war, has known a majority Christendom approbation since the era of Constantine in the fourth century. This support has likewise dominated Western secular jurisdictions until the last century - a...
A Brief Look at Restorative Justice by Wayne Northey
A Brief Look at Restorative Justice (1) In 1974 two youths who had been drinking and had been “talked to” by the police already, took out their frustrations on the small community of Elmira, Ontario, by doing damage to twenty-two different vehicles and homes. Several...
My Greenday Dream of a Just Society by Brad Jersak
While sleeping in a youth hostel in Lausanne, Switzerland (March 2006), I dreamt of a just society. Here is what I saw: In the dream, I was standing outside an international summit that reminded me of the G-8 meetings. The punk band, Greenday, showed up with smirks on...
Free of Charge: Review and Interview with Miroslav Volf by Brad Jersak
Review: Miroslav Volf, Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace. Interview by Brad Jersak Dr. Miroslav Volf is considered by some, including this writer, to be among the top handful of living theologians: Jurgen Moltmann, Josef Ratzinger...
Intimacy before Revelation by Nico Deschner
I believe that God is looking for people who are not only sharing their revelations with other people, but who empower other people to draw close to God and get their own revelations. Revelation out of intimacy is of a different level than second-hand. In cases of...
Long-Term Compassion for the Unborn by Derek Weiss
The Governor of South Dakota recently signed a bill which criminalizes the practice of abortions within state borders, except in cases where the mother's very life (and not just her health - a vague distinction) is at risk. Abortions would not be a legal option for...
What is Harper Thinking? by Wayne Northey
Prime Minister Harper’s motives for supporting our troops and our mission in Afghanistan are well intentioned. But does he not thereby embrace a far greater threat: United States Empire? Mr. Harper and (now) Public Safety Minster Stockwell Day once wrote in The Wall...
Cleanse the Lens by Ken Deeks
I once had a difficult meeting with a student whose life had gone sour. Although I was powerless to change even a single detail about his circumstances, I could help him to see a little differently. I could help by asking where God was in their pain, and by guiding...
The Extent of the Kingdom — Andrew P. Klager
Introduction: The certainty with which many Christians condemn other religious affiliation is largely unwarranted and incongruent with the gospel message. Specific extra-biblical presuppositions are often invoked in order to substantiate their exclusive claim to the...
Three Quotes to Ponder by Kevin Miller
"We do not mind offering you a long-term truce with fair conditions that we adhere to... We are a nation that God has forbidden to lie and cheat. So both sides can enjoy security and stability under this truce so we can build Iraq and Afghanistan, which have been...