"Blame the victim" - roots in Calvinism?

[Unwind]

I have been seeing so much "blame the victim" lately, in real life and on MN. So many people seem to behave as though misfortune - e.g. disability, illness, assault, poverty - are somehow the victims' fault.

Might this be rooted in old Calvinist teachings about predestination and success being and indication of salvation? A kind of dark side of the Protestant work ethic.

Or is Calvinism itself perhaps just another example of interests driving ideology?

I think it is more to do with men writing religious doctrine and using this as a way of controlling "victims", ie women.

Interesting post and yes, there is a lot of blaming the victim going on. Blaming others, parents, women, the unemployed, can be counter productive and is often a but immature. It often indicates a reluctance to be personally responsible for yourself. Scurry, as RC, I think you could put most religion into one box and call it men blaming women for their own shortcomings - from Eve to women priests!!!

You don't get more patriarchal than the Catholic church, but Catholicism does not have any notion that your success in life is an indication of your inherent goodness or salvation.

I think that makes it easier to cope with misfortune. Even if everything is going wrong, in the worst ways, there is still hope for peace in the end. Also makes kindness easier.

"Blame the victim" - roots in selfishness, not Calvinism.

All these threads about if you're unemployed, needing benefits etc. you are undeserving of human care and welfare, is rooted in arguments like "I am not going to use any of my money to help someone less fortunate than myself". These people would have walked by the man who fell among thieves on the road from Jericho to Jerusalem - it was his own fault for not protecting himself/travelling with someone else/going such a dangerous route.

People should be responsible for themselves but we are all equally responsible for one another just as much. It's just that it's fun at the moment to condemn everyone who's down on their luck in various ways and be self-congratulatory about how hard one works oneself and pride at independence. I think independence and self-reliance is, as a goal in itself, a very bad thing and unChristian.

I agree that the Christian churches broadly (though not all) consider that success and material wealth in life are no measure of worth.

Funny, I have been thinking precisely this about the current government's attempts to revive the distinction between the deserving and undeserving poor (and I think it's even more plausible as an account of right wing American politics where evangelical protestantism is a real driving force, and there seems to be no room for compassion towards anyone whose circumstances are less fortunate than one's own). I think you're onto something OP (Duncan-Smith referring to being jobless as a "sin", anyone? - admittedly, I think he's RC rather than Calvinist protestant)

Good post DandyDan

Ditto Dan, very good post. The culture of selfishness measures and compares others, especially those who struggle, unfavourably. Judge not lest thou be judged :)

Maybe the cultural side of Calvinism as it may have been taken up by society (work ethic, economic success), but not necessarily what Calvin actually taught. Saying that though, Calvinism does emphasise that you are responsible for yourself, and there is less emphasis on how to look after those who are unable to care for themselves....not quite sure what it does teach about that actually. Hmmmm good question OP. Sorry no help at all!!

Luke 13:4 (those eighteen men who were crushed by the fall of the tower of Siloam, were they worse than all the other men living in Jerusalem?) is pretty strong against blaming the victim.

I don't know much about Calvinism (historic or modern) other than adherents being very hot on finding scripture references.

The practice of blaming the victim for their own misfortune has roots going further than Calvinism. It is seen in Hinduism and in the OT as well as being something that Christ tried to change in the NT. I think that back then it was probably used by people to explain why a loving God would let suffering happen.

As DandyDad has correctly pointed out, it is used nowadays to excuse the selfish and lazy attitudes of people such as benefit bashers and those who wish to sidestep difficult political decisions.

Calvinism has been blamed for many things but like so much it has some grains of truth in it but not the whole.... just like the puritans lots of criticism for banning christmas and dancing but also no one remembers them for being the first to ban selling your wife and that for parents to force a child to marry someone was wrong.

Like quoting if a man does not work he should not eat when the real quote is if a man WILL not work,
Calvinism is big on the work ethic and your responsibility to yourself and your family so your childs education is still your responsibility even though you probably delegate it to a school

The blaming the victim is a strand of what is known as hypercalvinism which borders on fatalism... the will of God, I have relations who are hypercalvinistic but they would not think that having downs syndrome was the fault of parents or person though they would probably think this was valid arguement in case of lung cancer after years of smoking or HIV with a promiscious lifestyle.

the Prosperity gospel tends to come from american calvinism rather than scottish calvinism, on the other hand hyper calvinism can be used as an excuse for failure like if God had meant me to pass the exam / get the job i would have (regardless of the fact they had done no revision/ made a lousy job of application form) so it can work both ways but both are a misrepresentation

There is a need to balance what God is ultimately in control of and what is our responsibilty ( in theological terms sovereignity of God and personal responsibility for our own actions thoughts etc.)

Hope answer helps if really interested can discuss this further let me know

Calvin himself warned against the dangers of preaching about Predestination without a gentle tongue, a listening heart and compassion...