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| The day we learned shame. |
"Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The steadfast love of God endures all the day."
Psalm 52.1 esv
Guilt is Proof of God's Design and Why Atheists Turn to Scapegoats.
Feelings of guilt and shame are not accidents. They are built into human nature by our Creator. They show up in every culture. Religion explains them and provides ways to resolve them.
When people reject God, especially in the West, the need for resolution does not go away. It leads to problems. Atheists often form groups and blame others. History shows they blame the Jews. Here is my theory, step by step.
Guilt and Shame Are Part of Human Nature
Guilt is that inner feeling when you know you did wrong. It pushes you to fix it. Shame is when that wrong affects others, and you feel exposed. I once thought this was just a Western idea, from the Bible and sin. But it is everywhere.
In China, guilt comes from failing your family, like not honoring your parents. In Arab cultures, it is about losing family honor. In India, it is a debt from bad actions that affects your karma. In African groups, it is breaking ties with your kin.
Each society shapes what causes guilt or shame based on its values. In one place, it is stealing from the group. In another, it is not meeting family duties. But the basic drive is the same: feel bad, make it right. This keeps people working together. Without it, groups would break apart. No sharing, no trust.
This is not random. It is design. God put it in us. It works the same way in all humans. It proves we are made with purpose, to live in communities.
Religion Explains Guilt and Gives a Way to Fix It
Religion does not create guilt. It names it and shows how to handle it. It says this feeling is a sign from God or the spiritual world. It tells you to turn back to what is right.
Religion matches our built-in need. Guilt is the problem. Forgiveness is the solution. God designed it this way.
What Happens When the West Rejects God
The West was built on Judeo-Christian ideas. Guilt drove morals, laws, and kindness. But now, many do not believe in God. Atheism is common in Europe and growing here.
The feelings do not stop. You still feel guilt and shame. But without God, there is no sin. No clear reason for the ache. No real way to wipe it clean.
People try therapy or self-help. "Forgive yourself." But that does not work deep down. The need for true release stays.
Atheists are not alone in this. They join groups—forums, movements, protests. Groups feel like support. But groups need a target for the pain. They pick a scapegoat. Someone to blame so the group feels better.
Why the Jews Become the Target
The Jews are the main scapegoat. It is not random. Judaism gave the world the idea of one God and moral rules. It shaped the West's sense of right and wrong. The Bible's guilt and forgiveness come from there.
When people reject God, they resent what came before. The Jews provided the rules. Now, they blame them for the rules feeling heavy.
Look at history. In the French Revolution, Jews were blamed for money problems. In Nazi Germany, leaders who hated religion blamed Jews for losing the war. Today, some on the left blame Israel for all colonial guilt. On the right, they call Jews secret controllers.
This is the scapegoat trick. Humans copy each other, fight, then pick one group to punish. It calms the group for a while. Jews are easy targets. But even Jews fall into this trap when lose their faith. They become "self-hating Jews.
Atheism makes it worse. No God means no final forgiveness. The pain turns outward. Blame the ones who started it all.
Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
The Answer Is Clear
Guilt proves God exists. It is in every person, every place. It keeps us together. Religion shows the way out. Reject it, and we hurt each other.
I believe we need to go back to faith. Face the design. Use the tools God gave. Stop the blame. Start with real forgiveness.
Summary
God said in perfectly in far fewer words. I give you the last verse of Genesis chapter 2 and the first verse of Genesis chapter 3.
Genesis 2:25 -- the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
Genesis 3.1 -- Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
