Placing blame versus taking responsibility

I understand that Buddhists have a saying:

"In the Western world, the finger points outward. In Zen, the finger points inward."

This makes sense to me. We are always looking for someone to take the blame. Finding fault is becoming a national pastime for Americans, especially. Whenever something bad happens, we look around for someone to blame. "Someone's got to pay for this!" we claim. So we look outward for solutions to our problems. Someone else has to "make this right". A lot of money is spent in lawsuits, or even threats, to "get back" at people we assign the blame to.

Instead, personal growth is achieved when we take responsibility. When we take it upon ourselves to solve our own problems, we invest in our own personal growth as a human being. A member of a whole. Placing blame and finding fault is diffusive. Taking responsibility is focusing, clarifying. Now, don't think for a minute that what I'm saying is that taking responsibility is the same as accepting fault. The two are not related. Taking personal responsibility is a solution to the problem of finding whom to blame, whether that blame is difficult to ascertain, or even when you know with complete certainty whom to blame. Taking responsibility is finishing the work of getting past a problem into finding a solution, because the solution is viable no matter whom is to blame. Placing blame leads to taking on the mentality of the perennial victim. Poor, poor me, or Who did this to me? They will pay! Taking responsibility gets things done, because no one will do it for you. Taking responsibility for the results of your own life means you are finally the captain of your own fate, and the captain of your own soul.

One of my favorite quotes is this:

"One of life's best coping mechanisms
is to know the difference between an
inconvenience and a problem.

If you break your neck,
if you have nothing to eat,
if your house is on fire,
then you've got a problem.

Everything else is an
inconvenience. Life is
inconvenient. Life is lumpy.

A lump in the oatmeal,
a lump in the throat,
and a lump in the breast
are not the same kind of lump.

One needs to learn the difference."

-- Robert Fulghum

@suzianne said
I understand that Buddhists have a saying:

"In the Western world, the finger points outward. In Zen, the finger points inward."

This makes sense to me. We are always looking for someone to take the blame. Finding fault is becoming a national pastime for Americans, especially. Whenever something bad happens, we look around for someone to blame. "Someone's got to pa ...[text shortened]... breast
are not the same kind of lump.

One needs to learn the difference."

-- Robert Fulghum

One of my favorite quotes comes from my mom, "If money can fix it, it is not a real problem."

@kellyjay said
One of my favorite quotes comes from my mom, "If money can fix it, it is not a real problem."

Clearly a comment that only the rich would use. I suggest you read what Jesus had to say about the rich, particularly the story of the rich man and Lazarus.

@suzianne said
I understand that Buddhists have a saying:

"In the Western world, the finger points outward. In Zen, the finger points inward."

This makes sense to me. We are always looking for someone to take the blame. Finding fault is becoming a national pastime for Americans, especially. Whenever something bad happens, we look around for someone to blame. "Someone's got to pa ...[text shortened]... breast
are not the same kind of lump.

One needs to learn the difference."

-- Robert Fulghum

The roots in the Western World for much of what you've written go back to Christianity.

Placing blame versus taking responsibility.
Many seem to believe that blame rests with Adam and Eve. Because of Adam and Eve's sin, it is impossible to cease sinning. Because of Adam and Eve's sin, the responsibility for becoming righteous lies elsewhere or according to some impossible.

So we look outward for solutions to our problems. Someone else has to "make this right".
Many seem to believe that Jesus served as a propitiatory sacrifice to atone for the sins of others. Albeit many seem to believe its efficacy to be limited to believers of the "free gift" theology.

Placing blame leads to taking on the mentality of the perennial victim.
Many seem to believe that although they continue to sin, it is not their fault. It is because of their fallen nature due to Adam and Eve. Therefore there is forgiveness from God for the asking for "believers".

No doubt, not what you had in mind, but it is what it is.

@rajk999 said
Clearly a comment that only the rich would use. I suggest you read what Jesus had to say about the rich, particularly the story of the rich man and Lazarus.

Or a comment from someone who had people slowly die and there was nothing anyone could do could stop it.

@suzianne said
I understand that Buddhists have a saying:

"In the Western world, the finger points outward. In Zen, the finger points inward."

This makes sense to me. We are always looking for someone to take the blame. Finding fault is becoming a national pastime for Americans, especially. Whenever something bad happens, we look around for someone to blame. "Someone's got to pa ...[text shortened]... breast
are not the same kind of lump.

One needs to learn the difference."

-- Robert Fulghum

Do you have a couple of examples of what you are talking about so we can relate?

@ThinkOfOne

Many seem to believe that Jesus served as a propitiatory sacrifice to atone for the sins of others. Albeit many seem to believe its efficacy to be limited to believers of the "free gift" theology.

Get ready to say "C'mon jaywill" because this terrible trash of yours will not go by uncorrected.

"My little children, these things I write to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous;

And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for those of the whole world." (1 John 2:1,2)

Jesus Christ IS the propitiation for my sins.
Jesus Christ is alive to be today, I mean TODAY... the Righteous, the Advocate on my behalf with the Father.

@divegeester said
Do you have a couple of examples of what you are talking about so we can relate?

Read a newspaper. Examples are rife.

@sonship said
@ThinkOfOne

Many seem to believe that Jesus served as a propitiatory sacrifice to atone for the sins of others. Albeit many seem to believe its efficacy to be limited to believers of the "free gift" theology.

Get ready to say "C'mon jaywill" because this terrible trash of yours will not go by uncorrected.

"My little children, these things I wri ...[text shortened]... ay, I mean TODAY... [b]the Righteous, the Advocate on my behalf with the Father.

There is no virtue in boasting about Jesus Christ and who He is and what He did... ie Jesus is righteous, Jesus died for my sins .. etc etc. You would find nowhere in the bible that describes that as anything worthy of eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

In that very same book of John you would find details [which you willfully omit from your posting] of what constitutes virtues that are rewarded with eternal life
- following the commandments
- living in righteousness
- keeping away from sin
- showing love for others

Boasting about Christ is just another demonstration of mouth worship, and if thats all you got then your faith is dead and you are nothing.

Rajk999 writes:

There is no virtue in boasting about Jesus Christ and who He is and what He did... ie Jesus is righteous, Jesus died for my sins .. etc etc. You would find nowhere in the bible that describes that as anything worthy of eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

The New Testament teaches -

"And not only so, but boasting in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation." (Rom. 5:11)

Rajk999 writes -

There is no virtue in boasting about Jesus Christ and who He is and what He did... ie Jesus is righteous, Jesus died for my sins .. etc

But the New Testament says " ... but BOASTING in God through our Lord Jesus Christ ... THROUGH WHOM we have received the reconciliation."

The man Rajk999 is a dangerous heretic and doesn't know the word of God.

"For we are the circumcision, the ones who serve in the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh." (Phil. 3:3)

@sonship said
Rajk999 writes:

There is no virtue in boasting about Jesus Christ and who He is and what He did... ie Jesus is righteous, Jesus died for my sins .. etc etc. You would find nowhere in the bible that describes that as anything worthy of eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

The New Testament teaches -

"And not only so, but boasting in God through our ...[text shortened]... n the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh." (Phil. 3:3)

I think that there are some who can read and understand. You are not one of them. There is nowhere that Jesus or the Apostles say that such boasting is a virtue that leads to eternal life in the Kingdom of God. That so called boasting is simply 'joy in Christ', and this is the term used in the KJV. Joy in Christ MUST lead to righteous and good works otherwise there is no inheritance in the Kingdom of God.

The virtues which I listed earlier have been clearly stated in the bible which lead to eternal life. You ignore these virtues and never tell anyone about these critical virtues. You are Satan. Your faith [joy in Christ] is dead and you are nothing.

@Rajk999

You are Satan.

No, I just disagree with you on the Gospel of Christ. And whether or not I am rewarded to reign with Christ in the millennium, in the kingdom of God, is in His hands.

I still join my brother Paul and his co-workers and boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have received the reconciliation. (Rom. 5:11)

"But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom to us from God;
both righteousness and sanctification and redemption.

That as it is written, 'He who BOASTS let him BOAST in the Lord.' " (1 Cor. 1:30,31)

@sonship said
@Rajk999

You are Satan.

No, I just disagree with you on the Gospel of Christ. And whether or not I am rewarded to reign with Christ in the millennium, in the kingdom of God, is in His hands.

I still join my brother Paul and his co-workers and boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have received the reconciliation. ( ...[text shortened]... ption.

That as it is written, 'He who BOASTS let him BOAST in the Lord.' " (1 Cor. 1:30,31)

Boast and clang away, all the way to damnation.

@sonship said
@ThinkOfOne

Many seem to believe that Jesus served as a propitiatory sacrifice to atone for the sins of others. Albeit many seem to believe its efficacy to be limited to believers of the "free gift" theology.

Get ready to say "C'mon jaywill" because this terrible trash of yours will not go by uncorrected.

"My little children, these things I wri ...[text shortened]... ay, I mean TODAY... [b]the Righteous, the Advocate on my behalf with the Father.

You seem to be claiming that you believe that the propitiatory sacrifice of Jesus atoned for all the sins of Christians and non-Christians alike. Didn't know that you had that belief in common with Rajk999.

Be that as it may, you seem to have missed the point. Some of the many flaws of the gospel in which you believe were delineated in the OP.

The gospel preached by Jesus while He walked the Earth is about taking responsibility for ones righteousness.

The gospel in which you believe is about placing the blame and responsibility for ones righteousness on others.