18 Times In History That A Scapegoat was Blamed And People Fell For It

1. The Devil and God serve as the two most common scapegoats in world history, blamed without evidence for the troubles of all mankind

The Devil and God, the yin and yang of the world’s theistic religions, are unquestionably the most “scapegoated” individuals in global history. Blamed for anything and everything including natural disasters, family bereavements, famine, or war, God and/or Satan is commonly held to account for these acts in spite of zero evidence of their participation in these affairs.

In particular, some sympathy might be had for the mythical character of the devil within Christian lore, whose scriptural appearances are a far cry from his demonic role in popular religious conception. Throughout the Old Testament, Satan is merely an angel of heaven, acting as an agent of God; in fact, it is on God’s instruction that Satan inflicts his torture of Job in the incorrect belief that the man will recant his faith under pressure. It is not until the New Testament that Satan developed into a more malevolent figure, with the Book of Revelations introducing his expulsion from heaven due to a rebellion against the authority of God whereupon he was cast down into the lake of fire. Despite this, throughout the Middle Ages Satan was still not considered a key figure in Christian mythology and was routinely used merely as comic relief in theater; it is not until the emergence of the witch-hunts during the early modern period that Satan evolved into a feared and hated character, responsible for wickedness and sin, becoming indelibly attached to other nameless biblical evils such as the snake in the Garden of Eden.

Where do we find this stuff? Here are our sources:

Medium – The Life And Execution Of William Tyndale In 1536

Rolling Stone – Why the Beatles Broke Up

Biography – Did Yoko Ono Break Up the Beatles?

Pan Mcmillan – Who Were The Real Sin Eaters? Megan Campisi On The Truth Behind Her Novel And This Rare Post-Mortem Ritual

Atlas Obscura – The Worst Freelance Gig in History Was Being the Village Sin Eater

Express UK – Could Rasputin REALLY Heal The Sick?

History Collection – 12 Details About Rasputin’s Controversial Life

The Great Course Daily – “Paradise Lost” and the Innocence of Adam and Eve

“Tyndale: The Man Who Gave God An English Voice”, David Teems, Thomas Nelson Publishers (2012)

“Scapegoat: A History of Blaming Other People”, Charlie Campbell, Duckworth Publishing (2011)

“The Case of Sacco and Vanzetti”, Felix Frankfurter, Atlantic Monthly (1927)