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Defaming the Victim, Defending the Perpetrator

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Over many years I’ve noted a surprising penchant for defaming the victim and defending the perpetrator. Which makes me wonder: If the Gethsemane story had taken place in, let’s say, 2012, what kind of support would Judas get in readers’ comments when news of the betrayal first breaks on Spectrum a couple of hours after Jesus’ arrest? I can only imagine . . .

free_from_sinI can assure you, there’s a lot more to this story than meets the eye. Somebody’s trying to bring Judas down. And it’s pretty easy to figure out why. I mean, I’ve seen some good treasurers in my time, but Judas leaves the others for dead when it comes to financial wizardry. But let him have just a momentary lapse of judgment, and everybody’s jumping all over him like he’s the worst person to ever walk the face of the earth. Have they forgotten all the good he’s done? Have they forgotten how he turned around the financial picture for the Disciples Club? How would they like to be treated that way? Where’s the grace the liberals are always touting?

E.G.W.FORME: I don’t believe it happened. It’s a rumor. Judas is just being framed. It’s one big lie. A lot of people are envious of his education, his refinement, his impeccable taste in clothing, his leadership skills, his investment genius, his reputation. People are just sick, sick, SICK, I tell you. They’ll stoop to anything to try to destroy someone who’s successful. And then they’ll gloat over his fall. It’s nothing but jealousy. The devil is celebrating.

Bibletruthtoday: I’m not saying I condone what Judas did. But it’s not like it’s the end of the world, you know. So Jesus got arrested. So what? It may well open new doors for him to witness even more effectively. And I’m sure they’ll release him on his own recognizance in a few hours. So he has to spend a night in jail–big deal! The weather forecast was for rain anyway. So at least he’ll be in a dry place. Quite frankly, I don’t see what all the fuss is about.

judas-deserves-justice: A friend of mine told me that Judas has it all planned out, and this is going to be the most lucrative move the Disciples Club has ever made. Somewhere in all this, Jesus is going to work a really big miracle–and the money is going to come rolling in like never before. This whole thing is going to catapult Jesus from small-time itinerant preacher to superstar media prophet–book contracts, TV shows, mass rallies, internet sales, you name it! It may look like a lemon, but this one is going to be lemonade, for sure!  I’ve heard the story has already gone viral! 

ResearchingTruth: Check out #judascheekkiss.

Cause-or-Effect-?: I’m not trying to cast blame or anything, but Jesus’ behavior has been a bit embarrassing of late. I mean, eating in the home of Zaccheus? Can you believe that? A tax collector? Doesn’t he at least care about the reputations of his disciples? Even if he is willing to destroy his own credibility? And all those whores who keep hanging around–even dousing him with perfume and then drying it with their hair? That’s freaky by any standard. Doesn’t he get it? I’m not saying Judas did right. But I am saying that it wasn’t without provocation. There are two sides to every story, you know. There’s such a thing as cause and effect. Why do we always pounce on the person who falls rather than the one who provokes?

castthefirststone: I am sick to death of all the bleeding-heart liberals who want to portray everyone as a victim. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to defend Judas. I’m just saying that what goes around comes around. I mean, if Jesus is going to hurl epithets at the scribes and Pharisees–who are all friends of Judas, by the way–then Jesus can’t expect Judas to forever turn the other cheek. Don’t forget that we’re all human. Every person has his breaking point. If I’d been in Judas’s shoes, I might well have done the same thing.

ExampleFirst: I couldn’t agree more. Don’t forget that Jesus himself had a breaking point. Remember how he lost his temper and raced through the temple court turning over tables and shouting at the money changers. And it was 100 percent premeditated. Need I remind you how he sat there seething while braiding that whip he swung around during his rampage?

Nothing_but_the_truth: The way people jump to conclusions really gets to me. When are we going to learn to limit ourselves to the facts? No judging. No speculating. No surmising. So let me ask: What do we know for sure? I’m sorry to disappoint you, but it’s not the juicy story the anti-Judas crowd is spreading. All we know for sure is that Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane. Judas approached him. He kissed Jesus. A mob emerged from the shadows. Jesus was arrested. There’s not one shred of evidence that Judas knew the mob was there behind him or that he was connected with them in any way. That’s nothing but gossip. It’s evil surmising. And we all know what the scriptures say about that. 

God’sTheJudge: Isn’t it interesting how the “grace” crowd can’t accept the simple, heartfelt expression of repentance that Judas has given. He’s says he’s sorry. Why can’t we take his statement at face value? Who are we to question his sincerity on the basis of tone of voice, body language, eye contact, word content, ongoing behavior and a long list of other totally irrelevant distractions? The man says he’s sorry. Take him as his word. He’s been through enough without having to be called a liar as well. It says something that the “gracers” are so selective in who they think deserves grace. Just once I’d like to see them practice what they preach.

THANK GOD I’M NOT. . .: I just got a text from Judas. He said he’s truly sorry for what he did. He said there’s enough money in the treasury to spring bail for Jesus, if it’s needed. He also noted that it will be sunrise in a couple of hours. So once Jesus is out of jail, everyone can walk down to the Jordan, Judas can be rebaptized, and we can all get back to a normal life once again. Like I said, there’s no question but what Judas is repentant. He’s made that clear to every person he’s talked to for at least the past hour. And as he pointed out to me, it wasn’t actually his fault in the first place. He was provoked by the way Jesus humiliated him in front of the other disciples while they were partaking of the bread and wine at the Passover. Anybody would have done what he did. And don’t forget, in the long run, the publicity surrounding all this will make Jesus and the Disciples Club even more effective. As Judas has always understood (but a lot of others can’t seem to get): Even bad news can be good news in today’s media. But don’t hold your breath that any bleeding-heart liberals are going to show the slightest bit of compassion for the most laudable disciple Jesus ever had.

Art: Damien Hirst, Judas Iscariot (The Twelve Disciples), 1994.

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