I do not think that one needs to be religious to see the evil side of humanity shown in the crucifixion narrative. Indeed, similar stories are told in numerous traditions. Christ's crucifixion narrative is compared to Socrates's drinking of hemlock often by scholars.
In the crucifixion narrative, Christ is innocent. He heals the sick, criticizes the sinner so that they may become better, and teaches others to love one another and live in harmony. And yet, the elders, the pharisees, the scribes, and all their followers plotted to kill Jesus. What drove them to such an unjust conclusion?
What drove them is rumination. In other words, brooding. Every word Christ spoke to them was done in good will. Instead of considering Christ's words as constructive criticism, a juncture for them to become better, they interpreted his words as offending them. The misstep they made was brooding over the perceived offense instead of confronting themselves. Through brooding without end, they have imagined an offense to be taken when there is none.
What brooding does to one's mind is that it prohibits objectivity the longer it goes on. The more we think of a negative perception of the past, the more things we think of to justify ourselves as the protagonist of the narrative, even when we are the clear villain. This was true of the Pharisees, the Sadducee, the elders, and the chief priests who drove the people to crucify Christ. Christ often criticized others of their wrongdoings. The difference between the disciples and those who accused him is that the disciples said, "How, then, can I be better, LORD?" while the accusers retreated to plot against Christ.
The chief difference, then, is that the disciples confronted the criticism by seeking a dialogue. The accusers retreated to their confines, talked among their allies, and brooded over the criticism. When the accusers would meet Christ, they asked sophistic questions designed to trap Christ and made snide comments to Christ in order to bring him down.
Dialogue can come to mutual understanding and create bonds. Brooding, however, creates distance. In brooding, the accusers interpreted criticisms made in good will as offense. A moral appeal made to convince the reason, to the accusers, were manipulations. A spiritual appeal made to move the spirit, to the accusers, were spiritual abuse. The brooding went so far as to seek allies that will affirm the accusers' unjust viewpoint, riling up the Jews against Christ, leading to his crucifixion.
As human beings, we brood over things often, do we not? Perhaps you, reader, have been in an argument with friends. You may also have distanced away from those friends and brooded over the argument instead of initiating a dialogue. In your brooding, you would have interpreted the narrative in your favor, making you the protagonist. Like the accusers of Christ, perhaps you interpreted the friends' good will as manipulations and abuse. Like the accusers of Christ, you may also have sought allies that will affirm your injustices against your former friends. And with their help, perhaps you spread false narratives about the former friends through gossip, without really knowing that such an evil has a compounding effect. And much like the accusers of Christ, perhaps you believed yourself the protagonist of the narrative.
Brooding may at first be only a venial sin. But at one point, it becomes mortal. We may not lead others to be crucified in this day and age. However, we are certainly able to lead the victim into deep depression and suffering. We hear of teenage suicides made by adverse social conditions time to time, do we not? False accusations is like a projectile of a rail gun; the lethality increases each time it passes through a rail. We should take care, then, in interpreting others' motivations. If there is a doubt, start a dialogue. If there is hard feelings, talk about it with the other party until the problem is resolved.
