First, I'm not hateful towards Christians. If they are respectful and not pushy, I respect them. I'm not Christian, and I came to that decision after years of questioning and pondering. So, please respect that. (No trying to convert me! :D )
With that out of the way . . . I've repeatedly heard the phrase, "Judge not lest ye be judged." That may not be exactly what the Bible says, but I think it's close.
I've also repeatedly heard Christians tell others that God will "punish" them for doing this or that. For example, a woman here asked if God would punish her for having an abortion. Many answered in mean-spirited and judgmental ways including telling her she "should be punished."
Isn't that judgment? I'm not trying to be rude; I'm looking for a reason to this problem that isn't supported with Bible verses. I want a well-thought out explanation to help me understand why this happens. It will help me respect Christianity more.
Thank you for your time.
2006-12-09 05:22:32 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I think we have a right to judge people. If not why are we given discernment? The Bible says we also will be judged if we judge others. I expect to be judged at the coming of Christ so I am living for Him. The problem is that it is not always done in love. We have to be careful.
2006-12-09 05:29:23 · answer #1 · answered by Fish <>< 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hi, glad to try. Here's my attempt at a complex question concerning motivation:
People who become Christian soon realize that their lives are not what they should be. They still do bad things, put simply. They don't live up to the standards they read and find implied or explicitely stated in the Bible.
Becoming a mature Christian (or a mature anything, for that matter) is a growth process that takes time, encouragement and effort.
Now here's the bottom line: The short cut, cheap-shot way is to judge others. By identifying something wrong with a fellow Christian or human being, I can momentarily feel better than them, better about myself. It is wrong. It doesn't help, especially long term. And it's a surefire way to say immature.
It's better not to judge at all, especially others. It's better to compare myself with myself, that is, Am I better now (at anythying) that I was last year?
But people will be people, and Christians are human too. Should we do better? Of course. We should all learn to live with more kindness and understanding and compassion whenever we can.
2006-12-09 05:47:57 · answer #2 · answered by Bill 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
A Christian, like non-Christians, is entitled to an opinion. Opinions should be well thought out with consideration and respect to people receiving that opinion. The Bible is pretty clear to what certain "sins" are and that they are a bad thing. Other "sins" are not as clearly defined. To say an abortion is a bad thing is not judgmental. To say having an abortion makes one evil is judgmental. God is the only Judge. We, as Christians, are called upon to show people Christ's love in us. I agree that we should learn to choose our words more carefully and above all show much more love and respect so that, hopefully, Christ's light will shine brightly. lol.
2006-12-09 05:45:42 · answer #3 · answered by hartovalion 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
"Judge not, lest ye be judged." How often have we heard that warning? Yet it is such an easy one to forget, especially when another person's sins seem to be so ... wrong to us.
As Christians we all remember that without the grace of God, each one of us is capable of any sin. We are all flawed. We all make bad judgments. We all make decisions in haste, ignorance, and confusion. We are all "growing" in Christ. We all have made bad decisions based not on moral reflection, but on the basis of emotions such as fear and despair. Another way of looking at this is to remember that we should always condemn acts which are morally wrong, but we should never condemn the persons who commit these acts because we can never know what was in their minds or hearts.In fact studies show that 70 percent of the women choosing abortion believe it is morally wrong. This fact alone tells us that women are choosing abortion not because they think it is the right thing to do, but because they think, due to whatever pressures they are facing, that it is the only thing they can do.
To transform the world, then we as Christians must begin by replacing judgmentalism with charity. We must work to relieve these women and men of the shame which makes them afraid to seek reconciliation in Jesus.
2006-12-09 05:41:55 · answer #4 · answered by thundercatt9 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes thats judgment. A good Christian answer to anyone who says "Will I be punished for ____" is "Thats up for God to decided" If they want to convey what the Bible says about it, fine, but the ultimate desicion is Gods.
It happens because many Christians feel it is there place to correct people, or they feel as if they are better than others, and passing judgment is okay.
The rest of us know its not our place, and what happens between a person and God is their buisness alone. Have a good day!
2006-12-09 05:28:32 · answer #5 · answered by sweetie_baby 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes, that is judgment. I took have heard ' judge not, lest ye be judged'. You might not get the answer you want, but here is the answer I am giving. The reason that 'Christan's' can not follow their own teachings is because they are hypocritical. They want to move and shape the verses of their holy book to suit their life, and they do not care what they have to do to support it. They are proud, and can not stand to be wrong. As for me, I believe in God, and the trinity - but I do not tell people I will not judge them and then do it. I make up my mind right away ( judgment if you will). that's just who I am. I hope this helps you. Ultimately, It comes down to the individual and what the individual wants.
2006-12-09 05:28:19 · answer #6 · answered by The Pope 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I'll put my 2 cents in. Jesus said judge not so why do people do it? It's not that they disrespect Jesus it is because they do not feel worthy and point to other people's behavior as a way of making them selves look better. Paul writes in Romans "all have sinned". So judgmental Christians need to get over it.
2006-12-09 05:36:36 · answer #7 · answered by lenshure 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I answer with a certain amount of prejudice. It is the bible that teaches hate and bigotry. This book in no way reflects what the man, Jesus intended. The God that I believe in would not flood the earth.
Just read 1 Corinthians alone. That one book is justification to all the crazy fundamentalists that spread their bigotry.
2006-12-09 05:31:48 · answer #8 · answered by Gorgeoustxwoman2013 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I like what FISH has to say. That's not normal for me, because I am an arguementative Satanist.
It seems to me that judging is a requirement of christianity, and yet they refuse to take responsibility for the judgements they pronounce. Even the highest judges of christendom are said to be 'under God's direction' or somesuch. To me that sounds dangerously like a cop out. The Pope, for instance, is "the Vicar of God" (or, what god left in his place 'til he comes round again). That makes the Pope kinda creepy, considering that God is going to kill more than half the planet soon. Umm... allegedly.
I like how FISH takes responsibility for judgement. That is very strong of him. I think he is closer to answering your question than anyone else.
2006-12-09 05:43:33 · answer #9 · answered by B SIDE 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'll tell you why. Becuase most Christians are self righteous. They think they know God but they really don't. Also, many think that they are better than others, that they are going to heaven and others are not. But what most "Christians" don't think through is that they are just as much of a sinner as any other human on earth. No one human is better than the other. If you have sinned once, you are just as bad as hitler in God's eyes. And most Christians don't think that way becuase they are self righteous.
2006-12-09 05:36:57 · answer #10 · answered by Michael 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋