Question on Being Judgemental?

Question

Here I've read over and over again accusations of being judgemental when it comes to religion.

My question is, why exactly are we not supposed to be judgemental?

Is not looking down on someone for being judgemental, being judgemental in itself?

When you have a child you punish them for disobeying. Is this being unjustly judgemental? Do they have a 'right to their opinion,' or do they deserve the punishment?

How is this different for adults?

And one might say that when we're grown, we should respect one another's opinions and not try to force anything on them.

But what if one believes that another is hurting himself?

Would it be judgemental to tell them that?

And would it be judgemental to tell the first person that they shouldn't judge?

Oh. Lovely. I just realized I spelled judgmental wrong.

I apologize. "Judgmental"

Answer 1

cross the street and look both ways that's a judgement without we risk death . judgments are neccessary but overly judging is a pest that serves little to no good purpose learn how to judge.
admonish those who require rehab not to punish but to serve justice by correction of wrong doing. Vengance belongs to no one who knows justice and has mercy for humanity and worth
of being.

Answer 2

Most religions teach "Judge not least you be judged" or something like that. I'm not really religious I just remember that from church. We should try not to judge others because NONE of us is perfect. (Even if we think we are.) Also, if you are the type of person who looks down on your fellow man, that makes you no better than them because that is being vain - and vanity is a sin. Also, when we judge others we lose our ability to be empethetic and sympathtic towards our fellow man. We are here to help our fellow man. And how do you know that homeless person you pass on the street that you look down on and think is "worthless scum" isn't a test from God to see what kind of person you are? When we all die, I believe God will show us a re-wind of our lives and show us the opportunities we missed that were tests. Tests where we could have helped our fellow man and chose not to because we felt we were "too good" or didn't want to get involved or because we felt superior. When people are down on their luck - or have made bad choices - well.... haven't we ALL made poor choices at one time or another? Do YOU want to be judged for making a mistake. God is the only one who has the right to judge other people. Our job here is to live the best life we can and be the best people we can be to our fellow human beings. Remember - you never know what happened to that person that may have caused them to stray and do something you don't approve of. Maybe they have a mental illness or were abused. Don't diappoint God. He doesn't want you to think you are better than anyone. Remember - people judged Jesus - what do you think God had to say about that when those people had to face the Lord?

Answer 3

What does a judge do? A judge sentences people. A judge decides how someone should be punished. A judge interprets the law and enforces it on others. A person who is a judge by profession has the right to do those things, but what about the rest of us? We don't have that right because it is not our job.

It is God's job to judge human souls. If we think we are good enough to do His job for Him, He says He will judge us for that. "Judge not lest you be judged". But lets look at some other examples. If a baseball coach tells a player that he isn't pitching very well, does that make it wrong for him to say that? Is he judging? No. he is coaching. Those are two different jobs.

We should not assume the roll of a judge when it is not our job.

Answer 4

The act of judging regarding people is not our place to make. the Act of making a good sound judgment regarding matters of family, money, and our selves is expected. To judge another is Gods job alone. I can disagree and refuse to associate but I can not smug, look down, or ostracize

Answer 5

I think you need to carefully interpret Mat 7:1: "Judge not, that you be not judged.

This command refers to rash, censorious, and unjust judgment. See Rom 2:1.

Luke Luk 6:37 explains it in the sense of “condemning.”

Christ does not condemn judging as a magistrate, for that, when according to justice, is lawful and necessary.

Nor does he condemn our “forming an opinion” of the conduct of others, for it is impossible “not” to form an opinion of conduct that we know to be evil.

But what he refers to is a habit of forming a judgment hastily, harshly, and without an allowance for every palliating circumstance, and a habit of “expressing” such an opinion harshly and unnecessarily when formed. It rather refers to private judgment than “judicial,” and perhaps primarily to the customs of the scribes and Pharisees.

Answer 6

Everyone makes judgements everyday. It is not wrong to judge things. You must make judgement to deturmine what you will believe and who you will like or dislike.

The problem is the religious attitude of Their right and anyone that doesn't think just like they do is evil. This is what is being refered to! They condemn the world and everyone in it if they do not bow down to their ideas! Some even go as far as to kill those who think differently!

Answer 7

There are misconceptions as to what judging is versus condemning someone's actions. Judging is when I say to someone "Don't commit adultery", but I myself is doing the exact same thing I am telling him or her not to do. If I am not comming adultery and that other someone is, then I am condemning their actions. As Christians we are told to confront the person, then if they repent of the sin, then as the bible states "you save him from a multitude of sin." This is one of our obligations to lift up other Christians who are struggling in their walk with God, and to bear "one another's burdens", providing we ourselves do not fall into the same temptation. We are to confront a sinning Christian to get them to turn away from their sin, and this is not being judgemental, because we are required to do so. But keep in mind, when you rebuke another Christian for the same sin you are commiting and are not repenting of it, that is being judgemental. The bible states "why are you concerned with the speck in your neighbors eye instead of the plank in your own eye?" This is hypocracy. Also, we are warned to be careful when placing judgement on another Christian because the same measure of judgement will be placed upon us by God.
Regarding child rearing, it is not judgemental to punish them for disobeying. This is called child rearing or disciplining. Now a days, a little discipline goes along way. I have heard that if you are strict and disipline a child the right way, with the appropriate measure and its not leading to abuse, then by the time the child reaches five, you've already established a pattern of right and wrong and most serious discipline problems are already a thing of the past. After 5, it is near impossible to install discipline in a child, because the chils has learned disruptive patterns of behavior and behavior is difficult to "re-wire at this age". Children have a right to their opinion, but the parent has to set the standard and tone for what is accepticle behavior-wise. If rules and standards are violated, then the parent has the obligation to address that issue through discipline--talking to, grounding, time-out, spanking, etc.

Answer 8

Being judgmental is human nature. We can't help it. In fact, we need it to a degree. If we're not, how else are we suppose to make choices about what is right or wrong. The reason people say that some religious people are judgmental is quite simple. Those people are judging and condemning people. You can judge someone in your head, you don't need to say it out loud. That's acceptable and unavoidable. Your brain is automatically going to judge and that's ok. Where you (not you personally) run into a problem is when you run your mouth (again, not you personally) and tell that person that your religion says they're wrong or that they're going to hell. THAT is when people point out that you're going against what your religion states. Any religion worth it's salt isn't going to tell you to judge & condemn someone because they're not like you. Everyone is a human being and we all mess up. No one is without sin. That in and of itself shows that we're in no position to judge & condemn others. We all falter so none of us can point fingers and say who is going to hell or not. The bible does in fact state that no one except God is suppose to judge someone. Anyone who goes against that isn't upholding their religion. They're using their religion to be self righteous & they're using what they perceive to be mistakes made by others to feel better about themselves. You're not suppose to revel in other's pain or misery and you're no one is in a position to say who is going to hell or not. Hopefully, I explained this clearly. lol The best way to sum it up is to live & let live. Unless someone is directly hurting your life, their beliefs shouldn't make any difference to you. Let them find their own path. We all have free will & a brain, we're allowed to use them any way we please without someone condemning them to hell or some other seemingly bad place.

Answer 9

Basically I dont think people should be judgmental because I think all hatred stems from being judgmental. Try hating someone without judging them, its impossible.

If I think someone else is hurting themselves, I might mention it to them, make my point of view known, but I wouldnt judge them based on that. For example, I am a smoker. Many people arent. They think Im hurting myself. And you know what? Theyre most likely right, but that doesnt make me a lesser person than them. I rationalize hurting myself this way in a way that doesnt work for them, but I dont expect it to. It works for me, and Im satisfied with that.

I think universal respect for everyone is what matters most. But I dont think people who disagree me are necessarily wrong. We have different points of view, thats all.

And I dont look down on others for being judgmental. They have a right to think whatever they want. But I dont think its the best way to be, otherwise I would be that way myself.

Basically I think that if everyone made a conscious effort to not be judgmental, the world would be a much better place, regardless of whether or not anyone actually succeeded in never being judgmental, just the effort of doing so would make an incredible change.

Maybe this all comes to me more naturally than with others, because I have a gift for being able to find something in common with everyone. When you see a part of yourself in everyone else, its very hard to judge them. And especially, I dont want to be judged, so why would I judge people? It all comes back to "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". I want respect and an environment where I wont be judged, so I give that to others, and, as crazy as it may sound, it actually works.

So, in answer to your original question, (and I apologize for typing you a novel) I think we should refrain from being judgmental because judging others leads to thinking youre better than someone else, and thinking youre better than someone else leads to treating them less than courteously. And when someone treats you less than courteously, you judge them, you treat them badly and that leads to all sorts of things that could have been easily avoided by not judging in the first place.

Hope that makes sense and answers your question.

Answer 10

Telling someone to not be judgmental does not involve looking down on that person, hence your basic premise is incorrect.

-Although you are correct in the sense that it is impossible to live your life without being judgmental. Our entire realities are based on comparison/contradiction.... kind of a catch 22.