What is it to 'judge' somebody?

Question

"You shouldn't judge other people".

I hear this especially from christians, but can anyone give me a definition of 'judge' in this sense?

Do we not always and unavoidably make judgements about people? Is it to morally judge somebody only?

Answer 1

The word 'judge' has two basic meanings. We talk about someone with good judgement, someone being a good judge of character. Anyone who interviews candidates for a job must make judgements about the candidates. On the other hand, a person who is judgemental is someone who makes judgements that are inappropriate, critical and probably biased. It is this latter sense that Jesus meant in the gospels, when he warned that one should not criticise others because one has quite enough faults of one's own. The best translation, I think, is "Don't find fault, so that your own faults will not count against you."

But the old King James Bible, which was almost the only one used by most English speakers for over 300 years, uses the word 'judge', which is not a very good translation from the Greek word in this case, because it is ambiguous. The number of times that Christians, when giving a reasoned opinion, when apportioning no blame, have been told to "Judge not, lest ye be judged', must be in the millions.

Of course one must judge other people, in the sense of assessing them. We all do it every day, when buying and selling, at work, in leisure activites, even at home watching the TV. You're doing it to me right now. :o)
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Answer 2

i think you're right, we all make judgements constantly to help us make decisions, process different issues and to move on/develop in life. However, let say you are anti smoking and you have a list of justifiable reasons to rationalise your decision to be against smoking, it is fine to have your own 'likes and dislikes' of course. But it is somehow unfair and wrong and will make one appear very narrow minded if he 'judges' others (ie if they are good/nice/decent/clever whatever or bad/nasty/devious/stupid) by whether those people are smokers or non smokers. Or to a lesser extent, 'smoking habit' is an factor that influences hbow yoiu see the those people, for better or worse.
It is also not nice to base your own 'values, ideology' as the benchmark and try to judge others and feel it is necessary for them to change and agree with you...,.this is another example of someone who is considered as judgemental.

Another example, racism is stamped from judgemental minds.

Answer 3

Maybe by making a 'judgement' about somebody, we base that judgement purely on our own concept, or understanding of life.
We all see life differently, no two peoples lives are exactly the same, so by making a judgement on someone elses life, we are really not actually in the same place as them to understand what their life is actually like.

Answer 4

Okay then, here we go:

Judgement:

'The act or process of judging; the formation of an opinion after consideration or deliberation.

An opinion or estimate formed after consideration or deliberation, especially a formal or authoritative decision: awaited the judgment of the umpire.

An assertion of something believed.'

An oppinion, an assertion of somethign believed, okay, but how does that work with Christianity?
It means that you shouldn't think of someone a certain way because of anything, it means that you shouldn't try to do Gods job for Him and decide who should go to Hell.

Infact someone said to Jesus: 'How many times should I forgive someone? Seven times? Seventy Seven times?'
And Jesus in reply said:
'Not seven times, not seventy-seven times but seven times seventy-seven times'

That doesn't mean you should forgive someone five-hundred and thirty-nine times, what it means is that you should never stop forgiving, because here's a funny little catch, if you count all of someones wrong doings against you to get that high then you obviously havn't forgiven them. Could you imagine being friends with someone who has a little bit of paper saying:

'On the 20th of last month Fred sinned against me by using the words 'your mum' in an offensive manner'

I mean, you just wouldn't want to. Right? So if you don't want to judge someone simply, or usually not so simply, just forgive them.

Answer 5

I can tell you the conclusion I've come to on this matter. I've found that I judge people in my head always. I can refrain from saying things out loud and I can choose to alter my thoughts, but my mind is always reeling when I'm talking to, or when I see someone. I think that you do have to make judgments on people sometimes. Example: person comes at you with a knife in their belt, you can judge to high tail it out of there.

One thing that I have learned over the years is that I need to love everyone. I can choose to stay away from someone who hurts me and choose to be near those who strengthen me, but if I hold anger and resent against those whom I have judged or have been hurt by, then I am in the wrong. That is one thing that kind of bothers me, is that when people do get hurt, they lash out and attack the people involved and forever are saying mean things afterward. I try to forgive and move on. I try to give everyone a clean slate, even if I am wary of things they have done. I try to give second and third and fourth chances (and so on) because I know that we aren't perfect and people deserve to have someone hope in them.

Answer 6

Judgements is when others do them. When real christians judge other people it isn't really judging. Because they have God on their side.

Answer 7

We all make judgments every day. It is a necessary part of life. What we are told as Christians not to do is judge and then condemn someone.

Answer 8

to assume things about someone, to stereotype or just think something of someone without knowing them or understanding them, e.g. you see a person with a tounge piercing and judge them thinking they're dangerous or wierd

Answer 9

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of god.......!
or so my mum says!!!!! (shes a christian, i'm not)

Answer 10

To criticize them..