My Sunday Thought for 022518: Judge Not!

Jeanne d'Arc

 François Chifflart (1825–1901)

"You say that you are my judge. Take thoughts over what you are doing. For, truly, I am sent from God, and you are putting yourself in great danger"

-- Jeanne d'Arc (1412-1431) , during the trial (1431)

In Christian scripture, Matthew 7:1-2, we are advised, "You shall not judge, lest you be judged. For with the judgment that you judge, you will be judged, and with the measure that you measure, it will be measured to you..." Yet, throughout Christian history this is exactly what we fall prey to, the judgment of others. Today, I find it most prevalent when it comes to the LGBT (et al) community, minorities, Islam, and the poor or homeless. It encroaches upon my own sphere of influence with ministers who shun gays searching for Christ. They live in sin, so what right do they have to seek God's grace? Well, isn't this the entire point of seeking God? And who are the clergy to dare speak this hypocrisy on God's behalf? Is it because we think we find it in our interpretation of "Holy Scripture" which is simply the inspired "Word of God" as written by man?

“Criticism of others is thus an oblique form of self-commendation. We think we make the picture hang straight on our wall by telling our neighbors that all his pictures are crooked.”

-- Venerable Fulton J. Sheen (1895-1979), Catholic Archbishop

I don't remember in which of the Ten Commandments, the only "written in stone" laws from God, it is written to judge others. I do remember the two most important commandments, which are really both paraphrased from the first and greatest of the commandments. Jesus states, according to scripture, that the second is like the first.  The three Abrahamic religions feel that if one can follow this one commandment, the rest of them will be upheld and there will be no need of any other law.

 So, again from Matthew, 22:36-40, I quote the "Golden Rule" as accepted by Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, in their own scriptural forms: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"  Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." 

What all people of faith need to ask is which part of this needs further interpretation?  Where in scripture does it say that man can reinterpret for God?  "Well, what God really meant to say was..."  If we buy into this "reinterpretation" by man, then we must also buy into God making mistakes.  But then, who are we to judge?

“People that have trust issues only need to look in the mirror. There they will meet the one person that will betray them the most.”

-- Shannon L. Alder, author, blogger

But we do, judge, and often.  We especially seem to judge those who are being challenged, as though we are immune to the same challenges and judgement.  We judge those being challenged at finding employment, saving money for their future, and finding their own path, Jesus, or God.  We even judge those who have found faith, by the actions of heretics in their own ranks.

All criminals who have paid their debt and done their time must still face the court of "public opinion" when they try to rebuild their lives.  We judge the unemployed and homeless as slackers, priests are child molesters, homosexuals are perverts, and all those confused or lost as sinners or they would, somehow, clearly see the "righteous" path.  We dare to judge, yet we constantly and conveniently forget, "As it is written:  There is no righteous, not even one."   Perhaps we hesitate to look in the mirror, for fear of the monster we all know, in our hearts, will be staring back.

Who among us knows what the next iteration of Christ will look like?  Who knows what guise the next test God sends to us will take?  Who is so vain as to state, to their own peril, they are able to outthink the ultimate power in the universe?  Is it, perhaps, the atheist?  Given the truth, I think not; faithful or godless, not one of us would stand.  All of us judge our friends, family, and fellow beings, as though we have anything to offer more laudable than they... and we don't. 

“Can you look without the voice in your head commenting, drawing conclusions, comparing, or trying to figure something out?”

-- Eckhart Tolle, spiritual author

Christ will reappear on some street corner one day, long hair down his shoulders, glowing with the radiance of God.  He will reach out his hand, palm up, in an invitation to join him which we will misunderstand as asking for spare change.  We will snort our derision and judge him as just another of the many shiftless panhandlers too damned lazy to get a real job, and tell him where he can go screw himself as we rapidly exit stage left with our hand firmly attached to our hard earned cash.  Even those few, who might reach in their pockets, will do so through judging what they mistakenly perceive as a person in need of something.

“Are you proud of yourself tonight that you have insulted a total stranger whose circumstances you know nothing about?”

-- Harper Lee (1926-2016), "To Kill a Mockingbird"

But, if we give those alms in help to our fellow being, isn't this a good thing? Perhaps, if you can do what few of us are capable of; keeping a leash on our howling judgment of negative conclusions and holding them at bay. It is a good thing if we help for all of the right reasons, and it is even better if we open our mouths and ask about a person's circumstance before we go off on our own hunt for jaded "truths" concerning others.

"How easy it is to judge rightly after one sees what evil comes from judging wrongly."

-- Elizabeth Gaskell (1810-1865), novelist, biographer, writer

But, if we give those alms to help to our fellow being, isn't this a good thing? Perhaps, if you can do what few of us are capable of; keeping a leash on our howling judgment of negative conclusions and holding them at bay. It is a good thing if we help for all of the right reasons, and it is even better if we open our mouths and ask about a person's circumstance before we go off on our own hunt for jaded "truths" to create a false judgement about what we think we know... and don't.

We judge because of experience.  Our experiences guide us to what we hope will be a safe conclusion.  What we here from others also tends to drive what we do, as though listening to other lost people will take us to a better destination.  If we have been burned we tend to shy away from fire, and if we have enjoyed ice cream we tend to experiment with all the flavors.  We think it is easier to judge others correctly if we have judged them poorly in the past, when it is really much easier to just not judge them at all.

“Be silent and safe — silence never betrays you; 

Be true to your word and your work and your friend;

Put least trust in him who is foremost to praise you,

Nor judge of a road till it draw to the end.”

-- John Boyle O'Reilly (1844-1890), poet, journalist, author activist

The majority of us think we are no better than our fellows and walk passed them without notice.  We like to think we are above this or that, above pettiness.  We excel at making resolutions knowing full well our resolve is anything but laudable.  For the most part, we excel at being legends in our own mind.  We pray that we can look in the mirror at the end of the day and know that we have done right by our fellow humans.  We look in the mirror as the judge of the only person we have any right to sit in judgement of - ourselves.

Our knee-jerk reaction is to judge others as we see them, as our experience expects them to be, instead of researching the circumstances and forming valid conclusions based on their reality and their needs.  We see and we judge.

“The suicide passes a judgment. Society does not care to examine the judgment, but in defense of itself as is, condemns the suicide.”

-- Robert E. Neale, author

Who among us can truly judge?  We would hope to have judges who aren't biased, yet we find, even in our judicial system, political and personal bias colors our decision making process.  Instead of doing what's right for the majority, we screw the majority in favor of what's right for us.  

What ever happened to doing good simply for the sake of doing good?  If we insist on making a resolution, how about something less selfish that losing weight; how about throwing off the yoke of judgement?  Make a resolution, for just one day, to not judge anything.  Now, see how long it takes you to forget and for your resolve to crumble under the weight of who you are.

My first bet is, you already know.  My second bet?  You won't even try.  It is, after all, who we are, and that is the sad reality of being human.

Or, is it?

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider another viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 23 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with an Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, to wage his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as Chaplain Program Liaison, at a regional medical center.