Judgement as a sin

[lkopteros]

I’m having a hard time realizing when I’m being judgemental vs self preserving vs discerning. I am trying not to be judgemental but find at times it’s impossible. I think at times people have to be a bit judgemental to protect themselves from pain. If a cat scratches a dog’s nose is that dog being judgemental when he runs from a different cat? How do you know when you are judging an event or person or are just descerning them. How do you know when your judgement is a sin? Is an opinion a judgement? I’m trying to live the beatitudes but am really hung up on this. Any advice? lkopteros

 

[Zahmir]

Is there a specific example you would like to share? I believe I know how you feel, but I’m sure it would be easier if you gave us something to work with.

 

[John-the-Seeker]

To judge something, I believe, is to set yourself up as knowledgeable and wise. By this you are placing yourself on the level of the Creator. Thus you judge not the person, place, event or self, but rather the Creator.
To learn and to react according to past experience is self preservation as per you dog cat example or naievity if you trust where trust is not appropriate.
For me to discern is to pray and listen. I know all people are very good, as the Bible tells us, but some things they do are very wrong. I try to give trust as I believe that you will find what you are looking for and that you do reap what you sow. I trust God to guide and protect me, as He has promised to.

 

[BM5]

You are a victim of condradiction.

 

[John-the-Seeker]

BM5:

You are a victim of condradiction.

There are no contradictions in God, only seeming contradictions.
Jesus has said,“I have told you to live simply, not simple mindedly.” This means pray and discern His Will. As the Father has said through a message received by a friend of mine,“How could I reward you if I gave you the ‘right’ answers?” We are told to ASK. This is short form of the advice and promises given as we were instructed to Ask, Seek and Knock.

 

[radhika]

In my case I have noticed being judgemental about others always originates from the ego. viz “so and so does this, I am not like that” for example. Or “why does so and so complain so much, I don’t.” In another thread I read that when we judge another person the Holy Spirit flies away from us, leaving us only in the flesh and thus very vulnerable to temptation. Judging others is never right because we have no idea why the other person behaves the way he/she does. We cannot know what his/her motivation is, or his/her feelings. It is always better to leave him accountable for his actions to God. I tell myself this when I find myself dislikg anther persons actions.

 

[Flopfoot]

If a cat scratches a dog’s nose and the dog then later runs from a different cat, well that’s just animals with instincts. However, you must remember that humans have free will and also that every human is an individual. If one girl cheats on you then that doesn’t mean that you should never again try to have a relationship with any girls who have a common characteristic with that girl, eg, same race, age, hair color etc. But then again, sometimes it only makes sense to make assumptions, and it’s important for your self preservation. Like if one blind truck driver almost runs you over, then it would make sense to avoid other blind truck drivers in future.

Judgment is mainly a problem when it causes you to be less charitable or whatever towards another person when they have done nothing to deserve this. But generally people will be understanding if you’re not very trusting because of past experiences, so long as you sort of explain yourself so that they don’t think that you’re just being unkind for the sake of being unkind. For example, once someone invited me to a protestant bible study group. I explained to them about how I’d been in one before and the people just tried to convert me and it drove me nuts, so I didn’t want to join protestant bible studies anymore. They were understanding about it and didn’t get mad or accuse me of being judgmental.

 

[Rejoice]

I’m not sure if this is what you mean, but I think you have to allow yourself to “judge” when someone is doing something objectively wrong such as lying or cursing but then not take it to the next level and judge the person. In other words, you know by God’s revelation and by the conscience He’s given you (which you have faithfully formed) that the action is sinful. However, you don’t know if it’s a mortal sin for that person because you don’t know anything else. You don’t know if this person found out five minutes ago that their spouse left them. You don’t know if they are aware that what they’re doing now is a sin. You don’t even know whether they might be possessed! You don’t know their mind and heart.

But God does. He takes all things into account and He judges. So I would say, don’t get down on yourself for noticing what is evil, what is wrong. And don’t transfer that awareness to the soul behind the action. That soul was created by and for God just as you and I have been. That soul may become a Saint. And we may go to hell if we don’t faithfully, lovingly submit to God’s infinite goodness and providence.

 

[Joan_M]

lkopteros:

I’m having a hard time realizing when I’m being judgemental vs self preserving vs discerning. I am trying not to be judgemental but find at times it’s impossible. I think at times people have to be a bit judgemental to protect themselves from pain. If a cat scratches a dog’s nose is that dog being judgemental when he runs from a different cat? How do you know when you are judging an event or person or are just descerning them. How do you know when your judgement is a sin? Is an opinion a judgement? I’m trying to live the beatitudes but am really hung up on this. Any advice? lkopteros

It is necessary that we judge - actions, not people.

We must exercise our judgement - otherwise how would we make decisions as to what we should do?

However, when it somes to others, although we may tell them that what they are doing is sinful, or that their opinion is mistaken, we cannot judge whether or not they will go to Hell. This is where we err.

Only God knows whether or not someone really is guilty of mortal sin, since even we sometimes do not know if we, ourselves, committed a mortal sin with either full knowledge or full consent. How then could we know for certain whether another person is guilty?

 

[Eileen_T]

A priest once told me that I am the most sinful person I know (he was talking to a group BTW), because I can only know what is in my own heart, not anyone elses.

Therefore I can’t know of any mitigating circumstances, that is why only God can judge a person, and even He leaves it until after the person has drawn his/her last breath.

Condemn sin, yes, but I remember a song I heard from Fr Stan Fortuna when he gave a talk on the Spiritual Works of Mercy, where it said “Love is Mercy’s second name…”

Spiritual Works of Mercy: Convert the sinner; Instruct the ignorant; Counsel the doubtful; Comfort the sorrowful; Bear wrongs patiently; Forgive injuries; Pray for the living and the dead

If we could do those we would all be saints like the Little Flower.

 

[gavin52]

We must judge actions. In fact, it’s our duty as Catholics to judge actions. What we must not do is judge the eternal destiny of a person.

For example, if someone contracepts we can judge their action as wrong and tell them why what they are doing it wrong. We can not say that what they are doing will land them in hell. We simply don’t know and it’s not our place to judge whether or not they will go to hell.