What does it mean to judge?

[apromisemade]

This is something I’ve been contemplating for a while. You hear the word thrown around quite a bit but seldom do I hear people talk about what it really means. Judging in the most technical sense of the word is not a bad thing, the law does it every day. But to judge in a morally reprehensible way, at least in my opinion, is to make an inference about who someone is as a person based off a single action, statement, or belief.

What do you think?

 

[Lief_Erikson]

When Jesus commands people not to judge, for otherwise they shall be judged, this does not refer to people in an official capacity who have a responsibility to judge. Nor does it condemn judging bad conduct- just look at the scathing remarks Jesus had for the Pharisees’ behavior! His followers follow His example at times in Scripture. What one is not to judge is people themselves. One can judge their sins wrong and try to help bring people out of those sins as gently and lovingly as one can, but one cannot judge the sinner him or herself.

 

[Carlan]

This is something I’ve been contemplating for a while. You hear the word thrown around quite a bit but seldom do I hear people talk about what it really means. Judging in the most technical sense of the word is not a bad thing, the law does it every day. But to judge in a morally reprehensible way, at least in my opinion, is to make an inference about who someone is as a person based off a single action, statement, or belief.

What do you think?

hello apromisemade, Scripture tells us judging sinful behavior is not wrong, however only God can judge the intentions of a persons heart… Carlan

 

[Michael1985]

When we judge someone we are saying we can see into their heart and know exactley why they did it.

A lot of Catholics get outraged when they see Catholics commiting sins, they assume a person is doiong it deliberatley. The person may not know it’s a sin, they may be trying to stop, there may be lots of things the on lookers don’t know.

We cannot know someones background, or why they act. I’ve seen many people who are condemned for their sins, yet some of these people have told me their life stories and some of them may be innocent or at least their culpability is greatly reduced.

We should always think someone acted out of the best motives not the worst. This does not mean we cannot say this act is sinful, it jsut means we can’t say you commited a sin.

 

[J.Denise]

Fr. Corapi says that the passage means that we can and should make judgements, the bible even tells us how to approach a sinner, however “thou shall not judge” means specifically that we cannot judge whether another is going to heaven or hell, that is God’s judgement, not ours.