Why do we judge people?

[AlmaRedemptorisMater]

I wonder if those who presume ignorance on the part of the priest in order to avoid judging their actions are really doing themselves or the priests any good.

 

[fhansen]

“Let him who has no sin cast the first stone.”

Jesus

“Be strict with yourself, gentle towards others.” St Terese of Avila.

“I have a dream that we will judge others not by the colour of our skin, but by the content of our character.” Martin Luther King Jnr.

Here’s another:
"But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Jesus, Matt 9:13

I think it all begins with pride. The Church teaches that in some manner the fall of man resulted in a division between man and God, between man and his fellow man, between man and the rest of creation, and even between man and himself. James says we war against each other because we war within ourselves. Either way we’re always looking to be better than who we inherently are, often lacking appreciation for ourselves as God simply created us. This aligns with Aquinas 'view of pride and its role in man; pride is “inordinate self-love” according to StA.

While we may prefer ourselves to God as the catechism teaches that Adam did, we cannot possibly fill His shoes-it sets too high a standard-so we’ll often end up on the short end of whatever standard pride places on us at any given time. It’'s the cause of feelings of both superiority and inferiority in us-we want to feel superior but won’t always measure up-and comparing ourselves to others often stirs up feelings of inferiority as a result-and the ego is our own worst enemy because it cannot handle this, perceiving it as a threat to our worthiness. We want to crush our competition., a competition for absolute perfection-for self-deification truth be known-that’s how messed up the fall has made us even if we don’t recognize or admit to it.

Humility is the key but is too often in short supply in fallen man-it must become appreciated and sought after. We’re self-righteous is this fallen condition, not caring about God’s opinion so much as our own, carrying on the family tradition of coveting some elusive “more” out there without even giving God a chance, without heeding His voice. That’s what Adam did and that’s the state we’re born into, looking for happiness and satisfaction in all the wrong places until, hopefully, we exhaust that effort and in any case begin to look beyond this worlds offerings- to something Higher.

continued:

 

[fhansen]

continued:

So pride opposes and separates us from God and distorts our view of ourselves and each other as well. We’re here to learn to overcome this-to understand the whys and hows concerning the fact that God is God and we’re the creation-and why we need Him. We’re here to come to elevate God above ourselves along with all others which is the right and just order of things for man. Jesus came for this very reason, to reconcile man with God as He reveals Him and reconciles the truth within us so that our vital relationship or communion may begin to take place. It’s a constant struggle though from our side culminating, hopefully, in our being completely bound to God which is where our perfection lies. At that point we would love Him with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength and our neighbor as ourselves, making our justice complete.

I know the above is probably all too wordy and maybe too much info but I appreciate the teachings of the catechism here on this matter, so a few more words:

1731 Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility. By free will one shapes one’s own life. Human freedom is a force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness; it attains its perfection when directed toward God, our beatitude.

1732 As long as freedom has not bound itself definitively to its ultimate good which is God, there is the possibility of choosing between good and evil , and thus of growing in perfection or of failing and sinning. This freedom characterizes properly human acts. It is the basis of praise or blame, merit or reproach.

 

[Vico]

…

It is appropriate that acts be judged, but not persons.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

1861 … although we can judge that an act is in itself a grave offense, we must entrust judgment of persons to the justice and mercy of God.

 

[Norseman82]

At the same time, admonishing a sinner and instructing the ignorant are considered spiritrual works of mercy. I wonder how much of the “Don’t be judgmental!” outcry is just from people who don’t like being told they are objectively wrong.

 

[Norseman82]

Personally, what I wanted to say, was that I was quick to judge, where I should have been seeing through the eyes of Christ, embracing diversity (differences) as Christians.

???

Where did you get this idea from?