I don't know if this is a product of turning old, but the older I get, the less judgmental I become. Maybe it’s a product of old age. As we age, we mellow, and an absolute black and white view of the world starts to gray around the edges. Things are not so clear-cut as they once were. Neither am I smart as I used to think I was. I must have become dumber as I have gotten older.
Of course, there is such a thing as being too non-judgmental. Some things need to be praised, while others deserve condemnation. Clearly, we can err two far in either direction.
That being said, why is it that we Christians, especially conservative, Bible-believing Christians, seem to lean in favor of judgment? I mean we seem to go out of our way to judge others. How is it that among those who are saved by Grace and rescued from hell only by the forgiveness of Christ, we still find ourselves judging others? Daily we reenact that parable about the man who was forgiven millions, yet could not forgive that pitiful amount owed him. More than that, we don't seem to stop there. We can't overlook the debts that are not even owed us. It seems to be enough for us to withhold fellowship and love from people who owe us nothing, but instead owe it do someone else.
This is a little vague I know, so let me get more specific. Let's say we read about some popular preacher has made some controversial statement that may mean he has changed his views on a controversial subject. This person is not of our denomination. Their ministry in no way affects ours. Yet we are compelled to correct him, and tell others not to listen to him. The statement might have been out of context. It might not be so bad as we thought. But why is it our business to find that out, or to correct them if they are not in our fellowship? It is not just a question of rushing to judgment--it is our compulsion to judge if we don't have to.
Or let's say that we hear an aquaintance might be cheating on his wife. Is his sin against us? Is it our business to know his business? Bill Gothard once famously said that gossip was telling something true or false about a person when we are neither part of the solution or part of the problem. If we are neither the solution or the problem, then why do we want to throw ourselves in the middle of someone else's business?
I know some people will say about this: "Don't we have an obligation to correct a straying brother?" "Shouldn't we be concerned that false doctrines or practices would creep into the church?" We do, of course. That is why we should go privately and talk with those who we think might be in moral trouble. But that's not what we do. That requires courage, and most of us don’t have it. Instead, we spread our views around to others, and never get around to talking directly to them. As far as the purity of the church is concerned, there does need to be clear teachings on some things. But it is, after all God's church and not ours. He is capable of defending it far better than we are. Our job is to instruct the flock under us, and not assume responsibility over people in other flocks. We do not have the wisdom to always tell what is good or bad, or right or wrong about another. Judgmentalism is a slippery slope. Saying that we must judge in one circumstance makes it easier for us judge the next time. Before we know it, we have assumed the position of judge over others whenever and about whatever we please.
Why do we need to judge? If God had wanted us to judge others, He would have given us the title and the authority. It is our flesh, not our spirit, that cries out for the power to judge others.
Moe about this later.
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