Judgmentalism, mosquitoes, and termites, all have one thing in common. Despite all the problems they cause, God gave them to us to serve a useful purpose.
I recall a story I once read about a man who had suffered a catastrophic train accident. A piece of steel passed through his head, severing the portion of the brain where emotions originate from, the portion that houses the intellect. He fully recovered physically, but he became like the fictional Mr. Spock of Star Trek, a person with no emotions.
He could not respond when people showed love to him. He did not respond to the anger of others. He could not hold down a job. He could not make the simplest decisions, such as whether to wear a red or blue shirt. His ability to make decisions was entirely absent.
Judging and feeling are irrevocably linked. You can't have one without the other. If we feel, then we value. And if we have values, we also judge.
Jesus said "Judge not, in order that you not be judged. For with the judgment you judge others, you yourself will be judged." Jesus did not mean we should never judge, but that when we judge we should do it the way we would like it to be done to us. If we want others to judge us generously, we should judge them generously, too. If we would like others to butt out of our business, then we should stay out of theirs, too. The Golden Rule applies to judging, too.
Nevertheless, there are some times when we must judge. Sometimes our role in life puts us in the position of judging--such as when we are jurors, parents, administrators, or employers. Sometimes, we are called on to render our portion of a collective judgment---when we vote or serve on jury duty. Every soldier on a battlefield is called upon to judge whether the life of the enemy is more important than his own.
We try to judge fairly, but we are not always fair, nor should we be. There are times when we will be prejudiced. We are rightfully prejudiced in favor our spouses and children. No matter what we say, we can never be impartial towards those we love.
We judge constantly in the ordinary aspects of life. We choose one color of shirt over another. We choose roses instead of daisies, Fords over Chevies, a vacation by the beach instead of a vacation in the mountains. If we had no feelings in these matters, these choices would be impossible. If we have feelings in these matters, then we will judge according to those feelings.
The idea that we should never judge is simply wrong. It isn't that we judge, it's how we judge that matters.
So how do we judge?
1. We judge when it is our business to judge. We all have feelings about certain people and certain behaviors. We may not approve of homosexuality or adultery. I certainly do not. But when I encounter homosexuals or adulterers, no matter what my feelings may be regarding their behavior do not matter. They are not mine to judge. God is the one who will judge them, not I. I must put my feelings towards their behavior aside and treat them simply as human beings.
2. We judge when we have all the facts. The kinds of judgments that cause the most mischief are those that are made quickly and in ignorance of the whole truth. Suppose, for example, we know a woman who has moved out on her husband. The husband appeals to our sympathy, saying the marriage bond is forever, and she was in sin. What we may not know is that he has been physically and emotionally abusing her for years. Until we actually know both sides, we should not judge.
3. When we must judge, we should to is with leniency and generosity. With the judgment we give others, we will be judged.
Imagine there is a future society where all cases in court were tried, not before a judge or jury, but by a supercomputer. The computer would digest all the evidence of a crime, calculate probabilities, and draw a conclusion of guilt or innocence. We would still need judges to decide upon appropriate sentence. That is because judges exist to grant leniency, not punishment. Every criminal could receive the maximum sentence, but it is up to the judge to decide whether that sentence should be lightened due to other circumstances.
Our judgment, too ought to be about mercy, not punishment. We could ostracize a friend for doing us harm, but we do not have to. We can choose to forgive. We can believe that a casual comment was sarcastic or cutting, or we could take it as face value, and give the person the benefit of a doubt. Any fool can take offense--it takes a wise man to forgive. If we have the intellect to accurately judge the offenses to others, then we ought to have the good sense to overlook them unless it is absolutely imperative that we do so.
We cannot help but judge. It is part of our emotional nature to do so. But do we have the good sense to leave off judging the servants of another, and mind our own business? Let's attend to our own personal courtrooms, and leave the rest to God.
Showing posts with label generosity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label generosity. Show all posts
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
On Being Judgmental, Part 1
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
What is a "Radical Moderate?"
The term “radical moderate” may sound like a contradiction of terms, but it is very intentional. For too long, our denominational discourse has been driven by arrogance, extremism, and ugly, judgmental attitudes on both sides. Some people will not be happy unless they have a crusade to fight.
Loving and respecting one another is not just a good idea—it is a divine command. Without love, the visible church is an unmitigated failure.
Before we begin, let’s define some terms. By “moderate” I do not mean what might be called moderate in the broader community, but as it is within the doctrines and principles of conervative Reformed Protestant Christianity. I take for granted that most of my readers agree with those principles. These principles include:
• Orthodox Christian doctrines as set down in the Apostles and Nicene Creeds. Including the deity of Christ, the Trinity, salvation by grace alone, and the necessity of belief for salvation, and so forth.
• The inerrancy of the Bible in its original autographs. It is our only guide to faith and practice, and constitutes the basis for anything we say or do.
• Calvinist, Presbyterian, Reformed beliefs as set down in the Westminster Confession and the Catechisms. These are not by any means infallible, but they do constitute the best (but not perfect) expression of Biblical theology and understanding.
• Personal conversion and evangelism as the primary means of promoting God’s kingdom in the world. Salvation comes through having faith in Jesus as one’s personal Lord and Savior, not by good works, ecclesiastical ritual, or anything else.
Even for those who affirm these statements, there is still plenty of room for disagreement. We are a diverse group of believers who worship in different ways, speak different languages, and differ on a great many issues. The purity of the church demands that we hold to the essentials, but love requires that we not draw the circle of fellowship any smaller than it actually is.
We are not all the same. We are traditional and contemporary; Republican and Democrat; white and black; male and female; old and young; Scottish, Hispanic, Korean, African, Pakistani and Chinese. We are not defined by ethnic or sociological similarities, nor do we all share the same history. But we all have a right to be heard with respect.
For that reason I would suggest we add one more to the list of eternal truths above—tolerance.
Tolerance is not agreement, nor is it endorsement. It is just good manners—a commitment to treat each other as we would want to be treated. That means not exaggerating the differences between us, not engaging in combative hyperbole, and allowing others the freedom of their own conscience. Too often tolerance has been confused with wimpiness. It is anything but. Peacemakers have been historically the first to get shot. The image that best describes the moderate to me is that of Samson—as we push against both sides, we often have the roof fall on our heads. I wish that were not so, but sometimes that is the only way to bring down temples of prejudice and pride.
This blog is my way of helping to promote this peace. I am hoping that others will contribute to this blog as well. At the bottom of this post I have put a list of subjects I would be particularly interested in having others write. However, no post will be accepted that does not coincide with these values:
1. No cause is more valuable than the people involved.
2. We will discuss anything, as long as we discuss it with mutual love, respect and civility.
3. We will not question the morals or motivations of others,
4. We will not engage in name-calling, marginalizing, or labeling.
5. We will not engage in personal attacks, or denigrate those who disagree.
6. We will seek to encourage the peace and prosperity as well as the purity of the church
7. We will not put down other denominations, but will build up the whole Body of Christ.
So with that in mind, I seek your help. I am looking for people who will help by contributing to this blog. I also solicit your readership, your comments, your contributions, and your prayers.
Loving and respecting one another is not just a good idea—it is a divine command. Without love, the visible church is an unmitigated failure.
Before we begin, let’s define some terms. By “moderate” I do not mean what might be called moderate in the broader community, but as it is within the doctrines and principles of conervative Reformed Protestant Christianity. I take for granted that most of my readers agree with those principles. These principles include:
• Orthodox Christian doctrines as set down in the Apostles and Nicene Creeds. Including the deity of Christ, the Trinity, salvation by grace alone, and the necessity of belief for salvation, and so forth.
• The inerrancy of the Bible in its original autographs. It is our only guide to faith and practice, and constitutes the basis for anything we say or do.
• Calvinist, Presbyterian, Reformed beliefs as set down in the Westminster Confession and the Catechisms. These are not by any means infallible, but they do constitute the best (but not perfect) expression of Biblical theology and understanding.
• Personal conversion and evangelism as the primary means of promoting God’s kingdom in the world. Salvation comes through having faith in Jesus as one’s personal Lord and Savior, not by good works, ecclesiastical ritual, or anything else.
Even for those who affirm these statements, there is still plenty of room for disagreement. We are a diverse group of believers who worship in different ways, speak different languages, and differ on a great many issues. The purity of the church demands that we hold to the essentials, but love requires that we not draw the circle of fellowship any smaller than it actually is.
We are not all the same. We are traditional and contemporary; Republican and Democrat; white and black; male and female; old and young; Scottish, Hispanic, Korean, African, Pakistani and Chinese. We are not defined by ethnic or sociological similarities, nor do we all share the same history. But we all have a right to be heard with respect.
For that reason I would suggest we add one more to the list of eternal truths above—tolerance.
Tolerance is not agreement, nor is it endorsement. It is just good manners—a commitment to treat each other as we would want to be treated. That means not exaggerating the differences between us, not engaging in combative hyperbole, and allowing others the freedom of their own conscience. Too often tolerance has been confused with wimpiness. It is anything but. Peacemakers have been historically the first to get shot. The image that best describes the moderate to me is that of Samson—as we push against both sides, we often have the roof fall on our heads. I wish that were not so, but sometimes that is the only way to bring down temples of prejudice and pride.
This blog is my way of helping to promote this peace. I am hoping that others will contribute to this blog as well. At the bottom of this post I have put a list of subjects I would be particularly interested in having others write. However, no post will be accepted that does not coincide with these values:
1. No cause is more valuable than the people involved.
2. We will discuss anything, as long as we discuss it with mutual love, respect and civility.
3. We will not question the morals or motivations of others,
4. We will not engage in name-calling, marginalizing, or labeling.
5. We will not engage in personal attacks, or denigrate those who disagree.
6. We will seek to encourage the peace and prosperity as well as the purity of the church
7. We will not put down other denominations, but will build up the whole Body of Christ.
So with that in mind, I seek your help. I am looking for people who will help by contributing to this blog. I also solicit your readership, your comments, your contributions, and your prayers.
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