Judging Others

The image below is not a jab at Baptists. I was raised Baptist, got married in Central Baptist Church (Edmonton, Alberta), sent our oldest daughter to a Baptist college, where she met and married a young man who is a Minister at Baptist Church in America's heartland. 

I was prompted to write about this particular epigram when a friend of mine—an outspoken Christian—posted the above statement on her Facebook page. Her version wasn't a photo of a church sign, it was one of those virtual "posters" that has become popular on FB and Pinterest. The social-media practice of posting images-containing-words may have sprung in part from the frequently misspelled, misidentified, unattributed, or materially changed maxims popping up in earlier days. We now have websites filled with clever/provocative/inspiring memes in attractive layouts designed to be freely "shared." 

But wait—where are my manners? You might feel all warm and fuzzy reading the proverb above. You may have been wondering why anybody would challenge its message. If you were halfway out the door to join your local Baptist Church; if you're a Christian who just loves our increasingly tolerant (permissive?) culture; if you're pleased that what used to be called "sin" is now celebrated as a valid lifestyle choice—then you, gentle reader, are the person to whom this blog is addressed.

Lighten up, you say, isn't the statement just a rephrasing of Jesus' famous line in the Sermon on the Mount? Where's the harm in warning against judging others? Alright, let's stipulate that to the extent the statement is consonant with Jesus' words, it's useful. I can imagine this clever catchphrase reminding a Jesus follower to be more Christ-like. But to the extent that this mini-proverb differs from scripture, it's actually worse than useless. And let's not ignore the times in which we live. 

First, with just a few minutes of basic web-searching we learn that this quip was popularized online by self-described "Muslim Egyptian/Canadian Human; Ryerson Journalism Student; Spoken Word Poet; Speaker; Da'ya; Change Maker" named Amal Ahmed Albaz. The quote is from her Facebook page called "Albaz Poetry." If, like me, your first Red Flag was "Journalism Student," congratulations—you may close your textbook and go home early.

Most of her "I Am" list is pretty self-explanatory, except for "Da'ya." Do you know what an Egyptian da'ya is? A midwife. Do you know what an Egyptian midwife does to girls age 6-12? I'll wait while you look it up. Dum-de-dum-dum-dum. Are you back? Good. Armed with that knowledge, let's reflect on what Ms. Albaz might be aiming at in publishing her don't-judge-me statement in North America. What kind of "change maker" do you think she aims to be? (Hint: it rhymes with Maria.)

Second, while Ms. Albaz likely didn't originate this clever paraphrase, it blends perfectly into Oprah Winfrey's renowned Sentiment Stew—floating alongside un-Biblical tropes like you've-gotta-forgive-yourself. These messages have been seeping into the culture since the 1960s. I remember when the book "I'm OK, You're OK" ushered in Situational Ethics, by way of Transactional Analysis. I watched the culture rush from Free Love, to Transcendental Meditation, and on to No-Fault Divorce. These kinds of make-it-easy-on-yourself concepts infect the societal bloodstream and affect followers of Jesus. Consider: divorce rates among Christians are little different from the general population. We are instructed to be in-the-world, but-not-of-it. I don't suggest withdrawing like the Amish or the snake-handling Pentecostalists. But neither should we heedlessly allow the culture to fill up our kettle until, like the frog, we're destroyed by the toxic brew.

Third, while Jesus made it clear that being judgmental—condemning, slandering, gossiping, back-biting, envying—is evil, scripture says those of us who have the Holy Spirit within us "will judge the world." Further...

"...and if the world is to be judged by us, why would we feel incompetent to decide trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, issues pertaining to this life!" Turns out that St. Paul's first letter to the believers in Corinth urged them to judge disputes among fellow believers. Also from 1st Corinthians...

...do not "associate with anyone who calls himself a Christian who is sexually immoral, or greedy, or an idolater, or verbally abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person. What do I have to do with judging those outside? Are you not to judge those inside? But God will judge those outside. Remove the evil person from among you." So we see that believers in Christ are not only instructed to judge, but are given specific parameters. 

Look, everybody has to make judgment calls every day. Should I hang out with that group at work? Is this conversation fruitful? Is that person wasting my time? Parents evaluate their kids' friends—and their friends' families too. Most celebrities caught in compromising positions defend themselves by saying they exercised "poor judgment." Life demands making judgments—often about other people.

Yes, we're prone to having a log in one of our eyes—preventing us from speck-removal. 

But no, we're not to abandon judgement—we are to use it Biblically, and with humility.