Comments on: Getting Ready for the Judgment Day

By: Guest

Guest — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 15:48:11 +0000

Mary,

If you meant to convey that Christ has delegated His authority to us, then why did you write that the ability belongs to Christ alone?

By: Guest

Guest — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 12:11:11 +0000

For the past couple of days, I've been thinking and praying about this column and the reactions to "The right and ability to judge people's motives and actions belongs to Christ alone." Since researching, writing, and revising each Bible Talk column takes several days, the last thing I want to do is bring you incorrect information! That assessment bothered me greatly, so I've been tempted to recant or just hush, but I have to stand by my original statement -- the truth of which hinges on Christ and the word "belongs." i.e., We do not own the right or ability to judge. Christ does. But because we're his people, he gives us his right, his ability to judge as appropriate. He delegates his authority to us. But, judging from your comments (pun intended), I can see that the topic of judgment concerns many of you a lot. That was not at all the focus of this particular Bible Talk, which was written to assure Christians they have nothing to fear on Judgment Day, but Lord willing, the next Bible Talk will take a close look at what the Bible says about the Christ-delegated responsibility of judging others and ourselves.

By: Guest

Guest — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 04:27:11 +0000

Well said, PTR! This distinction is so important. I feel like so often in my life I encounter people from opposite ends of the spectrum: people like my mother, who are really into moral relativism and feel that you should never judge actions, and then people who are very judgmental toward other people as defined by their actions, rather than judging the actions themselves and not the person's moral state.

By: Guest

Guest — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 03:45:11 +0000

Thank you, PTR, for the best balance in the comments so far.

To RobertKH, terhunej, and bekeebler: I think the Scripture you're looking for is Matthew 7:17, or perhaps John 15:2 (see context of each). Jesus tells his followers--and us--not only to "judge" the fruit of another's life, but to actively look for it in order to know whether or not what the person says is worthy of belief. Someone said (and I like it): It's a sin to judge one another, but we are called to be "fruit inspectors"!

By: Guest

Guest — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:05:11 +0000

I agree with terhunej.

There is a huge tendency not to distinguish between the person and the action. We frequently see this applied to people who struggle with homosexual desires -- we just call them homosexuals.

Sinful actions can and must be judged as wrong. Persons must be must be loved and given the dignity due to the image and likeness of Almighty God.

It is not our sin that defines us as persons; it is our image and likeness that defines us as persons.

By: Guest

Guest — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 22:45:10 +0000

Mary

I appreciate you clarifying your intent but I still suggest you take the "and actions" phrase out of that sentence as it leaves the false understanding wide open when it is included. Unfortunately many I know, myself obviously included, have people tell us that we cannot judge at all, and that is patently FALSE and contrary to the Gospel as the Church Teaches it. Your comments about Jesus are exact but do not support your leaving the phrase in the sentence. What was the answer to "Who is your neighbor?" It is "everyone", to include those we despise as the Jews despised Samaratans, not just immediate family and friends as your "responsible for someone's moral growth" implies.

I do not intend to be picky, just accurate. It is a critical difference.

By: Guest

Guest — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 22:02:10 +0000

Thank you all for reading Bible Talk and for seeking God's word and God's will. RobertKH beautifully summarized my intent as did the quoted portion of the Catechism, so I hope you'll read the article again to get the full gist. Thanks. Meanwhile, I'm sorry if my choice of wording caused any concern or confusion. In hope of clarifying, perhaps I should add: Of course, we can judge actions, and we should certainly do so at appropriate times, such as when we're responsible for someone's moral growth. However, even non-Christians may understand the need for good behavior, so the point I attempted to make concerns our need to rely on Christ as we "judge." By being spiritually aware that "The right and ability to judge people's motives and actions belongs to Christ alone" and not anything we earned of our own merit, we're less apt to fall into the fallacy often associated with the privilege of judging -- i.e., being judgmental. Instead, our emphasis ever recalls that only Jesus remained perfect during his stay on earth, and only Jesus Christ can save us or anyone else from sin. Only Jesus Christ can redeem, forgive, and make us wholly holy before God. That's the Gospel. That's the Good News.

By: Guest

Guest — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 18:56:10 +0000

I may be reading it wrong too. Have to say, all through the new testament examples are given us of immoral people and to avoid that immoral behavior. Not to avoid the person or to judge the person but it is clear throughout the new testament that the behavior should be determined by us to be right or wrong (judged). Judgment is exacted by the Church (1Corinthians 5:"Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person") if they are in communion with the Church and are practicing immoral behavior, are confronted and still will not repent.

We have to speak the truth about the saving Grace of Christ, that those lost can repent of their sins... the Good News. Can we do that without telling those who are in sin what the sin is (many do not even know they are in sin)... without judging the actions of a person? We have to judge the actions of a person to bring about the Truth of the light of Christ's forgiveness. Christ did this, the disciples did this and they told us as Christians (His Church) to do this. We do not judge the person, only God in His infinite Wisdom can do that, but we are expected to judge the actions. (James 5:20 you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner's soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.)

By: Guest

Guest — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 16:11:10 +0000

I may be reading it wrong, but Mary is incorrect to say in the closing paragraph that we are not to judge people's "actions".

It is absolutely correct to say that we are not to judge the state of a soul or a motive, but we are just as absolutely required to judge the rightness and wrongness of actions in themselves. Don't fall into the dangerous trap of believing otherwise - if that were so we would profess that there either is no Truth or moral standard, or that we have no obligation to spread the Truth. Christ has clearly told us He is the Way the Truth and the Life and that we are to spread that Good News.

By: Guest

Guest — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 14:20:10 +0000

We could spend a lifetime discussing this subject and still just scratch the surface. Thank you for your insight. The only person we should make any judgements on is ourselves. Just prior to sacramental confession and preferrably daily before we go to sleep.

Judging others can be the result of giving in to all of the seven deadly sins.