condeming

[traviscatholic12]

I went back to my old youth group, with some of my friends. And I noticed, how condeming they are. They just put people down like no tommorow. I mean, who died and made them the final judge? And it wasn't the youth pastor, no he's really nice, but the other people are just so judgemental. I always thought, " judge lest you not be judged." And it just made me angry. I'm thinking, we're all in the same boat people, " all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." I try my hardest to not judge, for only God can pass judgement. I vented, I feel better now.

 

[Benedicta00]

I went back to my old youth group, with some of my friends. And I noticed, how condeming they are. They just put people down like no tommorow. I mean, who died and made them the final judge? And it wasn't the youth pastor, no he's really nice, but the other people are just so judgemental. I always thought, " judge lest you not be judged." And it just made me angry. I'm thinking, we're all in the same boat people, " all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." I try my hardest to not judge, for only God can pass judgement. I vented, I feel better now.

If it makes you feel better, we can judge a person’s acts if they are good or bad- Jesus said by their fruits we will know them- that is to judge but what we can do is judge their intent- what is in their heart.

 

[traviscatholic12]

If it makes you feel better, we can judge a person’s acts if they are good or bad- Jesus said by their fruits we will know them- that is to judge but what we can do is judge their intent- what is in their heart.

It's not like their just saying, what people do is wrong, they just look down their nose at other people like they are somehow better than them. And that is my biggest pet peeve, when people think they're better than other people. And the perfect example of this is this girl who sat next to me. We were talking about sex at youth group, so of course we got to prom. And we talked about how some people check out hotel rooms after proms with their friends and such. And this girl sitting next to me says, this is an exact quote, " Yeah, some people like to check out hotel rooms after prom, none of the decent people do that." Like, who does she think she is? Who is she to decide who is decent or not? Who died and made her grand ruler and judge of all mankind? And then they promoted the idea of shutting out atheists of your life. Are we not supposed to love everyone? Did Jesus not sit with sinners? We are not supposed to shun anyone.

 

[tjboie2001]

People shouldn't judge other people. And they shouldn't put people down either. Well anyway Jesus is the only one that should judge us not other people.

 

[Rising_Suns]

It's not like their just saying, what people do is wrong, they just look down their nose at other people like they are somehow better than them. And that is my biggest pet peeve, when people think they're better than other people. And the perfect example of this is this girl who sat next to me. We were talking about sex at youth group, so of course we got to prom. And we talked about how some people check out hotel rooms after proms with their friends and such. And this girl sitting next to me says, this is an exact quote, " Yeah, some people like to check out hotel rooms after prom, none of the decent people do that." Like, who does she think she is? Who is she to decide who is decent or not? Who died and made her grand ruler and judge of all mankind? And then they promoted the idea of shutting out atheists of your life. Are we not supposed to love everyone? Did Jesus not sit with sinners? We are not supposed to shun anyone.

Welcome to the world of pride. This is a simple fact of human nature that not even the devote are totally exempt from at times. People will always judge others; this is just something that we will always exeprience in this life.

Ultimately, our focus should not be on, as Jesus said, pointing the splinter in the eyes of others, but rather, focussing on the wooden plank in our own eye. This includes you. You should draw your focus inwards, towards yourself, seeking humility and worrying only about your walk with Christ and how you are living. Jesus Himself said to be at peace with the world if it is in your capacity to do so; always keep your focus on God.

I know how difficult it is to love such people who judge like that. Pray that you grow in Christ to a point where you truly begin caring for the salvation of their souls. Perhaps then you could channel your negative energy to something good and speak up and say something about their behavoir next time.

May the Lord give you His peace!

-Davide

 

[Ann M]

Let's be honest folks. Put any group of young committed Christians together and the 'Better than thou" attitude often comes blazing like a bonfire on Guy Fawkes night. We teach our kids that we are God's children, the chosen ones, the one's who'll be saved and go to heaven, and often we'll teach them what is wrong & evil with the world. Many of them grow up believing that they ARE better than most of their peers. It is only through growth and maturity that we start to realise that the world is not black & white, but that there are shades of grey.

Actually this reminds me of a passage that I read in a book by David Eddings. One of his characters was described as a deeply religious man, who had come to understand that he was the perfect man, and so he decided he no longer needed to listen to the sermons of the clergy or to go to Church every week especially since they wouldn't let him stand up 'out' his fellow worshippers for all the sins he had seen them commit during the week whilst he was spying and eavesdropping on them and for the ones he imagined they were committing.


It made me sit up and think as it's a line we can cross to easy.

 

[Benedicta00]

I heard from a priest explain this is what Mother Theresa called this "understanding love." Love is not over looking the bad but it is seeing the bad in our neighbor and loving them as Mother Theresa said “recognizing the face of Jesus in his distressing disguise”, this is what turn the other cheek means.

No renting hotel rooms isn't a decent thing to do but seeing someone with their sin knowing the sin offend God should not make us angry but it should move us with compassion and desire their salvation, like it did Jesus did.

Cutting your self off from poor sinners isn’t going to save them, that isn’t the love that saves. Jesus said to love as he loves, that kind of love evangelizes people.

Your youth group must be Calvinist type Baptist?

Be careful you don’t make the same mistake- your group is in error about many things and need compassion and prayer, they know not what they do, you to should, turn the other cheek.

 

[Markh]

I think that although it is bad for people to judge others, young Orthodox Catholics should be aware that their actions and the moral code they follow in being devout Catholics make them special.

I would rather a group of Catholics looked down on someone who was sleeping around than for them to condone it and say it was ok, because I know that God will lead those people, perhaps slowly to understand how they should not judge people but for the time being while they are fighting the tidal waves of secularism and materialism, sometimes it is inevitable that they will break the commandments of not judging one another.

But as I have said, in itself this seems to me less worse than condoning a bad action but still not as good as despising the action but loving the person.

 

[Seek Ye First]

This is something I posted last week, I thought it was relevant to your post.

A friend of mine introduced me to a friend of his about a year ago, when I first met the guy I thought he came across quite arrogant and boastful and on a few occasions when I met him again I experienced the same thing, so I decided I would ignore him, It came to the point whenever I met him in town or where ever, we would both ignore eachother, It was obvious we disliked oneanother, but for what, I mean it was stupid. Anyway today I walked into my Local swimming pool, into the changing rooms, and there he was, just him nobody else, I have to say it was a bit awkward but I decided to make amends, I walked over and held my hand out, He shook my hand appreciativly, almost with relief and explained to me how much he thought I hated him and how much he just wanted to be friends, well I will tell you I just felt really guilty and I thank God that I met him like I did today.
From this I learnt not to be too quick to assume that your enemy is a bad person just because he is your enemy. Perhaps he is your enemy cause he thinks your a bad person. Or perhaps he is afraid of you because he feels that your afraid of him. And perhaps if he believed that you were capable of loving him he would no longer be your enemy.
Dont be too quick to assume that your enemy is a enemy of God just because he is your enemy. Perhaps he is your enemy precisely because he can find nothing in you that gives glory to God. Perhaps he fears you because he can find nothing in you of God's love and God's kindness and God's patience and mercy and understanding.
Do not be too quick to condem one another , For it is perhaps our own coldness and avarice, our mediocrity and materialism our sensuality and selfishness that blanks out the will of Gods love and the will of Gods mercy.