Judging Other Christians

[Lybrah]

The other day a pastor friend made a post on social media to his Christian friends, urging them to vote in the US midterms. He stated: Go out and vote if you care about fair treatment of women and their bodies, rights for sexual minorities...vote... Now, he listed other issues too, but the aforementioned two got me really annoyed. Is he pro-choice? Does he condone homosexuality/transgenderism? Why am I getting so annoyed at him? I used to be pro-choice myself. I don't want to judge on whether or not he is a true Christian. But in all other senses, he is a really godly person (aside from constantly making everything a race issue). I decided not to say anything to him. But I can't help feeling disappointed/annoyed at him, and then at myself for the judging. Should I say anything to him?

 

[rockytopva]

I used to have such chats with my old pastor and they never did any good.

 

[Albion]

I was just about to say that I cannot imagine it making any difference with him.

 

[RDKirk]

The other day a pastor friend made a post on social media to his Christian friends, urging them to vote in the US midterms. He stated: Go out and vote if you care about fair treatment of women and their bodies, rights for sexual minorities...vote... Now, he listed other issues too, but the aforementioned two got me really annoyed. Is he pro-choice? Does he condone homosexuality/transgenderism? Why am I getting so annoyed at him? I used to be pro-choice myself. I don't want to judge on whether or not he is a true Christian. But in all other senses, he is a really godly person (aside from constantly making everything a race issue). I decided not to say anything to him. But I can't help feeling disappointed/annoyed at him, and then at myself for the judging. Should I say anything to him?

So? Go out and vote according to what your conscience demands.

No, it's not up to you to judge whether he is a Christian.

If you are in the appropriate congregational office, it may be up to you to help determine whether he is harming the mission of the Body of Christ or harming another member, and if so, take rehabilitative actions according to Matthew 18 and 1 Corinthians 5.

But it's not up to you to judge whether he is a Christian.

 

[A_Thinker]

The other day a pastor friend made a post on social media to his Christian friends, urging them to vote in the US midterms. He stated: Go out and vote if you care about fair treatment of women and their bodies, rights for sexual minorities...vote... Now, he listed other issues too, but the aforementioned two got me really annoyed. Is he pro-choice? Does he condone homosexuality/transgenderism? Why am I getting so annoyed at him? I used to be pro-choice myself. I don't want to judge on whether or not he is a true Christian. But in all other senses, he is a really godly person (aside from constantly making everything a race issue). I decided not to say anything to him. But I can't help feeling disappointed/annoyed at him, and then at myself for the judging. Should I say anything to him?

Matthew 7

1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

 

[A_Thinker]

The other day a pastor friend made a post on social media to his Christian friends, urging them to vote in the US midterms. He stated: Go out and vote if you care about fair treatment of women and their bodies, rights for sexual minorities...vote... Now, he listed other issues too, but the aforementioned two got me really annoyed. Is he pro-choice? Does he condone homosexuality/transgenderism? Why am I getting so annoyed at him? I used to be pro-choice myself. I don't want to judge on whether or not he is a true Christian. But in all other senses, he is a really godly person (aside from constantly making everything a race issue). I decided not to say anything to him. But I can't help feeling disappointed/annoyed at him, and then at myself for the judging. Should I say anything to him?

You should realize that Christians have a wide disparity of opinions on political issues.

You seem to have a definite slant, ... but other Christians may see things differently.

 

[drjean]

Vote. I think it's good that he described some issues without disclosing his viewpoint. Ministers are just coming up for air regarding being allowed to voice their POV on political issues (some of which are not political but highjacked moral issues.)

Yes, you can judge anyone who claims to be a Christian. But why not discuss these issues with him in depth first?

 

[A_Thinker]

Yes, you can judge anyone who claims to be a Christian. But why not discuss these issues with him in depth first?

Why are you ignoring what Jesus has to say in Matthew 7 ?

1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

 

[drjean]

Why are you ignoring what Jesus has to say in Matthew 7 ?

1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Hi! I'm not ignoring it, I'm explaining it. It's not a commandment to not judge others, but indeed if we compare Scripture with Scripture we are told to try the spirits (discern, judge). It's probably the most mis-quoted verse in the whole Bible!

The verse warns those who judge others to be ready to be judged in like manner. So if we do 'call out' someone who pretends to be a Christian while their actions do not prove it, we need to be sure to have our own lives in order because we will also be looked at closely.

Jesus was rebuffing the Scribes and Pharisees.

[the difference between κρίνειν and καταδικάζειν is of the nature of a climax, the latter being the result of the former. Accordingly, the correct interpretation is this: Do not sit in judgment upon others; do not set yourselves up as judges of their faults (Matthew 7:3), meaning thereby an officious and self-righteous behaviour (the opposite of that prescribed in Galatians 6:1-5), that ye may not become obnoxious to judgment,]

Matthew 7:1 Commentaries: "Do not judge so that you will not be judged.

 

[Soyeong]

Why are you ignoring what Jesus has to say in Matthew 7 ?

1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Why are you ignoring what Jesus said in Matthew 7?

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

 

[ToBeLoved]

I personally unfollow any Christian that posts strongly about politics. I don’t feel the two mix at all

 

[A_Thinker]

Why are you ignoring what Jesus said in Matthew 7?

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

*This passage essentially says to recognize and avoid false teachers.

The OP was about a Christian JUDGING her friend.

The Matthew 7:1 text more specifically relates to this situation, IMHO ...

 

[Phil 1:21]

I used to have such chats with my old pastor and they never did any good.

Logical discussions with social justice warriors rarely bears any fruit.

 

[Soyeong]

*This passage essentially says to recognize and avoid false teachers.

The OP was about a Christian JUDGING her friend.

The Matthew 7:1 text more specifically relates to this situation, IMHO ...

We can't recognize someone by their fruits without judging. In Matthew 7:5, Jesus said to first take the log out of our own eye so that we can see clearly to take the speck out of our brother's eye, so the issue isn't that we shouldn't judge or take the speck out of our bother's eye, but that we should judge righteously and not hypocritical because the same standard that we use to judge others will be used to judge us. In other verses like John 7:24 we are instructed to judge righteously, in Galatians 6:1, we are told to gently restore those who are caught in sin, in 1 Corinthians 5:12, we are told to judge those inside the church who are sinning, and there are many other verses that can't be obeyed without judging.

 

[RDKirk]

Logical discussions with social justice warriors rarely bears any fruit.

That's true of ideologues of any shade.

 

[RDKirk]

We can't recognize someone by their fruits without judging. In Matthew 7:5, Jesus said to first take the log out of our own eye so that we can see clearly to take the speck out of our brother's eye, so the issue isn't that we shouldn't judge or take the speck out of our bother's eye, but that we should judge righteously and not hypocritical because the same standard that we use to judge others will be used to judge us. In other verses like John 7:24 we are instructed to judge righteously, in Galatians 6:1, we are told to gently restore those who are caught in sin, in 1 Corinthians 5:12, we are told to judge those inside the church who are sinning, and there are many other verses that can't be obeyed without judging.

The OP is talking about judging someone else's state of salvation.

 

[ValleyGal]

We can judge to evaluate; we may not judge to condemn - that is for those who claim to be believers.

For those who claim not to be believers, we are not to judge those outside the church. So if politics allows for pro-choice, then so be it, for those who are not believers. We are not to judge them by our Christian standards - that is God's job.

 

[Matthew 24 10]

We can judge to evaluate; we may not judge to condemn - that is for those who claim to be believers.

For those who claim not to be believers, we are not to judge those outside the church. So if politics allows for pro-choice, then so be it, for those who are not believers. We are not to judge them by our Christian standards - that is God's job.

Really ? I though that Paul said we shouldn't even eat at the same table with these Christians who apostate .

1 Corinthians 5:11 KJV

 

[dreadnought]

The other day a pastor friend made a post on social media to his Christian friends, urging them to vote in the US midterms. He stated: Go out and vote if you care about fair treatment of women and their bodies, rights for sexual minorities...vote... Now, he listed other issues too, but the aforementioned two got me really annoyed. Is he pro-choice? Does he condone homosexuality/transgenderism? Why am I getting so annoyed at him? I used to be pro-choice myself. I don't want to judge on whether or not he is a true Christian. But in all other senses, he is a really godly person (aside from constantly making everything a race issue). I decided not to say anything to him. But I can't help feeling disappointed/annoyed at him, and then at myself for the judging. Should I say anything to him?

It is sad that so many pastors have turned on the Lord and sought to please people instead, such as condoning homosexuality. The Lord is still in control, though.

 

[Lybrah]

Remember though, there are plenty of Christians who think that if you voted for Trump, you can't be a Christian.