Everywhere I look, someone is passing judgment on someone else. Race, political orientation, sexual identity — there’s always one group pointing to another group, calling them out as less moral, less intelligent, or less deserved of a place on this Earth.
Loud angry deadbeats?
From the abrasive, intolerant rants I hear it would be easy to believe this red-hot hatred comes from directionless deadbeat derelicts with nothing better to do than attack people and sadistically feed off any defensive response they elicit. As it turns out, those with the loudest rants and most abrasive suggestions are people I usually regard as intelligent, trustworthy, and caring. The one common factor I see in all of them is a strong connection to their religious faith, which is the most surprising, counterintuitive element of all.
Forgetting forgiveness
You don’t have to be a Bible scholar to know a central tenet of most faiths revolves around universal, unconditional forgiveness. We’re always reminded that God sent his Son to die on the cross so our sins would be forgiven. I don’t think we really understand what forgiveness truly means, though.
We’re told it’s super important, beyond words, and that’s true. Understanding forgiveness is a lifelong, personal pursuit. One basic starting block we need to understand about God’s forgiveness, though, is the relief from burden it is supposed to provide.
A relief from burden
We’re all destined to sin, no matter how hard we try to be true. Sins are burdensome, and the sins of even the most saintly person would weigh them down so they might never ascend to levels God intended, much less reach heaven. There’s no questioning whether we’re all truly forgiven or not. Without unconditional forgiveness, our lives would become a burning cesspool we could never escape.
We’ve all been warned
Combine God’s forgiveness with “Thou shalt not judge,” and I think anyone judging others publicly is filthy with sin of their own. No matter what terrible sin you think you’re righteously exposing to the world, it doesn’t matter. God has forgiven all sins, so there’s no need to call anyone out.
If you tell me someone is bad for being lazy, I could tell you “So what? They are forgiven by God, and I have faith in God.”
If you tell me someone is evil for being homosexual, I’ll tell you “So what? If you choose to believe that’s a sin, you should also believe they are forgiven by God, and I have faith in God.”
If you tell me someone is lesser than me, I’ll tell you “We’re all created equal and judged by a higher power. Your opinion is selfish, unnecessary, and only valid in your own personal version of the Universe.”
The burden of judgment
Because we’re all forgiven, our public judgments against one another are irrelevant and sinful in themselves. Remember I said forgiveness involves a relief from burden? That’s because truly passing judgment is the heaviest burden of all. If you could pass judgment on a group of people and determine their fate as a result, would you do it? Would you pass judgment if the sentence were death? Indeed, if you force a group of people to conform to your version of right and wrong, you have indeed brought death to their spirits.
The power to judge is truly a burden I don’t think any of us are really prepared to wield. In the smaller realm of human society, we hire people to be judges in the courts, and hold them in high esteem. Why are judges (usually) deserved of such high praises? Because their trusted task of judgment is a heavy burden that weighs them down for life. Every time they do their job, someone is negatively affected by their judgment. Sure, the sentence is only valid in our terrestrial, societal realm — not in the larger context of God’s Universe — but it’s still a heavy burden that cannot be taken lightly.
Enjoy your forgiveness and live in peace
Show me you truly have faith in your God. Stop judging others publicly. Enjoy the relief from burden your God so selflessly provided. Focus your energy on bringing beauty and peace to our world.
Daily thoughts 
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