Judgement?

whenever I encounter someone who for whatever reason has incited many to instantly say this person is "bad" or to make some sort of snap decision about that person's personal worth, my desire is to learn more about them. It's reasonably likely they've got something interesting to say, and if most of humanity can't see past the surface flaws and see the person inside, well they can miss out. Not that there aren't people who are unforgivable, we can all think of a few. If however either: This person has done nothing personal to you or the people who matter to you, OR you make a judgement before even trying to understand their motivations then the disservice is not just to them. The disservice is to yourself to miss out on a potentially great friend.

I hate to get preachy at this time of night, what with work/school tommorow, but this issue really spoke to me. Ironically it came out of a pop culture thing, but I've talked about this before. The main reason I wanted to write about it is actually part of my announcement, which is I am launching a new book project (Yay), that I hope to evolve into a complete and comprehensive philosophy manifesto, don't expect it quick or anything but I want everyone to know it is in the works. Two books in the works right now, I have launched both the book I just said something about and I still have the George Orion novel (for lack of a better name), and that also promises to be very cool. There are plans and plots for probably 10 other stories just laying in my head, I will develop them but many may never see the light of day, or may just become short stories.

Anyway, judgement. The biblical standard for judgement often proves to be the biggest breakdown failure in the christian movement. It's rarely said as bluntly as "You said judge not lest ye be judged, so why on earth are you carrying a sign that says God hates (insert target issue/group). How does that reconcile with your faith?" Well, having sat on both sides on that debate for over a decade I can say that it really doesn't. It is of course human nature to take up a cause merely to defend your own beliefs, and Christians are (sorry to break it to you) humans. I can hear the instant reaction "Noooo, Christians are human? But don't they follow a guy who no one has ever been able to discredit, and aren't they empowered by their God to rise above this fallen world? (heavy sarcastically you think this I would imagine.)" It may come as a shock, but yes going to church does not make you less mistake prone, or at least not on the percentage that we might want. And if it were to lower the amount of critical errors one makes, then the decrease in failure is offset by the fact that the world is just waiting to jump on your mistakes and say "See? He (or she) isn't all they are cracked up to be, they make mistakes." Which again brings us around to the topic of judgement. My personal belief is that God told us not to judge not to make things harder on us, but to make them easier. I find making value judgements about another human's personal soul to be a very exhausting and frustrating action. Personally I cannot group people into good and bad. In my world there are really just helpful people and people who get in the way. The challenge in telling which is which, and when I identify those that are hindering my progress to remove them in a peaceful way without anger. That's it for the moment.