There are two things that the Mind of Modern Culture either fails or refuses to understand: the actual natures of Judgment and Forgiveness.
And so, I have taken it upon myself to debunk the rumors concerning them both. Contrary to popular belief, both—when used correctly—can be beneficial and even necessary to one's growth and maturity.
And, as always, I shall explain what I mean, and then you can come to your own conclusion as you see fit. Isn't freedom of thought amazing?
First off, I feel I should address how judgement should not manifest itself. If you are making an objective declaration about a person's character, once might say you have judged them. If a person stole a wallet, and I called them a "lowly thief", I have judged that person based upon one action that they have committed. In this way, defining a person by one action is judgment. Likewise, condemning a person based upon their actions is judgment.
So, why should we not judge others? Christianity and other world religions give that privilege to their respective deities. The right to judge others belongs to God alone. If you are irreligious, then you would not want to judge others simply because it is rude and frankly quite ignorant. Who can know the heart of another? Who are we to say we know enough about a person and their story to make judgement calls on them?
"Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way that you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you."—Matthew 7:1-2 (NASB)
In other words, if you don't judge others, then chances are that people won't judge you, and God will also not judge you for being condemning (which is technically a privilege that only God possesses, so by condemning others, you're stealing). It's common courtesy to be free of pretension, but unfortunately common sense is not so common. But I digress! Now that I have demonstrated what bad judgment looks like, what does good judgment look like?
Judgment as Discernment: How to Forgive
discernment
noun
The act of showing insight and understanding something
In other words, perception is a proper application of judgment. Seeing things for what they really are is good judgment. Exposing lies for what they are is an application of good judgment. Discernment is used by many philosophers (or simply by people who enjoy thinking) to search for and discover truths. In many ways, judgment is a necessary thing.
Forgiveness, for example. Judgment is necessary for forgiveness. So...what's forgiveness?
Forgiveness is what happens when you give up resentment. Forgiveness is what happens when you call off a debt. Forgiveness is an act of mercy. It is much more awesome than the Mind of Modern Culture thinks it is. If a person has a debt owed to you, you call it off. If a friend betrays your trust, you shake their hand and make an effort to restore that trust. If a person has wronged you, you do not hold it against them for the rest of their days.
So, why is judgment necessary for forgiveness?
Let's say you stole my wallet and took the money out of it. Naturally, I am going to want my wallet back, but let's say I don't care about the money. You return my wallet, but you keep the money, and you say, "I am sorry." If I answer you saying, "It's okay. You've done nothing wrong," then I have not forgiven you.
First off, I haven't forgiven you because my statement was false. You have done something wrong. You've stolen! I didn't use very good discernment, did I? Also, if I told you that you did nothing wrong, then I am basically telling you that it's okay for you to steal from me. In order for forgiveness to take place, a wrong has to be committed, acknowledged, and then amends can be made.
Now, let's say this time you've stolen my wallet and have taken the money. Now let's say you return both the wallet and the money, and say, "I'm sorry for stealing from you. This belongs to you." I can do two things at this point. I can accept the wallet and the money back from you and say, "I forgive you; do not do it again," or I can accept the wallet back but say, "I forgive you, but you keep the money. Just don't go stealing from anyone else."
So now my question for you is this: which scenario do you think best demonstrates forgiveness, and from which scenario would you be more likely to have learned something about forgiveness if you were the wallet-snatcher?
Well, there you have it: my explanations concerning the importance of judgment and forgiveness. Use them well!
