Ironically, in accusing us of judging the accuser is judging!
Moreover, the claim that Jesus and the Bible told us not ever to judge is wrong. We are clearly told to judge when it comes to wrongdoing.
That line from Matthew, for example, is cited out of context. The full passage reads:
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye." - Matthew 7: 1-5
Yes, Jesus warns us about judging, but it's when we have a "log" in our own eyes. The issue is hypocrisy, not judging. Notice that He says when you have the log our, then you can take the speck out of the other's eye - in other words, you can judge that there is a speck there, and you can do something about it.
Jesus also brings up judging another's actions in another passage in Matthew:
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
You judge that someone has done something wrong, you try to get him/her to correct it, privately at first, but if that fails, with others (witnesses, then the church as a whole). And if that fails, you separate yourself from that person.
In John, Jesus declares, "Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” (7: 24)
Again, Jesus clearly instruct us to "judge with right judgment."
St. Paul comments on the issue of judging in several instances. In 1 Corinthians he writes The spiritual man judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. (2: 15) a different translation renders this as The spiritual man judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. A different translation renders this line as: "The spiritual person, however, can judge everything."
Later in the same letter he declares: "I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with immoral men; not at all meaning the immoral of this world, or the greedy and robbers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But rather I wrote to you not to associate with any one who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of immorality[or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or robber—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. 'Drive out the wicked person from among you.'” (5: 10-13)
"... whom you are to judge." That's pretty clear that we are called to judge - and to kick them out if they do not repent. Paul tells us not to associate with a brother who is guilty of various sins - the only way to determine the person is doing immoral things is to "judge." This passage refers to those who are "brothers" - fellow Christians. That would include the vast majority of elected officials in this country who identify as Christians. So we can judge if a fellow Christian in government is acting in immoral ways or supporting immoral things.
Paul also says Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? (1 Corinthians 6: 2)
For those of us who are Catholics, the Catechism of the Catholic Church says:
"Conscience is a judgment of reason whereby the human person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act that he is going to perform, is in the process of performing, or has already completed. In all he says and does, man is obliged to follow faithfully what he knows to be just and right. It is by the judgment of his conscience that man perceives and recognizes the prescriptions of the divine law:
Conscience is a law of the mind; yet [Christians] would not grant that it is nothing more; I mean that it was not a dictate, nor conveyed the notion of responsibility, of duty, of a threat and a promise.... [Conscience] is a messenger of him, who, both in nature and in grace, speaks to us behind a veil, and teaches and rules us by his representatives. Conscience is the aboriginal Vicar of Christ." (CCC 1778).
"Conscience must be informed and moral judgment enlightened. A well-formed conscience is upright and truthful. It formulates its judgments according to reason, in conformity with the true good willed by the wisdom of the Creator. The education of conscience is indispensable for human beings who are subjected to negative influences and tempted by sin to prefer their own judgment and to reject authoritative teachings" (CCC 1783).
We have to be careful in judging. We can't know what is in a person's heart. But we can judge actions. Even if a person has good intentions, but does something wrong, we can still judge the action wrong.
As Christians, we have an obligation to do so when those wrong actions affect others.
"... whom you are to judge." That's pretty clear that we are called to judge - and to kick them out if they do not repent. Paul tells us not to associate with a brother who is guilty of various sins - the only way to determine the person is doing immoral things is to "judge." This passage refers to those who are "brothers" - fellow Christians. That would include the vast majority of elected officials in this country who identify as Christians. So we can judge if a fellow Christian in government is acting in immoral ways or supporting immoral things.
Paul also says Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? (1 Corinthians 6: 2)
For those of us who are Catholics, the Catechism of the Catholic Church says:
"Conscience is a judgment of reason whereby the human person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act that he is going to perform, is in the process of performing, or has already completed. In all he says and does, man is obliged to follow faithfully what he knows to be just and right. It is by the judgment of his conscience that man perceives and recognizes the prescriptions of the divine law:
Conscience is a law of the mind; yet [Christians] would not grant that it is nothing more; I mean that it was not a dictate, nor conveyed the notion of responsibility, of duty, of a threat and a promise.... [Conscience] is a messenger of him, who, both in nature and in grace, speaks to us behind a veil, and teaches and rules us by his representatives. Conscience is the aboriginal Vicar of Christ." (CCC 1778).
"Conscience must be informed and moral judgment enlightened. A well-formed conscience is upright and truthful. It formulates its judgments according to reason, in conformity with the true good willed by the wisdom of the Creator. The education of conscience is indispensable for human beings who are subjected to negative influences and tempted by sin to prefer their own judgment and to reject authoritative teachings" (CCC 1783).
We have to be careful in judging. We can't know what is in a person's heart. But we can judge actions. Even if a person has good intentions, but does something wrong, we can still judge the action wrong.
As Christians, we have an obligation to do so when those wrong actions affect others.
Pax et bonum
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