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Have we gone too far with the judging?

Grazer

Grazer

Member
Been reading a blog by Rachel Held Evans and I found this statement very interesting;

We have become a Church that judges one another by how we judge one another

I think I see what she's getting at. I've often had comments and judgement passed my way because I don't judge a certain way. So have we taken judging too far?
 
Romans 14:4.

We are not to judge each other in Christ but we are to confront a fellow Christian that is in sin.
 
The problem I seem to see is that too often we interpret someone's confrontation with judgment. This is not always the case. Just because one Christian is raising concern about another does not mean he/she is being judgmental.
 
WIP said:
The problem I seem to see is that too often we interpret someone's confrontation with judgment. This is not always the case. Just because one Christian is raising concern about another does not mean he/she is being judgmental.
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And the goal of Church discipline is love and restoring to wholeness NOT punishment, shame and kicking people to the curb.
 
Hi Grazer. Just an observation you have been a little controversial lately with the Bible is a compost heap and quoting Buddha on prayer. I did a double take on the compost heap thing. Sorry if you were being judged but it might not have been personal just people reacting. I know people care about you and your walk with Christ.
 
Yes, it is a problem.

People are chased away rather than helped.

Maybe a case of self-righteousness.

Pharisees.


So talking about it as we do will help us to overcome that.
 
allenwynne said:
Yes, it is a problem.

People are chased away rather than helped.

Maybe a case of self-righteousness.

Pharisees.


So talking about it as we do will help us to overcome that.
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:thumbsup Spot on allenwynne.
 
We are not to judge anyone. Just love them.

As far as confronting them goes, the bible says to do that gently. However, in this day and time, if we do that and then we are told to mind our own business, then that is just what we need to do. Harassment can be against the law. Best thing to do is love them, pray for them and "kill them with kindness". Let Jesus work on them.
 
Cool. That's good stuff. I liked the part about how you prayed for your son. God does have a way of working things out.
 
Gordon said:
Hi Grazer. Just an observation you have been a little controversial lately with the Bible is a compost heap and quoting Buddha on prayer. I did a double take on the compost heap thing. Sorry if you were being judged but it might not have been personal just people reacting. I know people care about you and your walk with Christ.
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I won't lie, there are people here who have made it very obvious that they don't like me and I have walked away from this site more than once because of them. I was just sticking my head round to comment on a post I made and found this. I know what I put is not the norm but I don't see that as a bad thing. I'll probably elaborate in a blog at some point.
 
Edward said:
If you happen to be talking about me because I challenge you on some things that you say at times, please realize that the only reason that I do challenge you on them is because some of the things that you write do not ring the bell of truth for me, in my heart and mind.

I feel it is important to stand firm in the truth and to rely upon the scriptures 100% for our exegesis and quest for truth. If there are untruths written and allowed to stand then the naive and weak in faith could potentially be led astray in their search for knowledge about our Lord. I don't pretend to know it all but I take all of this very seriously because it is, as we know, a matter of life and death eternal. I am growing in the Lord, through daily searching of the scriptures and daily praying for wisdom and understanding. The Lord is blessing me in this way and I do in fact have at least a portion of the truth. When someone says something, we get and internal inclination of "ding" that is true...or not. Or, non-understanding of things that are over our head so to speak. In that case we seek more input through study.

I absolutely do not dislike you Grazer. You are no idiot, and many good words of truth have come from you here. I have backed you up when you have been questioned on truths you have spoken. I have questioned you on other things you have written which I know or feel that you are in error on. No one knows it all except our Lord. If I write something in error, I would hope to be corrected by others here who know better. I'm not perfect but try to keep emotionalism out of discussions, and stay in a state of brotherly Love while discussing. My apologies if I have inadvertently offended you at times.
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Disagreement I have no issues with but it got personal with some.

As for correcting in love, I was reading a booklet which looked at verses each day and applied them to everyday issues. One of days basically concluded "yes, correct with love, but you've got to earn the right to first"
 
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Grazer said:
Been reading a blog by Rachel Held Evans and I found this statement very interesting;

We have become a Church that judges one another by how we judge one another

I think I see what she's getting at. I've often had comments and judgement passed my way because I don't judge a certain way. So have we taken judging too far?
Click to expand...

I read that blog. She appears to be judging the Church for not welcoming her teachings that go against what they believe to be sound doctrine. I think she is wrong and stand with the group even if the group was Mormon or JW. (cults)

For me this is a "individual rights" issue. She want to push her agenda on people who don't want to hear it.

Here is the copy and paste. I am going to X out the particular doctrine in question because it really does not matter to me what doctrine is in question.

"Already I have been confronted with this as folks have sent me messages demanding to know where I “stand” on a variety of issues before they decide whether or not to even read the series, as if it’s a series about me and my beliefs. XXXXXXXXXXXXXX in particular has become a sort of blunt rock with which evangelicals draw lines in the sand to determine who is “in” and who is “out”—a classic case of the privileged using the marginalized for their own advancement and power. I’ve been warned by more people than I can count that if I don’t say just the right thing, if I don’t toe the party line when it comes to XXXXXXXXX, I could lose speaking engagements, book deals, readers, even fellowship with other believers. We have become a Church that judges one another by how we judge one another, and that makes me sad. "

-----------end quote

Notice how she judges the Church for using discernment. If this was a group of children I would call her out for being a bully.
 
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Grazer said:
Been reading a blog by Rachel Held Evans and I found this statement very interesting;

We have become a Church that judges one another by how we judge one another

I think I see what she's getting at. I've often had comments and judgement passed my way because I don't judge a certain way. So have we taken judging too far?
Click to expand...
Rachel Held-Evans joins you in questioning biblical truth. She doesn't believe Jonah spent three days in the belly of a whale [he didn't -- it was a fish], saying he would have been dissolved by the whatever's stomach acids and no oxygen could have gotten to the man. This is typical of those who deny the Bible. They don't bother to consider, probably because they can't conceive of a God who is able to provide for us in any circumstance, that the things He says He did, He did. In reality.

Held-Evans, unfortunately, represents the "new Christian" where it is all right to question the inerrancy of Scripture and denigrate the word of God and thus relegate it, probably unintentionally, to second-rate fiction. We as the older generation have failed in translating His perfect providence into practical proofs that He truly is able to do anything He says He can, and that the historical events recorded in the Bible are entirely within His purview. In fact, not only that, but He did them, just as they are recorded.

It is truly sad that young people today can't grasp of that kind of power, that kind of glory, found in a God who has no need of us, but chooses to give us the desire to relate to Him so He can express His love to us in as many ways as He can possibly manifest it.
 
thisnumbersdisconnected said:
Rachel Held-Evans joins you in questioning biblical truth. She doesn't believe Jonah spent three days in the belly of a whale [he didn't -- it was a fish], saying he would have been dissolved by the whatever's stomach acids and no oxygen could have gotten to the man. This is typical of those who deny the Bible. They don't bother to consider, probably because they can't conceive of a God who is able to provide for us in any circumstance, that the things He says He did, He did. In reality.

Held-Evans, unfortunately, represents the "new Christian" where it is all right to question the inerrancy of Scripture and denigrate the word of God and thus relegate it, probably unintentionally, to second-rate fiction. We as the older generation have failed in translating His perfect providence into practical proofs that He truly is able to do anything He says He can, and that the historical events recorded in the Bible are entirely within His purview. In fact, not only that, but He did them, just as they are recorded.

It is truly sad that young people today can't grasp of that kind of power, that kind of glory, found in a God who has no need of us, but chooses to give us the desire to relate to Him so He can express His love to us in as many ways as He can possibly manifest it.
Click to expand...

I think she's right to ask questions, questions should be asked, its how we learn or its how I learn. To say God did things as the bible says is a theological viewpoint and one I don't entirely agree with. We all have theological viewpoints and questioning yours is not the same as questioning the bible. These types of discussions have been found on since before the bible was even put together (the Arian Controversy being one example) God can express his love in an infinite number of ways.
 
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Grazer said:
I think she's right to ask questions, questions should be asked, its how we learn or its how I learn. To say God did things as the bible says is a theological viewpoint and one I don't entirely agree with. God can express his love in an infinite number of ways.
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Says who? What makes you think God is even a God of love?
 
Grazer said:
I think she's right to ask questions, questions should be asked, its how we learn or its how I learn. To say God did things as the bible says is a theological viewpoint and one I don't entirely agree with. We all have theological viewpoints and questioning yours is not the same as questioning the bible. These types of discussions have been found on since before the bible was even put together (the Arian Controversy being one example) God can express his love in an infinite number of ways.
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Hey Grazer, asking questions and discussing interpretation of scripture is one thing. But when one questions if God actually did what He says He did then when do you stop questioning what He says. If He lied about Jonah then we would have to question what else did He lie about. It puts in question our whole faith in the Scripture.
 
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