Cnkw3, I think it is important that we exercise caution when we judge another as being wrong. Jesus spoke of this when he said that we are not to judge others lest we too be judged. (Matthew, chapter 7) He also spoke of it as Dorothy Mae already mentioned about removing the spec in our own eye before removing the plank in another's (Matthew, Chapter 7). Scripture also tells us that we are not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought. (Romans 12:3)
Expressing a disagreement or different viewpoint is important for we want to get to the truth but when we allow our pride to take control we can run into trouble. Declaring another person wrong declares yourself to be right and it presents an arrogant position that can close doors rather than opening them. Are you absolutely sure you are right? For a long time Peter believed gentiles were not able to receive the Holy Spirit but he was proven otherwise. See Acts, chapter 10.
"I think it is important that we exercise caution when we judge another as being wrong."
I doubt anyone would disagree with that...or, at least, would not admit to disagreeing with that. But, if someone did disagree with it, should we not judge them as being wrong in their disagreement with it? Should we judge another as being wrong for their judging another as being wrong?
"He also spoke of it as Dorothy Mae already mentioned about removing the spec in our own eye before removing the plank in another's (Matthew, Chapter 7)."
What about someone who does not have a beam, plank, mote, speck, or log in his/her eye? (For instance, someone who has heeded Christ's counsel, and has thus
removed whatever beam, plank, mote, speck, or log he/she formerly had lodged in his/her eye.) Is he/she wrong to call attention to the beam, plank, mote, speck, or log in another's eye?
"Declaring another person wrong declares yourself to be right and it presents an arrogant position that can close doors rather than opening them."
Should both a person who teaches the earth is round, and a person who contradicts that by teaching that the earth is not round—should each of these persons be declared right in his/her respective teachings, and should neither of them be declared wrong in their respective teachings?
Is it possible to declare a person to have
"an arrogant position" without judging them to be wrong?
"Declaring another person wrong declares yourself to be right..."
But also, declaring another person wrong is usually to declare yet another person(s) (someone who is not yourself) to be right. For example, Joe, who teaches that the earth is round, declares that Fred is wrong in teaching that the earth is not round, and thus, in doing so, Joe is not only declaring himself to be right, but he is also declaring many other people besides himself to be right, since many other people agree with Joe that the earth is round, and that those who teach that the earth is not round are wrong. And, if far more people agree with Joe that the earth is round than agree with Fred that the earth is not round, then, for Joe to declare that Fred is wrong is for Joe to declare that far more people are right than are wrong.
"Scripture also tells us that we are not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought."
But, so far as I can tell, Scripture never tells us that for us to think someone else is wrong is for us to think more highly of ourselves than we ought. Am I wrong?
