Actually NO the Bible does NOT tell you not to judge others. But if ye judge, do so as how you yourself want to be judged. By their fruits shall ye know them. So we are to judge them by their fruits. If they lie, that’s one strike against them already.
Judge not lest you be judged.
Make sure you sins find you out.
If you go back to the book of Leviticus God does command to judge, but to judge while giving benefit of the doubt.
Lev. 19:15
“Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.”
And in the Christian’s New Testament it has this to say.
John 7:24
“Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.”
Judgement has two meanings in the Bible. The first is to condemn a person or group of persons, treating them as objects beneath us, thus justifying slaughter or other forms of persecution. Vengence is the Lord’s, so we need to quit trying to using it our selves. The other is a case of discernment, explaining to someone that a particular attitude or action is harmful to one’s self or others. Discernment is best used for other followers. For unbelievers? God loves them so much He gave his only son, Jesus Christ ... (that’s what we tell them)
Let’s ask Denish D’sousa.
Well, we are not supposed to judge non-Christians because (a) we are as much sinners as they are and (b) it is God’s love and message of forgiveness through Christ that draws the sinner to forgiveness.
Those that are Christians definitely can be judged by other Christians; in the case of the step-son sleeping with his mother (Galatians?) Paul recommends his expulsion from the church. Again this is the tough love required to push a back-sliding Christian back to God.
One way to take Christ’s words is that no one knows what is actually going on inside someone else’s heart and head. Also, no one knows what the final destiny of an evil doer may be after death. Only God knows that.
What we CAN judge is outward, obvious, factual evil. If someone murders somebody, we cannot completely know how deliberate it may have been, how intentional, how provoked or insane, and so forth. But we do know that murder is an evil act, and that it must be stopped and/or punished.
So, yes. For instance, abortion is ALWAYS evil, although some are more guilty than others; some act out of ignorance, some violate their consciences, and so forth. And as the discussion goes public, it has gotten harder for most people to pretend that they don’t know what abortion really is.
In all fairness, judgement should be left up to judges, who are competent to judge, as having the evidence before them.
For others to judge without evidence is unfair.
However, that being said, once judgement has been rendered by a competent judge, everyone may feel free to condemn, as that is *not* judgment, but acceptance of judgment.
The guilty often seek to evade justice, so they accuse those who condemn them as unfair judges. Before judgment has been rendered, this is true; afterwards it is not.
“I am not judging you. I am damning you, based on the judgment that you are guilty.”
OK. I won't buy the shirt or watch Ellen. Because by doing so I would judge her lifestyle as being acceptable.
If I am not supposed to judge something by condemning it, I also cannot judge it by condoning it.
Our judgment is supposed to be according to God’s Word.
Christians are to have discernment. We are told that we shall know a tree by its fruit.
Ultimately the Word of God judges.
And God does not expand or change His Word.
Just as God is not on our “side” (we are either on His side, or not), we should not judge others (Judgement is God’s role, or the role of a authority he allows here on earth).
But on the other hand, we are to be salt and light (i.e. be his witnesses here for his message).
This is an argument as old as Sodom when they asked why Lot should “judge” their behavior. Christians are commanded to judge others but to do so righteously. God places a very high store on integrity. One of the three things that God requires of us is to “do justice”.
Judgement is not forbidden, but there is a proper way to do it. There are certain judgments that a Christian should make about things they see in life. For example, I have to judge whether a certain movie or TV program is to be deemed as acceptable in my home.
Consider these passages that tell us about judging what we are being taught:
1 John 4:1
4 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
People also have to be told the truth about their sins. Recognition of our sins and repentance is what saves us:
Acts 2
36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
Look at these verses:
6 If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? 2 Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 4 Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? 5 I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 6 But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!
7 The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8 Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. 9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men[a] 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Here is something else that the church does not do for the most part:
Luke 18
15 “If your brother or sister[b] sins,go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
I don’t have to judge whether homosexuality is wrong any more than I have to judge whether murder is wrong. God said it is, that is all I need to know.
Judge fairly, judge wisely, judge compassionately,judge reasonably. Don’t be a fool, a martyr or a tyrant. Judge appropriately, judge realistically. Don’t lie down, walk forth, when appropriate tiptoe as not to intimidate and when necessary stomp violently upon that which threatens you. Judge all you do and judge others as you would judge yourself.
http://www.capalert.com/judgenot.htm
Judge not. aka “Don’t judge me because it will hurt my feelings. What I think is your judgment will make me feel bad and cause me to feel shame. And feeling shame will hurt my self esteem. yada yada yada.”
Yet obviously, it is not the judgment of another that makes one feel bad, it is one’s own self judgment over what another says that makes one feel bad. If one really has nothing to rue, one would not fret over the judgment of another.
If we are not to discern between good and evil whats the point of the Gospel’s teachings?
We had better be able to judge what’s good and what’s evil.
That one verse is used out of context, in an attempt to thwart any attempt at spiritual discernment. And thus condone anything and everything.
We are not to judge souls, just actions, which is why we will be surprised by some we see and some we won’t see in Heaven.
This article below is illuminating. Yes, we should judge just about everything. I have this book and it is full of simple (profound) insights. If we don’t judge and indeed prejudge, then we define deviancy down. Witness the fact that Obama has had an outright scumbag and misogynist in the White House. Yeah, his bro Jay-Z, he of the bitch and hoe genre. Hell yes, judge and discern to the max and never tolerate that which is evil.
http://www.newenglishreview.org/Rebecca_Bynum/The_Cult_of_Non-Judgmentalism/