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Perception of others

peter_saadpeter_saad
edited December 1969 in Faith Issues
I feel like most sin our lives (at least mine) is caused by other people. For example, you see a deacon from church in a bar talking to a prostitute. One of two things will automatically pop in my head. 1) This deacon is bad and shouldn't be here..or..2) He's a saint. He is talking to that prostitute about Christ, and bringing her closer to the church.

My question is this: Where do you draw the line about what you think this person is doing?

I know that the 'correct' answer is to not think anything about person, which I think is almost impossible.

I feel like we take the whole "do not judge" thing a little too far.

Comments

  • christ_rosechrist_rose
    Christ says in one time do not judge and in another says judge with righteousness. If I am at a point in my life where I am full of pride and in lack of the Love of God governing my every thought then i shouldn't even look at another person. When God's Love becomes my everything and the way i view every person around me changes to a loving state, if i look at another the judgement i make becomes for the persons benefit and even if i say nothing to them to correct them my prayer will do its part.  The sins in your life are not caused by anyone however their actions are used in influencing your own problems. Keep in mind there is also a fine line between judgement and rules. So for a deacon who is known to be living a life in church and outside and leading people away the priest and father of confession need to address it. Now that can be addressed in two ways. Depending on what God shows them to do, keep in mind i said god not what they think to do, but whatever God tells them to do they should do it. Meaning, they can really go hard on that person and lay down the line or show more love to the person and make them want to change by giving them Christ. Preferably the second option.

    Going back again to the judgment. Judgement is saying that the person is bad and going to hell. Bringing a person up ina  conversation leads to this very quickly so be careful. When you see a brother doing something wrong, judge the action by God's standard, pray for the person and ask God to forgive them, and pray for yourself that God grants you humility and strength not to fall into the same sin.

    Khristos Anesty
  • peter_saadpeter_saad
    Thank you!! That helps.
  • mabsootamabsoota
    so u r in a bar and u r looking at a prostitute?  :o
    ;)





    (for a serious response, the one above is great...)
  • RemnkemiRemnkemi
    mabsoota hit it on the nail. Both of you are sinning if you're in a bar with prostitutes.

    In the absence of additional information, we can only judge this way. Unless a deacon from church comes the authority of the bishop, he has no business going to bars to minister God's word. He is not Jesus Christ going to sinners homes for their salvation. St John the Short went to Paesa's house to save her from her adulterous life, ONLY under the blessing and direction of all the elders of Shiheet.

    There is no such thing as an emergency intervention. Such action only hurts the deacon from church.

    Now you're question was about judging in particular. Judging is not forbidden under all circumstances. It is judging without authority or justification that is the sin. It is consequence of wrongly judging that is dangerous. Even if I am justified to judge a deacon should not be in a bar talking to prostitutes, I will naturally have a negative effect. I will view him differently in church and possibly call him a hypocrite. Other negative consequences may occur that leads me to sin more. Now we're back to more sinning. We've entered a viscous circle.

    The only solution is neither go to places of questionable holiness AND don't judge without authority or justification.
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