Some recent conversations on a friend’s Facebook wall has motivated me to write this:
Ah, judgment, what a conundrum you are indeed. People are so quick to use you, hate you, or ignore you. What people seem to always forget to do is understand you. So let’s start there. Wikipedia defines judgment in three categories: [The following list is paraphrased from Wikipedia]
- Psychology – quality of cognitive faculties; wisdom or discernment. For the purposes of this post, let’s just call this “internal decision making.”
- Legal – a conclusion, based on the weighing of evidence, of the legality/illegality of an action or event. Applying law, mandates, or statutes.
- Religious – the reward or punishment for each and/or all beings to be determined by God or other deity(ies).
Now… with a bit more clarity on the meanings of judgment, let’s dive into some analysis.
People are, sometimes to a fault, too quick to throw out the word judgment in both blame and defense. People are allowed to opine that they believe something may be wrong. Regardless of the origination of the belief, they are allowed to express it. That my friends is NOT judgment. Those that limit their assertion to the context of “something is wrong” have not judged. Judgment takes place only when they assert that there are consequences or rewards of an action. For both definitions [2] and [3], a conclusion is drawn based on law, be it a secular (non-religious) law, or a religious law. The breaking of or adherence to that law/those laws comes with either a reward or a punishment. That, my friends, is judgment.
Of course, because I am gay, and this particular topic is very much on my mind, I will use homosexuality and marriage equality in the following:
- For the person to tell me that being gay is wrong or that marriage equality should not be granted, I commend you on having a belief and sticking to it. Kudos! You are, and in my opinion, always should be allowed to express that opinion, and I welcome the discussion. To you, I express that I do not share your belief.
- For the person to give money to, vote for, or otherwise act in concert with, a group or campaign, advocating that marriage equality should not be granted, I am disappointed for you have now passed judgment. You have concluded that I should be punished, or a privilege revoked, for my actions.
- For the person to yell at me, condemn me, or otherwise act out negatively against me, you have judged me. You have concluded that you cannot afford me the same courtesy and compassion as a person that is not gay. Just say that you believe that I am wrong and move on.
- For a person that yells at, condemns, or otherwise acts negatively upon a religious group, you have judged them. You have concluded that they should not be afforded the same courtesy and compassion as a person that shares your belief. Just say that you believe they are wrong and move on. It is not judgment to say that you believe they are wrong. They have the right to believe as they see fit. Let them.
Where do we draw a line? It has always been, and shall always be, a very grey area within which this discussion will reside. I believe that judgment is necessary to maintain order and peace in the world, but it is the people of the world, based on clear and concise evidence of this world, to pass any judgment for those that live in this world. For any judgment that comes after life on this world, it is up to each individual to make sure things are right for that individual for whatever “post-worldly” life exists in their beliefs. Those beliefs can, and should be shared to those willing to listen, but crossing the line and forcing a belief on a group in any fashion, including legislation, is judgment and it is up to the law-makers and justices to make those conclusions. Further, it should be the obligation of those conclusion makers to limit the scope of their decisions to things that effect, or are otherwise pertinent, to the state of the living world. For the example of marriage equality, the mandate originated not from the people of the world but from the beliefs of a religion, and conclusions based on religion have historically caused some of the greatest tragedies in the world’s existence for those conclusions enable persecution, and unchecked persecution has always led to, and will always lead to, genocide.
It is important to note, now, that judgment works both ways. Many things in life are allowed with no checks and no rules. The absence of law for a majority of the things that we all take for granted is also a result of judgment. A conclusion maker somewhere, at some time, concluded that not all things should be regulated. That to some degree, people should be allowed to live free. This, too, is judgment.
Judgment begins at action, not expression. Freedom is limited to expression. If I were to sum up the best approach to any situation, I would say this:
Make sure that you apply definition [1] to everything you do, and let the appropriate parties take care of [2] and [3].
-=brett=-
