"Judge not that ye be not judged." (Matthew 7:1)
The passage about judgement is often quoted. Some use the passage to persuade others to express Christian love and fellowship toward others. Some use the passage ironically to condemn those that they believe are guilty of judgement.
Regardless of the purpose, the use of the passage has increased in society over the past several decades. People are in generally more concerned with how people view one another than ever before.
I have had several individuals express particular concern over a certain demographic is treated. Many people are worried about the feelings of individuals that struggle with a particular problem, and are worried that they are frequently and wrongfully judged. Of course the group to which I am referring are those that struggle with smoking.
I know of people that are very kind, generous, God fearing, and virtuous, but that struggle with the terrible habit of smoking. Many of these people go out of their way to try to keep the odor of tobacco away from those of us who find it distasteful. These individuals can be sensitive to the disapproving looks of others. There are some of these who feel ostracized even when they are honestly putting forth effort to stop this expensive and unhealthy habit.
For members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, there is on top of the negative odor, a spiritual aspect to the the practice, as it is prohibited by divine commandments called the word of wisdom. For people in the LDS church, the smell of cigarettes is the smell of sinful behavior. There are some who find the look of disgust on the faces of others to be a sign of judgment. Of course, every person who gives such looks of disgust are themselves guilty of sins, even if they are not detectable by scent. A good Christian should not assume that more obvious sins are the same as more obvious condemnation.
On the other side of the coin is the person who is accused of being judgemental when in fact, they may be making no spiritual assessment at all. I have had close friendships with individuals who used cigarettes, but not even my friendship can remove the foul odor that lingers on the breath and clothing of those that smoke. My belief that smokers are good people can't remove the expression of repulsion from my face.
There are those that do not find the odor of cigarettes to be distasteful. In such a case, imagine an individual that has explosive diarrhea leaking out of their clothing... how should a Christian express love and a spirit of inclusion to such a person who is extremely repulsive? Even if the Christian is able to purge their thoughts of any judgmental thoughts such as that person should control them self better or that person is not appropriately caring for their bodies, what if they are unable to force a smile and give the sensation that the person who smells like an outhouse is truly welcome?
Back to the cigarettes, is a person being judgmental if they avoid coming into a home that is filled with smoke? Are they being judgmental if they avoid letting their children go to such a home because of concerns about second-hand smoke?
What is the right approach to tell someone that their behavior or status makes you uncomfortable without giving the impression that you are saying "with all the love in my heart, you're going to go to hell" ?
Christ spent his time among publicans and sinners, much to the disapproval of the Pharisees. Of course, when asked about his company, he responded as follows:
"And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Matthew 9:11-13)
From this passage we get the implication that he was not simply "hanging out" with people, but he was asking them to change their behavior, or to call sinners to repentance.
Additionally, Christ did not seem ashamed to tell people that they were wrong, or even worse off than others. Consider the following:
"... Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him." (Matthew 21:31-32)
Deriving appropriate behavior exclusively from Christ may be more challenging than it initially appears. Jesus Christ will actually be the judge of all people, and he will have all the appropriate knowledge and authority to accurately threaten people with hellfire and damnation. The rest of us are not always entitled to the same degree of perception. Perhaps this is the purpose that Christ emphasized loving neighbor as self, turning the other cheek, going the extra mile, and demonstrating discipleship through love.
That having been said, disciples are not to tolerate sin. Joshua's armies in the Old Testament were not successful against the people of Ai until Achan and all his household were killed and their remains burned because they had kept some of the spoils of Jericho. (Joshua 7) The spirit of forgiveness seemed lessened in the New Testament case of Ananias and Sapphira when they misrepresented their income and did not give as much of their substance to the apostles as they should have. (Acts 5)
Ultimately, the concept of judgment is complicated. Christians have an obligation to be benevolent and welcoming, but also an obligation to stand for truth and righteousness. I suggest that the exact way to act in every case cannot be boiled down to a formula. To one person or group it may be appropriate to say repent or be destroyed. To another it is appropriate to say God is merciful and he will forgive. An individual effort must be made to stand against wrongdoing, just as individual effort must be made to welcome, forgive, and express love to those that may be guilty of wrongdoing. In such efforts, following the conscience is the best way to determine the approach that expresses love toward fellow children of God and encourages repentance of unacceptable behavior.
In the end, God wants all people to love one another and to repent of wrongdoing. It is possible to hate the sin and love the sinner, because it is what he does. The message for the person who is quick to judgement is to be more loving. The message for the person who accepts any behavior to be inclusive is to stand up for what is right. The message for the person who feels upset because other people are judging them is to try not to take all reactions personally, and to try to follow their conscience in efforts to improve themselves. God does not judge so that he can condemn mankind to hell... he's trying to save us all.
