See I don't think it's about helping him at all. I think we all want to feel superior to SOMEBODY. Liberals are not allowed to be racist or prejudiced, but SMOKERS.... that's different. They deserve it. I'm better and smarter and healthier than a smoker. Smokers deserve our public derision and judgment.
My sister experiences something similar as a skin cancer patient. She lives in Southern California, often has to take a bus, and it's very difficult for her to stay out of the sun. She can't always (nor can she always afford to, as she lives on Social Security) constantly be slathering on sunscreen. So everytime she ends up back at the clinic with another spot, she gets scolded and reprimanded and lectured about sunscreen. Really? She has SKIN CANCER! Do these people think she never heard of sunscreen? They don't care about her. They just want to feel superior.
So who is the sinner to whom you feel superior?
Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgement on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things. Romans 2:1
Interesting way to look at this. Somehow, when I was growing up, I got the idea that certain conditions were our fault, ie, really wrinkly people must have caused this themselves, etc. Now I'm sort of old and I realize that we all have our foibles and weaknesses and genetics.
ReplyDelete[NOTE: right now on TV there's a famous doc telling about all the things one can do to preserve one's own self in better health. The corollary is that if we don't do these things, then we are causing problems, right?]
As for smokers: The old people got hooked back when it was advertised by doctors, for heaven's sake. And have any of the critics tried to kick their own bad habits? Maybe they need to kick the habit of being self-righteous.
Who do I feel superior to? Well, that is between me and God. It is the one sin that I confess over and over during the silent time for confession during church services.
I am interested in the verse you quote because I've seen so much judging on some blogs of pastors in the denomination named after the Great Reformer plus a state two south of our state. I have commented about this, asking if the judging isn't against what Jesus taught, but I was quoted scripture stating that it is our duty to judge. Hmmmmm. I guess it depends on our title? cough.
What bible verse is supposed to require us to judge others?
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