Knowing the difference between judging and ‘judgmentalism’

Perhaps the most misunderstood and abused command of Jesus is, “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matt. 7:1). Cultural thought has hackneyed this command of Jesus with great effect. When people wish to justify a preferred choice of behavior, they tell opposers not to judge. After all, who is one to judge another? We all know that nobody’s perfect. Even Christians quote the command when they wish to advance something that fellow believers demur.

So, should Christians simply stop teaching about sin because it’s perceived as judging others?

Humankind has always been crafty at justifying one’s own actions and evading accountability. Since biblical times we read, “All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit” (Prov. 16:2). I believe that any allusion to the command of Jesus not to judge should know the difference between judging and judgmentalism.

Judging others, or evaluating them by one’s own personal preferences, seem inescapably part of being human. Whenever people meet, or read a bio on social media, most of them are “judging.” They also evaluate your clothes, education, job, your likes and dislikes, and whether you are actually as stellar as you purport. Almost all have personal biases that filter how they perceive everyone else. People who differ become labeled as sub-standard. That is the great error which is properly deemed “judgmental.” Everyone has imperfections and sin but their personhood should not be evaluated as unworthy or inferior by “appearances.”

Cultural thought is unaware that Jesus also commanded, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment” (John 7:24). This builds on the foregoing Proverb where “the LORD weighs the spirit.” Personhood is defined by how it is valued by God. This value cannot be negotiated by appearances or by human evaluation. God’s value forms the basis of “right judgment” from judgmentalism.

For Christians, our character should be distinguished from the cultural tendencies that evaluate people based on appearances. Note that out messaging of Good News is heavily weighted by how we come across. As Paul noted, “You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us” (2 Cor. 3:2-3). It’s our actions and conversations that will substantiate our credibility and the intended relevancy of our messaging.

Culturally, appearances and preconceived stereotypes will continue to evaluate us. These optics were captured satirically with great impact in The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis. In his inimitable style, Lewis exposed the devilish nature in judgmentalism. In a letter, Screwtape, a senior devil, writes to his mentee, Wormwood, who had asked for advice on deceiving a seeker:

“Your patient, thanks to Our Father below, is a fool. Provided that any of those neighbors sing out of tune, or have boots that squeak, or double chins, or odd clothes, the patient will quite easily believe that their religion must therefore be somehow ridiculous. At his present stage, you see, he has an idea of ‘Christians’ in his mind which he supposes to be spiritual but which, in fact, is largely pictorial ... Keep everything hazy in his mind now.” ^[1]

Allegorically, Lewis amusingly showed that the judging of appearances will always fail to appreciate the truth of the matter.

By definition, the Good News of grace makes judgments on humankind. That is why in cultural thought, the line between biblical judgment and judgmentalism must remain blurred or as Lewis put it, “hazy.” As Christians, we are thus burdened with the task of communicating a non-negotiable message in contemporary culture without ourselves being guilty of judgmentalism, and then to “judge with right judgments.”

A great way to begin is by appreciating profoundly what the wise Christian thinker, Thomas a Kempis said, “How rarely we weigh our neighbor in the same balance in which we weigh ourselves.” ^[2] Truth is, a Christian should understand that the only difference between oneself and neighbor is the wonderful grace of God within. Through these lenses of grace, every person has great worth, regardless of their appearance in societal or economic status. Believers are not in any way better than anyone else and all that they have that is special is the personal experience of God’s grace.

The brother of the prodigal son thought he was better. When his prodigal brother returned, he complained to their father that his brother was not worthy of a party. The appearance was that the prodigal spent his inheritance on wine, women, and song and so he was an unworthy human being. In the parable, Jesus was teaching (Luke 15) a lesson on mercy, grace, genuine repentance, and how one’s judgment of another can fail to acknowledge the inestimable value of God’s grace for humankind.

In my daily interactions with people, I try to practice respect and genuine care for them by what I say and do. I often fall short, but I am getting incrementally stronger. Valuing others from God’s perspective will make us increasingly less judgmental, and increasingly like biblical Christians. When our care and concern become palpable, our teaching and preaching about sin and redemption will carry far more weight. Cultured people may disagree, but their minds and hearts will be impressed upon.

The Screwtapes and Wormwoods of the world will continue to confuse judgment with judgmentalism, and causing confusion by emphases on “appearances.” So may our biblical resolve begin with our Christian manners, genuine care and respect for others, and preaching and teaching about sin with proper tone.

[1] The Screwtape Letters: Letters from a Senior to a Junior Devil (Glasgow: Collins, 1977), 16-17.

[2] The Westminster Collection of Christian Quotations, compiled by Martin H. Manser (London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001), 215.