Religions-Do you judge?

[walksalone11]

We have our Word from God, through Scripture and written on our heart through the Holy Spirit. If we see someone falling wayside and tend to give a helping hand in a loving manner, then this is not judging. But if we point our finger and say what you are doing is wrong, in a manner that is not to help them, but to put them down for something then this is judging. If no one helped anyone out, where would be be, what would be the point of witnessing. Their is a fine line between judging someone and helping someone, God knows our hearts at all times. Just know that.

No....it's judging regardless of how you want to justify it and convince yourself that it isn't.

Christianity has a long history of coming up with all kinds of ways to justify it's supremacist  and sometimes atrocious behavior take  the "Doctrine of Discovery" for instance pushed by Pope Innocence  or manifest destiny both of which were used as justification to commit the largest ONGOING genocide the world has ever seen.

I know I know....of course you don't believe in these things.......but the religion that you are repping most certainly does, they just wrap their most revolting and ugly actions up into nice pretty warm and fuzzy words and feed it to the flock who blindly lap it up and grow fat on it. And enjoy it so much that they want to share its wholesomeness with me.......you go ahead and stick your head back in the sand....I'm not having any.

[silke_spence]

I agree that simply having an opinion will make you 'prejudge' a situation. but that's like saying don't think! don't use you're brain! let's face it, we all believe in standards, some people go overboard, and some just wrap thier bad deeds with a facade of righteousness. yeah we KNOW they're hypocrites out there! oh my! did i just 'judge' a person for being a hypocrite? no, their behaviour is obvious, i'm just stating it as it is. now judging means sending down condemnation, saying that religious hypocrites should be written off, BUT correcting them in a nice way is not judging.
if a kid misunderstood something, or worse did something bad or immoral, wouldn't you try to sit down and talk with them about what they're doing, rather than writing them off as bad and unlovable?
hmm. i guess seeing thier behaviour as 'bad' is a form of 'judgement' to some people 
standards have to be met. simple as that.

[walksalone11]

Who get's to set these standards?

If it is a group of people who have historically abused in one way or the other, most of the worlds population at one time or the other then no...that is not acceptable.

[jrcantwell]

No he/she is not.  The current holiday of Thanksgiving and the traditions surrounding it originated from pagan celebrations and ideals that very much predate Christianity.

Did anyone even notice this?

Someone clearly needs a history lesson....

[liljp617]

We have our Word from God, through Scripture and written on our heart through the Holy Spirit. If we see someone falling wayside and tend to give a helping hand in a loving manner, then this is not judging. But if we point our finger and say what you are doing is wrong, in a manner that is not to help them, but to put them down for something then this is judging. If no one helped anyone out, where would be be, what would be the point of witnessing. Their is a fine line between judging someone and helping someone, God knows our hearts at all times. Just know that.

The question is where do you draw that line?  You may have a moderate line.  Unfortunately, that's not how history reads. 

The Age of Imperialism was very much centered around bringing "civilization" to the "heathens."  Much of what was done by imperialistic nations was justified by their belief that they were bringing culture and Christianity to the ignorant.  In other words, they thought they were doing these "inferior peoples" a favor by pushing Christianity into their cultures.

Hell, this very country witnessed the exact same thing.  The doctrine of Manifest Destiny entailed spreading Christianity across the span of North America, even if that meant destroying aspects of other cultures (which it clearly achieved).  The people who believed Manifest Destiny was good justified it by saying they were bringing Christianity to the "lesser individuals" who weren't following it.

Tip of the iceberg...

There isn't an obvious line that you portray.  It is very much a gray area.

[home_teachin]

No he/she is not.  The current holiday of Thanksgiving and the traditions surrounding it originated from pagan celebrations and ideals that very much predate Christianity.

Did anyone even notice this?

Someone clearly needs a history lesson....

According to Joseph Gaer, author of the the book, Holidays Around the World,

"We often think of Thanksgiving as an American holiday, begun by the Pilgrims in Plymouth in 1621. At that time, so the story runs, the survivors of the Mayflower passengers celebrated their first harvest in the New World with a feast to which Governor Bradford invited the Indian Chief Massasoit and ninety of his braves.

That was the first Thanksgiving Day in the New World. But actually a thanksgiving for the annual harvest is one of the oldest holidays known to mankind, though celebrated on different dates. In Chaldea, in ancient Egypt and in Greece, the harvest festival was celebrated with great rejoicing. The Hindus and the Chinese observe the gathered harvest with a holiday."

" 'The Romans celebrated their Thanksgiving early in October. The holiday was dedicated to the goddess of harvest, Ceres, and the holiday was called Cerelia."

"In England the 'Harvest Home' has been observed continuously for centuries. The custom was to select a harvest queen for this holiday. She was decorated with the grain of their fields and the fruit of their trees. On Thanksgiving Day she was paraded through the streets in a carriage drawn by white horses. This was a remnant of the Roman ceremonies in honor of Ceres...the Pilgrims brought the "Harvest in" to Massachusetts.' (Little, Brown & Company, Boston, 1953. Pps. 159- 160)." [The harvest queen represented the Queen of Heaven, mentioned in the Bible as idolatrous and Semiramis.]

Marian Schibsly and Hanny Cohrsen in their book, Foreign Festival Customs and Dishes, states:

"Long before the Christian era, harvest gods were worshiped with curious and varied rites. Customs now in use at harvest festivals have their counterparts in pagan countries; in many cases their origin and their significance is shrouded in mists of antiquity. The American Thanksgiving Day is usually ascribed to the Massachusetts colony of pilgrims, who, in gratitude for their first harvest on American soil, devoted the day of December 13, 1621 to praise and rejoicing. [Actually ran 3 days]

The idea underlying such a celebration did, however, not originate with them. Thanksgiving day -- by that or some other name -- was known to virtually all the people who have come to America since 1492 and is known to those now coming...it becomes apparent that a day of thanksgiving is a custom in almost all the countries of Europe. It usually has to do with the harvests -- with the planting of crops or their gathering -- and therefore is observed in rural districts rather than in cities. (American Council For Nationalities Service, N.Y. 1974. P.46). "

Based on information that I have been able to find, it appears that the premise for the Thanksgiving holiday was not new, but practiced long before the christian era by various pagan religions. Each person must decide for themselves how they will view it.

[Angiemac66]

To each his own I am Catholic but some of my best friends are wican including my youngest sons god father

[Falconer02]

Someone clearly needs a history lesson....

Yep. We're all looking at you.

simply thinking someone is right or wrong is judging, you may not be saying anything, but you are still judging

Exactly. I judge everyone with religious practices. I'm not afraid to say it. But that wouldn't stop me from helping them out however I can if they needed my help.

Agnostics are just Atheists without *bleep*.

Using this metaphor, religious people would be lobotomy patients.

[tholl01]

I don't look down on any religion. Everyone has their own beliefs, i don't think any one religion is more right than the other. Then again that's my belief and I'm a Deist and i don't believe in religion.

[mlbevins]

I believe in what I believe in.  I have to think that the other religions exist for a reason.  If any of us are wrong we will find out in the end.  I don't judge others, they will have to answer for their sins on their own.

[Falconer02]

What I find amusing is people that complain about Religious Topics or Wish you would quit posting Religious Topics are the First ones to come rushing to the topic and stay seated in it until everyone else moves on.

Hardly the case. We just keep seeing new ignorant posts in the thread that need a dose of reality.

[lightstar240]

Only this one. http://www.godhatestheworld.com/

[rudegirlsexi]

its an individual decision

[lynnc35]

There is only one truth, and yes, I agree it is an INDIVIDUAL decison. yes, God lets you decide if you want to accept your salvation through Jesus Christ or not. Notice no one is pulling your hand, no one can make you say one way or another, it is your decision, but if we don't share and witness, How will people know they can be saved, how will people know they dont' have to go down with satan, because he is the master of deceit pulling the wool over all the doubters eyes. But then it is an INDIVIDUAL decisoin. I know I have made mine after years of partying and doing it my way, God had other plans for me, and I wouldn't listen, but still God had other plans for me. Guess what I am finally listening, it was that or well, you don't even want to know.l

[liljp617]

There is only one truth, and yes, I agree it is an INDIVIDUAL decison. yes, God lets you decide if you want to accept your salvation through Jesus Christ or not. Notice no one is pulling your hand, no one can make you say one way or another, it is your decision, but if we don't share and witness, How will people know they can be saved, how will people know they dont' have to go down with satan, because he is the master of deceit pulling the wool over all the doubters eyes. But then it is an INDIVIDUAL decisoin. I know I have made mine after years of partying and doing it my way, God had other plans for me, and I wouldn't listen, but still God had other plans for me. Guess what I am finally listening, it was that or well, you don't even want to know.l

If they want to know, they will walk into your church.  It really is that simple.

And tell me how it was your decision with an omniscient god?