Polycarp, you’ve hit upon some pet topics for me.
I am accused by many of being judgmental. My reply is that all of us live and die by our judgments. You must make accurate judgments when crossing a street in order not to be hit by a moving car. You must make judgments when climbing into a vehicle as to whether its owner is sober enough to drive. I’m glad to say that I make lots of judgments each and every day. I have no problem with judging people or with them judging me.
Where problems do arise is when people prejudge others unfairly. Applying preconceived notions or impressions gained from interactions with another unrelated person is unworthy at best and usually the root of much bigotry and hatred. Permanently casting someone in the mold of impressions gathered long ago have equally little merit. This sort of prejudice I most certainly do have many problems with.
As per your usual (or perhaps I should say, unusual) enlightened take on Christian doctrine, I’ll also applaud your stance opposing the use of scripture to condemn others. There remains one tenet fundamental to all Christian religion. It is an incredibly simple equation and yet so rarely practiced by its subscribers that Christianity’s validity is frequently thrown into doubt by this glaring defect.
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
I can easily see how this one formula alone completely validates your belief that no scripture be used in the condemnation of others. If one’s own doctrine pivots upon the Golden Rule, then use of that same doctrine to the end of maltreating others is the very worst sort of hypocrisy. Sadly, I see this all the time and it remains one principal roadblock to me accepting most organized religions as valid. I realize that this probably is a case similar to one scene in Herman Hesse’s book, “Steppenwolf.”
Pablo, the suave bandleader is desperately trying to extract the story’s central figure, Harry Haller, from his hidebound shell. A small and rather marginally operative radio is playing while they chat. A beautiful piece of classical music begins to scratchily issue forth from the radio’s inadequate speaker. Pablo interrupts his conversation with Harry and calls his attention to the music. (Please forgive any inaccuracies in my quoting.)
Pablo: Harry, listen! It is the beautiful overture from Rossini’s “Otello.”
[scratchy, static filled music begins to play]
Harry: Why, it sounds just terrible!
Pablo: Listen to the music, Harry, not the radio!
That one bit of dialogue may well sum up my own potential failings in this situation too. Perhaps I am attempting to judge the worth of Christ’s words according to the sometimes ill mannered projection of them by his putative adherents. I’ll say this much, Polycarp.
You make it a lot easier to hear the music and ignore the radio than most Christians I have ever met in my entire life.
