How To Be Judgmental
The Rasmussen brothers were at it again. Harry claimed that the catfish was at least 24 inches long. Richard laughed, saying it might be 20 inches if you stretched out a whisker in the front. You might be thinking this argument could be easily resolved, but there was a problem. They had no ruler or tape measure. All they had were their own opinions and no absolute standard by which to judge this slimy guy.
Judgments! We all make them…constantly. You just made one, when you decided whether or not this article was worth reading. We humans are a judgmental bunch. As you read this blog you will make all kinds of judgments about the statements of writers. You may judge that some are right and others are wrong, but there is no doubt you will make judgments; it’s inescapable. If you disagree, then you made a judgment.
Since we spend a large portion of our day judging ideas, people and ways of life, we really ought to take some time to examine the standard by which we judge things. At least that’s my judgment. By what standard do you judge?
How do you know it’s wrong to murder? You may think it is mean, or our law forbids it, but can you say it is absolutely wrong? Shouldn’t the strong be free to eliminate the weak…the survival of the fittest? What standard do you use to make this basic judgment? If the highest authority you can appeal to is yourself or cultural norms, then you are in no better shape than the Rasmussen brothers with their catfish. All you have are the opinions of men with no absolute standard by which to judge.
If you claim to be content with a relativistic standard based on the opinions of men or cultures, how will you judge Hitler’s Germany? The people, the culture, and the law all judged that the weak, the handicapped and even certain races should be eliminated. Was Hitler right? Judged by his own personal and cultural standards, he did nothing wrong. Who are you to condemn? What makes your cultural norms superior to his?
For the faithful Christian the only one able to rightly judge people and cultures in this way is God Himself. Thus, all our judgments must be made according to the ultimate standard of truth, the Word of God as revealed in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. By this standard, Hitler and others like him can be condemned. Without this absolute standard, we are left afloat in a sea of relativism.
Some readers will disagree with this judgment. They will say there are no absolute standards by which we can judge the world. Ironically, they will say this with absolute certainty. They are absolutely sure there are no absolutes. What’s your judgment?