Judge

*JUDGE/*JUDGMENT/*PREJUDICE

One has to begin with a heartbreaking perception of inadequacy. It is painful to give up our intellectual and imaginative prejudices about the world and our point of views. Once beyond our egotism, we realize that there was no reality but God. (History of God, p339)

Everyone will face God's judgment: In our pride, we may think we are good enough to get into heaven on our own. The Bible says that we need to turn to Christ and trust him alone for our salvation - for only he took all our sins upon himself and died in our place. (Billy Graham - My Answer 9/08)

It is our self-judgment that prevents our mind being healed by the Holy Spirit. Guilt demands punishment, not healing. As we learn to stop judging ourselves we allow the ever present love of the Holy Spirit to shine away the clouds of guilt in our mind. This shift of perception from the ego's world of separation and attack, to the Holy Spirit's counsel of joining and forgiveness is called a miracle. As we practice forgiveness in our relationships, we start to undo the guilt that covers the memory of God's love in our mind. We begin to see that we have not been running away from God's anger, but from God's love. To allow the awareness of God's love back into our mind will cause our ego to disappear, and this is our greatest fear. (A Course in Miracles)

Scriptures recognize and support "judgment" of our neighbors with certain rules and regulations. It is prescribed that we rebuke a neighbor who is committing a sin or going astray, however, such a rebuke should be intended only for the benefit and good of that person - to help them get baack on track. "Do not reprove the fool lest he hate you; reprove the wise man and he will love you. (Proverbs 9:8)" (Dr. Laura, PS, 6/97)

Transcending judgment - In the western world, our habit of analzing and judging has led to an age of technological wonders, but it's also alienated us from ourselves and one another. Focusing on differences instead of similarities, we've created walls of separation between individuals, groups, and nations.Too often critcism blocks compassion, separating us into polarized factions. By choosing separation we lose our oneness in Tao; in tolerance we regain it. "To follow Tao brings compassion. Compassion brings tolerance. Tolerance brings strength. Strength means harmony with nature; Harmony with nature means oneness with Tao. One with Tao, you are empowered and your life will be free from harm. (Tao 16)" (Tao Peace, p207-9)

Only human beings are judgmental, and because you are, you assume that I (God) must be. Yet I am not - and that is a great truth you cannot accept. (Conversations, p183)

Beam in one's eye. (Matt 7:50?)

Judge not, that you won't be judged. (Luke 6:37)

Great Spirit, help me never to judge another until I have walked in his moccasins for two weeks. (Sioux Indian Prayer)

One should not judge of the fruit of a tree from the rotten apples which have fallen from it. (Rebld, p234)

Since the Fall every man sets himself up as the judge of right and wrong no matter what God had to say about it. And for "apple" you can substitute almost anything, from selfishness to injustice, from self-love to adultery, from pride to murder - any of the countless things men reach for in their stupid attempts to make gods of themselves and to find heaven in this world. (Crucifix, p56)

In the Great Judgment of "separating the sheep from the goats (Matt 25:35-40)" Jesus makes no reference to doctrine or belief at all. The deciding factor as to whether someone goes to Heaven or Hell is the way they have dealt with other people. (Common Sense, p62)

Deciding between RIGHT and WRONG is nothing less than the shape and DEPTH of our selves. We can carve our selves shallow and narrow and crooked by opting for the selfish and the vengeful and the wrong, by selling out our human integrity. When we make a moral decision we are also determining the NATURE of our RELATIONSHIP with God. It is not that God rewards or damns us in response: rather, it is we ourselves turning towards or turning away from God. (Common Sense, p149)

At the final judgment, if we can't forgive God for our sufferings, then God can't forgive us for our sins. (???)

Poor in spirit means to empty ourselves of self-will and set aside our present views and prejudices. (p21) Blessed are the merciful - let us be merciful in our judgments of our brothers, for in truth we are all one. (p35) "Judge not, that ye be not judged" is the most staggering document ever presented to mankind. "Whatever sort of conduct we give out, we are inevitably bound to get back" is the law of retribution. Man has the choice of Karma or Christ. As soon as you pray, you begin to rise above Karma.(p108-17)(Sermon on the Mount)

We judge ourselves by rather or not we obtain the "beautific vision" on our own because God is present to us both within (via the Holy Spirit) and without (in the entire universe). Also see BEATIFIC vision. (Randy)