Is there no end of the inanity?

Inanity (inane) – empty, shallow, vapid. Wait, there’s more - foolish, silly, hollow.

Yikes! Why am I in such an uproar? Because this is one of those inane modern proverbs that reveals the emptiness of modern culture.

Before going further, let’s consider the word judge. Oh, there is not an uglier word to western ears than judge, but what does it mean?

1: to form an opinion about through careful weighing of evidence and testing of premises
2: to sit in judgment on : Try
3: to form an estimate or evaluation of;  especially: to form a negative opinion about *shouldn't judge him because of his accent*

Now that we are armed, let’s apply this modern maxim to a few scenarios . . .

You are in the parking lot of a large store. It’s a rather hot day. You see a baby locked in a car with the windows rolled up. Do you just observe and walk on? Or do you form an opinion of the situation (judge) and look for a solution?

Or even worse in our culture, You are in the parking lot of a large store. It’s a rather hot day. You see a dog locked in a car with the windows rolled up. Do you just observe and walk on? Or do you form an opinion of the situation (judge) and look for a solution?

You notice that your next door neighbors have a lot of visitors, especially late at night. After a while of observing, you determine (oh dang, there you go judging again) that your neighbors are involved in sex trafficking. Ah, but your philosophy is judge nothing...

Your friend confides in you that he likes to go to bars at night, meet women, slip them some kind of date rape drug and... Do you just observe his behavior or do you find this repulsive (judge) and seek to take some kind of action?

You meet someone who doesn’t have enough money to buy food. Do you just watch them starve (observe) or do you determine that this situation is bad (judge) and help them?

Where do you just observe everything and judge nothing? “Oh,” you say, “this is about science, not life.” Well, first it doesn’t say so, and second, does this really work in science?

You observe that people living in filth and not bathing often get sick more often than those who clean themselves. Do you merely observe this, take notes and write a book, or do you judge this to be an evil that should be addressed?

You notice a river is being polluted and all the fish are dying. Do you merely observe this, take notes, and make a video, or do you judge this to be an evil that should be addressed?

“OK, OK,” you say, “this is really about personal, moral choices. I will live the way I want, doing what I want, and you cannot judge me.”

THIS is where we want to be as a society. But, its only one way: I cannot say your choices are wrong, but you can lambaste me if I do. Explain to me again that judge nothing part . . .

Listen, there is right and there is wrong. Or, if you prefer, good and evil, righteousness and unrighteousness. As Christians, we are not like hall monitors, chaperones, or policemen, y’know, always correcting folks for everything they do. But we are witnesses to the truth of God.
“There are two ways, one of life and one of death; but a great difference between the two ways. The way of life, then, is this . . . And the way of death is this . . .” (The Didache or Teaching of the Twelve, chapters 1-5).

As Isaiah said,
Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Ah, but that’s judging, isn’t it? Calling someone wicked and unrighteous. But you know what? You can’t be cured until you’re diagnosed. So you go to the doctor. He observes you, takes tests and what all. Then he judges: “You have...” Next, he prescribes a course of action to restore you. Why is that wrong when it comes to your soul?