Christians or atheists...what does judging someone mean, and why do they do it?

The "judging" we are forbidden to engage in, unless we share life with that person, is the opposite of "love" If we are not in covenant with someone, or so involved in their lives that we know them well, we don't have the knowledge to judge people. God says leave it to him.

The "discerning" that we can engage in is with those we share life with. It is called "judging rightly", or some rare cases, if someone asks our opinion. Either way, it is to be done in love also.

Love ( agape )...Ascribing worth to others at cost to yourself.

Judging...Ascribing worth to yourself at cost to others.

In the NT church, the people lived together in small groups, they shared life. In all of Paul's instructions, these are the only people to "judge rightly" Christians seem to overlook the fact that they were instructed never to judge those outside the church, they're only allowed to "love" them.

1 Cor 5:12

For it is no business of mine to be judging those who are outside; but it is yours to be judging those who are among you;

We do it because we're addicted to it. It's the fruit of "tree of the knowledge of good and evil".

judge

jəj/

verb

1.

: to form a conclusion through careful weighing of evidence and testing of premises

God judges all to determine whether we as individuals spend eternity with him in heaven - or in hell with Satan

There is a lot of confusion and abuse of scripture concerning human judgment. The reason is that the NT Greek word krino is used. And it can mean everything from simple discernment all the way to condemnation unto death. So we must use contexts to determine best fits.

1.to separate, put asunder, to pick out, select, choose

2.to approve, esteem, to prefer

3.to be of opinion, deem, think, to be of opinion

4.to determine, resolve, decree

5.to judge

1.to pronounce an opinion concerning right and wrong

1.to be judged, i.e. summoned to trial that one's case may be examined and judgment passed upon it

2.to pronounce judgment, to subject to censure

1.of those who act the part of judges or arbiters in matters of common life, or pass judgment on the deeds and words of others

6.to rule, govern

1.to preside over with the power of giving judicial decisions, because it was the prerogative of kings and rulers to pass judgment

7.to contend together, of warriors and combatants

1.to dispute

2.in a forensic sense

1.to go to law, have suit at law

Authorized Version (KJV) Translation Count for krino — Total: 114

AV — judge 88, determine 7, condemn 5, go to law 2, call in question 2, esteem 2, misc 8

How Christians are instructed to judge:

Jhn 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

It means evaluating what they do, or who they are.

People make many judgements daily

Matthew 7:1-5

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.

For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?

You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

It basically means not forgiving them.