The left has gotten away for too long with the false assertion that Christians are judgmental. It is at a frightening level that is progressing toward totalitarianism. But they know if you call a red crayon blue enough times, people will start to believe it. This is to deflect from their own high level of judgmentalism, which I described in a previous article.
The truth is Christians are not aggressively trying to prosecute and sue people based on who they are. It is the left that is viciously targeting Christians, including first lady Melania Trump. Several fashion designers said they refuse to design clothes for the first lady, citing conscientious objections. Why isn't the left filing lawsuits against these designers? They rush to court when Christians, also citing conscientious objections, decline to service same-sex weddings. The left's zealousness against these Christian business owners has forced them out of business or slapped them with huge fines. Even more disturbing, Christians who conscientiously object are now being criminalized.
The Bible teaches Christians to treat people kindly, not judgmentally. The left likes to cherry pick Bible verses, particularly from the Old Testament, and point to them as proof Christians are judgmental. They deliberately ignore the fact that Jesus ushered in a new era of forgiveness regarding many of the Old Testament laws. So much that the left is ironically fond of claiming Jesus was a leftist.
Although the left cites Old Testament laws to condemn Christians as harsh "eye for an eye,” judgmental people, the New Testament Jesus came in to the world to "save" it, not condemn it. (John 3:16,17) By his death, Jesus ushered in a "New Covenant" that emphasized the redeeming and transforming change of a person's spiritual nature when he or she came to faith in Christ. Although the Ten Commandments were never repealed (they would form the “moral” base of New Testament Christianity), the over 600 Old Testament laws were now replaced by only two laws: 1) love God and 2) love your neighbor as yourself.
It is true that God punished people in Old Testament days, but Jesus taught redemption and forgiveness. You cannot read the Old Testament without taking into account the New Testament’s softening effect. Christianity emerged with Jesus. To blame Christians for actions that occurred prior to their existence is a bit duplicitous.
Jesus told a prostitute that he didn’t condemn her and to go and sin no more. While being crucified, he responded to one of the criminals on the cross next to him who asked him to remember him, “Today you shall be with me in paradise.” There are many stories and parables like this. Jesus was kind, and taught Christians to emulate him.
The Bible doesn’t approve of adultery, homosexuality and other types of behaviors. Yet Christians aren’t trying to punish people for those types of activities. In fact, government laws on the books prohibiting that kind of behavior have gradually been repealed in recent years.
The left will point to historical instances where Christian churches justified violence and draconian punishments, such as the Spanish Inquisition and the Crusades. Christians have learned from mistakes some of them made in the past. It is not how Christians treat people today. Regardless, the Bible says no one is perfect, including Christians.
The late 20th century conflict in Northern Ireland is often portrayed as a religious war between Catholics and Protestants, but that is not accurate. According to an educational site, “The conflict is primarily a social and cultural one,” very similar to the hostile relations between different ethnic groups migrating to early America. “Religious teachings are not an issue between the Catholics and Protestants.”
Christians are some of the kindest, most giving people. They open their churches, hearts and homes to the world. They listen to the struggles of others, responding with prayer and often take kind actions to help the ones struggling or suffering. The Bible instructs them to. If there are still a few bad apples here and there, they do not speak for Christianity. Better the hypocrites are in the church than outside of it, because perhaps the church tempers them a bit. Hypocrisy doesn’t invalidate the religion, because the Bible teaches no man is without sin.
On the other hand, the left gives Muslims a free pass when it comes to judgmentalism. Unlike Christianity, that religion has draconian penalties for many of the behaviors considered a sin in the Bible, including death. There are additional behaviors addressed that are not found in the Bible, such as a severely restrictive lifestyle forced on women. The penalties for women not complying include death. Much of the religion hasn’t abandoned previous violence, but instead expanded it in recent years. Today, radical Islamists regularly murder thousands of Christians and other Muslims. Muslim doctors in the U.S. were caught this past week performing genital mutilation on young girls, but the left was silent.
War is peace. Freedom through slavery. Ignorance is strength. Might as well add to writer George Orwell’s list of totalitarian oxymorons: Christians are judgmental.