Near the beginning of this year I was in
the car with C on the way to Church. Throughout the journey we talked about
several things, mainly our experiences and issues we faced revolving around our
Faith (that was also his last time celebrating Mass near the university campus,
as he completed his final semester and was about to fly back in a few days).
Somewhere down, our conversation focused
on the current Catholic Students Society (CSS) of our university. I cannot
remember much of the discussion, aside from agreeing that they should not keep switching
patron Churches, and their not-so-good management of affairs with the previous
patron Church. I also vaguely recalled however, talking about certain people we
both personally knew and the way they acted/changed – and not for the better.
What stood out most to me at that time was not the people we were discussing
about, but the person I was having the discussion with. Just as we are about to dig deeper into
the problems the CSS members are facing, there was always one phrase he uttered which prevents us from doing so: “Don’t judge.”
“Don’t judge.”
It is a phrase I commonly see and hear throughout my life, especially on social
networking sites (though less often nowadays). “Don’t
judge based on appearances, don’t judge me before getting to know me, don’t
judge my actions, etc…”
The topic of judging
is a broad one, and holds much potential for discussion. To try keeping within
the context with this post, for the most part I agree that we should not be so
quick to form conclusions based on one or two cases. When I first encountered
Bob, I thought he was some stuck up dude based on his typical facial expression
and aloofness. It was only 4 years later when I had my first opportunity to
talk to him, that I discovered the helpful and interesting side beneath the
shell of introversion.
However during my conversation with C, I
feel the implication here was different. Yes, we should not be so quick to
judge a person from a single event, but does that mean we are to remain silent
when we see them commit something questionable?
No matter how much one is against it,
everyone has to make judgments. We make our choices by judging what best
fulfils our criteria/objective. Each time I wake up, I decide whether I should
immediately get ready or tarry in bed. I deliberate whether I should make
breakfast or eat out; my response to person of different age, status, gender,
current emotional state or apparent personality; my actions based on a
particular situation, and so forth.
I believe a similar approach should be
applied in my conversation with C. St Paul mentioned in 1 Corinthians 5:9-12 not to associate with immoral men claiming to
belong to the Church. A little further down, he continued, “Is it not those inside the Church whom you are to judge?”
Looking at it closely, I feel one can tie this somewhat to Jesus’ words in Matthew 18:15-17.
C advocates not to judge, but I say we are to do so – not to condemn but to correct or improve,
just as St Paul wrote to the believers of Corinthians, just as Christ taught His
disciples.
I find this a problem among many
Christians today, especially those from the East of the country. On one hand I
admire their spirit and culture of community, living
in harmony with one another regardless of ethnicity or religion (there
is a church and a mosque located just beside the other; on Fridays the Church
opens its gates to allow Muslim worshippers to park inside for their prayers,
and vice versa for Christians on Sundays). So much so that when they come to
the West of the nation, many are taken aback by the racial and religious cards
constantly played here. However, their way of life also causes them to adopt a
more charismatic and laidback attitude
regarding their faith.
I felt this slight over-openness hanging
throughout my conversation with C. During our subsequent discussion, when C and
I pondered on the answer if someone were to ask us what/which is the true
religion, his answer was somewhere along the lines of “whatever the person
truly believes is right”. This made me recall a post I had written
awhile back in 2012 (http://rideforgod.blogspot.my/2012/05/awhile-back-while-browsing-through-my.html).
There are many (other) remarks I could make on this opinion as well. I will
leave a detailed discussion for another post, but for now would like to say
this: as a Christian sent out to be a witness for
Christ, is that the way a believer is supposed to respond?
As a Catholic, I firmly believe we should
always be clear in what we believe in. This is
why I find it so important to know my faith, and the reasons why I hold onto it.
Flimsy convictions are likely to bend even against weak and ungrounded
arguments. As a follower of Christ, I am thus reminded to always be firm and
decisive in my beliefs, especially in the most crucial matter pertaining to my
life here and after.
RFG
always.
