I Jew, Muslim, shaman, Zoroastrian, stone, ground, mountain, river, each has a secret way of being with the mystery, unique and not to be judged. – Rumi

this... sums it up quite nicely... lots of people seem to be "hurt" by a difference of opinion... sad that people can't understand what an opinion is...

So I was told I am judging the Muslims...who I have no idea what they are about...all I said was..everyone needs to purchase a gun and learn how to use it...because we are..in my town..going to take 25 refugee families... I am only saying it will be a problem because of all the haters of Muslims in my town...or do they just bow down and take the crap haters dish out..

Hey David

I always think I have responded to everyone and then in retrospect I discover that I have left some people out.

I have decided to paste the scripture for easy reference purposes.

Matthew 7King James Version (KJV)

1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?


I am no authority on the bible, but I interpreted this scripture the way that I interpreted the bible's position on divorce.

And my understanding is that the bible asserts that we should avoid divorcing , but if it happens , it should only be under very specific circumstances.

I also used the word "avoiding" in reference to the act of judging , and the bible goes on to explain why we should avoid it, which is that we will be imputed with the same harshness of judgement that we execute .

I will also add this scripture which Beachfarmer contributed to this discussion.

It also seemed to reproach the act of judging.

John 8 King James Version (KJV)


7 So when they continued asking him (Jesus), he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.



What I did not discuss, and what I did not research are the scriptures which itemize the circumstances under which it is appropriate to judge someone, except when it relates to the laws of the land.

Feel free to correct me if I misinterpreted the scripture. I am far from being an expert on it.

John 8 King James Version (KJV)



7 So when they continued asking him (Jesus), he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

Very timely contribution Beach!

This reinforces the scripture you referred to previously in Matt 7 :1-3, which seems to discourage the act of judging, in light of the fact that we are all guilty of one offense or the other.



I Jew, Muslim, shaman, Zoroastrian, stone, ground, mountain, river, each has a secret way of being with the mystery, unique and not to be judged. – Rumi



And your Rumi quote seems to discourage us from judging people's religious beliefs specifically? Am I right? If that 's the case, then I totally agree.


I do think we should be careful about how we criticize the religions/spiritual beliefs since much of what we cling to spiritually is based on faith, and Faith, which is a major staple in all or at least most religions is such a personal construct.
a very subjective concept

Some of these acts include

1. Listening to other people's opinions and asking questions to gain understanding about their beliefs whether you agree with it or not.

2. Doing more research on a person's circumstance if possible before making a final judgment on their behaviour.

3. Being careful to distinguish between judging an action vs judging the entire character of a person

4. Being sensitive to the reality that a difference of opinion from yours doesnt translate into that person's views being inferior or wrong, and your view being superior or right. It might simply just be DIFFERENT from yours



Now I realise that many people are not interested in respecting the views of others or being sensitive to the feelings of others, so keep in mind that the list above applies only to the people who do care.

People are very emotional and fearful when it comes to the issues of Muslims Kindheart . That is a fact.

That level of emotion and fear makes it easy to take what people say regarding muslims out of context.

And it doesn't help that gun control is another issue that fills people with fear so merging those issues together in one sentence is not likely to be received well in some forums.

But you seem to have a very sweet spirit kindlightheart , and hopefully the people that know you will understand that your comments were coming from a good place

I think when name calling begins or questioning someone's faith. A good example would be "how can you be a Christian and believe _____" (I'll let your fill in the blank.) There are multiple examples I could have used but that is one I have personal experience with in other arenas. It's okay to be passionate about something but at some point there should be a mutual agreement to agree to disagree.

The thing most of us crave after expressing an opinion is understanding and respect. If we can't get understanding , I think most of us will sbe contented with respect.

Agreeing to disagree is a great step in that direction I think.

I generally agree to disagree, and defend the opposing persons right to their opinion.
As many others have stated in this topic, it's hard to say exactly when a line has been crossed. It is also hard to "read" tone and inflection into a written statement.
I've done too much and seen too much to judge, other than to say stupid comes in all forms and colors.

I agree Scarecrow.

The line is blurry indeed.

But it becomes a lot less blurred when we attach powerful words like stupid, crazy, bad, or wrong to someone else's views. Those words are used quite often in people's personal opinions. It's hard not to read a judgmental tone into that.


I love that you agree to disagree and respect people's right to their own opinion.

That's awesome. Cheers!

opinion is when every one is entitled to their opinions
judgemental is when the expectation is others opinions should match yours

Okie..I hate...alot...

Huh???

I am lost. What do you hate alot kindlightheart?

I agree simplycomplicated. :)

Expecting someone to share your opinion or life along with making a final assessment about someone's character , without credible evidence, can come across as very judgmental