Personal Judgments

Read the following from someone's blog and the relevant attached comments :

Study : Youth See Christians as Judgmental, Anti-Gay

Majority of young people in America describe modern-day Christianity as judgmental, hypocritical and anti-gay. What's more, many Christians don't even want to call themselves "Christian" because of the baggage that accompanies the label. A new book based on research by the California-based research firm The Barna Group found that church attitudes about people in general and gays in particular are driving a negative image of the Christian faith among people ages 16-29. The vast majority of non-Christians — 91% — said Christianity had an anti-gay image, followed by 87% who said it was judgmental and 85% who said it was hypocritical. Such views were held by smaller percentages of the active churchgoers, but the faith still did not fare well: 80% agreed with the anti-gay label, 52% said Christianity is judgmental, and 47% declared it hypocritical. The details are in a book released by The Barna Group called UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity.

Comment # 1 :

Today's 16-29s who think this way about Christianity are tomorrow's adults who won't be going to church. The fundamentalists need to take a good look at themselves if they want their religion to survive beyond this generation.

Comment # 2 :

I also avoid identifying as "Christian" because the fundamentalists have tarnished that name. I am slightly older than the age range of that study, but if asked, I would also have said I see evangelical Christianity as being judgmental, hypocritical and anti-gay. That's not the kind of Christianity I'm interested in. And nor would Jesus be, I suspect. Thanks for the post.

Here are my observations :

1. GOD is the ultimate Judge over every man and woman, and his judgment is based on his standards of holiness, not man's. As the Creator of man, we are to live according to his standards and purposes. Romans 1:18, 26-27 states this, "The wrath of GOD is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness...GOD gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way, the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion". Thus in GOD's eyes, unnatural relations such as that of the same gender is not acceptable to him.
2. On being hypocritical and judgmental, only GOD is to judge, not man. Why? Because in Romans 3:10, 23, it states, "There is no one righteous, not even one...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of GOD..." Therefore, who am I to say that I am better than another when I have my own sins and shortfalls in so many other areas. No one can say that they are perfect or righteous, not according to GOD's perfect holiness. Our actions and choices, whatever that may be, are to be lined up to GOD's righteous decree, not according to what each man's personal beliefs or as they see fit.
3. Christianity is a way of life, not legalistic religion, ie. to live a life to please GOD, who is our LORD and Master. Christianity has "survived" throughout the ages despite persecution and attacks from Satan not because of how man lived but because it is from GOD. It is said that everything of this earth will pass away but his words will never pass away. GOD is the one who sustains and not man coz GOD is Sovereign.
4. Each person is personally accountable to GOD for their thoughts, attitudes, choices and actions. Before the judgment throne of GOD, there will be nobody to blame because "...since what may be known about GOD is plain to them, because GOD has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world, GOD's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse" (Romans 1:19-20). GOD has revealed himself to each person - through his creation, through the Bible, his Word, through Jesus Christ' birth, life, death and resurrection. He has offered his salvation plan to each one by inviting each one to believe, accept and follow Jesus Christ...thus, there would be no excuse. So are you the one who's "not going to church" or "not believing in Jesus" because of someone else? Think again. It is GOD who's asking and inviting you personally...

"For GOD so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, Jesus Christ, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of GOD's one and only Son". (John 3:16, 18)