Jump to content
Objectivism Online Forum

Reblogged:Pope Francis’ Rant Against Judgment: All Wrong!

Rate this topic


Recommended Posts

People who judge others without working on themselves are hypocrites, Pope Francis recently said. And unlike God’s judgment, he added, theirs lacks mercy — a theme close to the pontiff’s heart.

Instead of judging, Francis suggested that people love and pray for others.

This attitude about judgment and mercy is one that the Pope has demonstrated throughout his papacy — most notably, perhaps, when he answered “Who am I to judge?” in response to a question about gay priests.

Is judgment automatically and always bad? Based on what I hear most people say, most people seem to think it is.

But judgment gets a bad name. Not just from the Pope; but from everyone.

Pope Francis suggests it’s wrong, for example, to judge people for being gay. But suspending judgment does not appear to be the answer, either. Suspending judgment comes across as a sense of blind pity. “Oh, I can’t judge you. You’re too special for that.” It’s a subtle insult, as if to imply you could never withstand the scrutiny of rational thought!

The question is not whether to judge; the question is whether your judgments are rational, or make any sense.

Judgment is desperately needed in human relationships, and all of human life. So is [insert gasp here] discrimination. Survival requires both of these things. Imagine survival on a desert island or an emergency situation without judgment or discrimination. Even in a tamer existence, judgment and thinking are needed.

Both of these concepts get bad names. But rationally speaking, both judgment and discrimination are the result of concept-formation. Our capacities as conceptual, thinking beings—as opposed to merely instinctual creatures, as Freud suggested—makes judgment not only important, but inevitable. As Ayn Rand would put it, animals can perceive three objects in front of them; but only humans can appreciate the concept “three.” Human beings are thinkers by nature, and while thinking is not automatic, it’s essential for survival and to honor, with integrity, our true nature.

Pope Francis is supposed to be a different kind of Pope. But he’s saying the same old thing Catholics have preached for centuries. And he’s saying the same thing most contemporary, secular people teach today. When I hear someone say, “Don’t judge,” I don’t hear something benevolent or positive. What I hear is, “Turn off your thinking capacity. Don’t think. Just say what you’re told to say.” This is mindlessness, not anything benevolent.

People who feel unearned guilt for making judgments develop a sense of anxiety. An erroneous premise such as, “I’m bad if I judge” leads to anxiety and other psychological disorders and syndromes. Feeling guilty for making judgments would be like feeling guilty for breathing, or being alive; it’s neurotic in the extreme.

Yes, we have to be careful to make sure our judgments are rational, reasonable, fair and correct. It’s kinder to others, but it’s most of all for ourselves. Accurate judgments and conclusions are rational, and serve the self most of all. Being accurate and judicious are self-interested characteristics. These virtues often make the world a better place, but rational thinking always makes the individual engaging in it a better person. Rational judgment is selfish, in the sense of being objectively self-interested.

The best way to make sure your judgments are rational—not infallible, but rational—is to practice thinking on a regular basis. Write down your thoughts, because this helps you expose your reasoning to the light of day. Always, always reason about people and things based on facts. “Do I have all the relevant facts here? Are there unanswered questions? Is this conclusion reasonable, logical and non-contradictory based on everything I know?”

As for hypocrisy, it is possible to judge people negatively for failing to exhibit behaviors which you yourself do not exhibit. But blaming hypocrisy on the act of judgment is absurd. The problem here is not the presence of thinking about another person; it’s the absence of thinking in your own life. Yes, heal yourself first before worrying about another. But you shouldn’t be the world’s (or your family’s) crusader, either. You should take care of yourself first and foremost, as we all should.

Follow Dr. Hurd on Facebook. Search under “Michael  Hurd” (Rehoboth Beach DE). Get up-to-the-minute postings, recommended articles and links, and engage in back-and-forth discussion with Dr. Hurd on topics of interest. Also follow Dr. Hurd on Twitter at @MichaelJHurd1

Check out Dr. Hurd’s latest Newsmax Insider column here!

The post Pope Francis’ Rant Against Judgment: All Wrong! appeared first on Michael J. Hurd, Ph.D. | Living Resources Center.

View the full article @ www.DrHurd.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...