Q24. Criticizing

[Old Jerry]

The way that bad-mouthing a neighbor causes you to be a judge of the law is because you don’t know all the circumstances that the person is facing. So that person maybe within the law but now you have just judged against him and the law.

It is tempting to bad-mouth others because it get the focus off you sins and onto his.

[Jwalane Mofokeng]

Q4. (4:11-12) In what way does bad-mouthing a neighbor cause you to be a judge of the law?

You are looking at yourself better than other person, instead of helping her

Why is it tempting to bad-mouth others, do you think?

this is within us

[Guitar Jim]

Q4. (4:11-12) In what way does bad-mouthing a neighbor cause you to be a judge of the law?

 

For starters, no one knows all the facts. We may hear about a fellow Christian who is living his/her life differently to how we think they should. I remember back in the late 1960s and early 1970s when young Christian men came under severe criticism just for growing their hair longer than the generation preceding them wore theirs. All manner of Scripture was quoted to try to prove the young men were in fact serving Satan by having long hair. That's just one example of judging fellow Christians out of a biased, ill-informed mindset. The same applies in many cases to what music people listen to. It may not be your first choice but it doesn't necessarily make them law breakers in God's eyes

Now of course there are clear cut Scriptural guidelines regarding behavior such as homosexuality, incest, adultery, and such things that Godly people are commanded not to do. We're told to confront people who are blatantly breaking the rules with love in order to win them back. If they won't change their ways we are to expel them from the fellowship. A church I attended years ago was spilt, and the pastor left, over what to do with a homosexual paedophile who was convicted in court and sentenced to jail. Some in the church wanted to let him continue worshipping there even though he was unrepentant, while the pastor was in favor of expelling him because he was unrepentant. Who was right in God's eyes? I reckon the pastor was. I'm not just saying that because the pastor was my friend, but because of my understanding of the Bible in regard to the person who, by their behavior, gives the church a bad name.

 

 

 

Why is it tempting to bad-mouth others, do you think?

 

In life there are two ways to advance yourself in the eyes of others. The right way . . . and of course this is the hard way . . . is to lift your game. Try harder and more dilligently; become better at what you do; eliminate weaknesses; go with your strengths. Those things may take years before you actually become better thought of in your field.

The easier option is to drag those more successful down to your level and below by bad-mouthing them. I myself in my career as a professional musician have been the victim of incredible bad-mouthing and campaigns of lies (they are plural) all plotted by people who are jealous of my ability, popularity and professionalism. I've had to change my name and my appearance in order to just keep working! It goes beyond simply adopting a stage name too. I had to erase every connection between my real name and identity and my new identity. OK, that could be called lying, but I consider myself in a state of war and it's OK to lie to your enemy in wartime. I'm fighting for my very survival and God is helping me in the battle against the Godless. I frequently forgive them in Christ and ask God to bless them with health and long life and to make it possible for them to come to know Him, but I don't ask God to bless their business endeavors because it's those endeavors that have set them against me. It's like asking God to help a mugger to mug you more frequently and more violently. I struggle daily with holding myself back from reciprocating the bad-mouthing behavior. I do my best to say nothing bad about the people who are slandering me. I continually need God's help to do that.

[akkjl]

It is so easy to "bad mouth a neighbor."  It is also wrong for so many reasons.  It shows no love, impatience, arrogance, meanness, and inflexibility.  These are not attitudes that reflect a God of love.  An  we should be his ambassadors.  We do Him and the kingdom great harm.  The wicked tongue James has spoken of.  Who are we to ever speak I'll of anyone, when we have been forgiven so very much more by God.

[Craig]

Q4. (4:11-12) In what way does bad-mouthing a neighbor cause you to be a judge of the law? Why is it tempting to bad-mouth others, do you think?

 

When we slander others we are giving ourselves the authority to be a judge or to judge others.  We are not qualified to be judges.  In fact, by slandering others we are breaking the royal law of loving our neighbor as ourselves as well as violating God's command against slander found in Lev. 19.  Slander is listed as one of the behaviors God hates in Proverbs 6.

 

Slander is tempting because it comes naturally to human-beings.  People like to slander other people for a myriad of reasons -- from amusement to hatred.

 

[GoRaysXD]

Q4. (4:11-12) In what way does bad-mouthing a neighbor cause you to be a judge of the law? Why is it tempting to bad-mouth others, do you think? 

 

 

When we slander others we are giving ourselves the authority to be a judge or to judge others.  We are not qualified to be judges.  In fact, by slandering others we are breaking the royal law of loving our neighbor as ourselves as well as violating God's command against slander found in Lev. 19.  Slander is listed as one of the behaviors God hates in Proverbs 6.

 

Slander is tempting because it comes naturally to human-beings.  People like to slander other people for a myriad of reasons -- from amusement to hatred.

 

 

[lighthouse2014]

Q4. (4:11-12) In what way does bad-mouthing a neighbor cause you to be a judge of the law? Why is it tempting to bad-mouth others, do you think?

If we bad mouth our neighbor we become a judge of the law. It forbids us from slandering other people and by judging other people we are setting our selves up as judges, that is not ours to do, but the one ho is trust worthy our Lord and God, who can both destroy the flesh and the soul. 

We may always want to bad mouth others because we feel we know better than they do or feel they are inferior to us because we are so knowledgeable. We may feel they are trying to get the edge on us by impressing our peers with their knowledge. We should not bad mouth others, who are we to judge, our judge in Heaven will judge us according to our standards and most assuredly we will not like that.    

[Tyreek]

Matthew 7:3 teaches us this kind of self-righteous judgment, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  is hypocrisy.  The slanderer takes on the part of God, deciding which laws to apply to the neighbor. Since God’s word is the ultimate law, it is His decision of what is right and wrong because only He knows the truth about all of us. We judge another because we believe we know the truth about another but it is not the truth. We are called to do a godly judgment about others to save the purity of their souls that leads to repentance. I Cor. 5:12-13 says, “What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”

[Jim Q]

Running a person down is a bad thing.  Our concentration should be doing the right thing and focusing on our own behavior.  At times we may need to have a frank discussion with someone.  This is best done together and face to face.  If possible, work up to the subject so all the facts become known. 

Overall, you want a church where people are supporting and helping each other, and giving constructive tips which it is in the best interest of the other person

 

[Krissi]

It's a small step from criticizing a decision, ideal, interpretation or policy to criticizing the person who defended or made that decision, etc. There are ideas and ideals worth defending, however -- the goal isn't to walk away from contention but to "fight nice," to defend an ideal without criticizing the person who holds that ideal. 

Perhaps, at times, it's tempting to criticize others because the stakes are high and the truth has to be defended? At other times, criticism has a unnecessarily cutting edge, particularly when done out of anger or pride -- that would be the "bad mouthing," of which Pastor Ralph speaks.

Of course, the person being criticized may need a bit of introspection and self-examination, too. People in leadership should be held to a higher standard which could involve defending one's perch as well as the experiencing the painful growth that inevitably occurs when unfairly and unjustly attacked by congregants.

[hanks]

Q24. (4:11-12) 
In what way does bad-mouthing a neighbour cause you to be a judge of the law? 
Why is it tempting to bad-mouth others, do you think?
Speaking evil, slandering, or bad-mouthing a neighbour is the equivalent of ignoring/disrespecting God’s Laws of love (love your neighbour, Like yourself), and judgment. James echoes the teaching about judging others that Jesus gave in the Sermon on the Mount - “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way, you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matt 7:1-2). We have to be very careful how we judge others; remembering that all of us are guilty because of our sins, and that we are under the law and on the same level as our fellow believers. We are the accused. Therefore, instead of placing ourselves above the law and assuming the position of a judge, we ought to encourage, comfort, and love our fellow man. In short, we are in no position to judge because we ourselves are in need of the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ. Let us help each other by directing our attention to Jesus. We are taught in scripture that all of us will have to appear before Jesus on the day of judgment and at that time we have to give an account of “every careless word we have spoken” (Mat 12:36). So, God holds us responsible for the very words we speak and especially the words spoken against our fellow believers. Because of our pride it is tempting to bad-mouth others, thinking that by doing this we build ourselves up by tearing others down. John Calvin wrote, "Hypocrisy is always presumptuous and we are by nature hypocrites, fondly exalting ourselves by defaming/slandering others." But it is actually the result of a deceitful heart; a heart full of pride, hatred, and jealousy. 
 

[Perry Ford]

Q24. (James 4:11-12) In what way does criticizing a neighbor cause you to be a judge of the law? Why do you think it is so tempting to criticize others?

Because in criticizing your neighbor you have now become the judge and jury of their actions, which we are not to do.

Because it is easy to see the flaws in someone else than in ourselves and it also keeps us from having to deal with or recognize that we have issues too.

[Lisema Ralitsoele]

Q24. (James 4:11-12) In what way does criticizing a neighbor cause you to be a judge of the law? It does so in that by criticizing my neighbor I appoint myself a judge who is prejudiced because I do not have the facts from my neighbor and the sentence only serves to gratify my interests of feeling better than my neighbor. Why do you think it is so tempting to criticize others? It is very tempting because it gives us the selfish pleasure of self-righteousness, feeling better than them.

[Katy]

When I bad mouth my neighbour I am taking the law into my own hands and judging that person. It means I do not trust Jesus to judge on my behalf. I usually do this when I feel I am being treated unfairly or judged harshly. It is a defence mechanism but it does no good for my Christian Testimony! It also makes me feel bad because I can never withdraw what I have said, and I know I have offended Jesus and my neighbour.

[Anne coffey]

This is a difficult one to answer,we are taught that we should not judge or 

criticise another and in general everyday behaviour thisis right criticism does not

allow us to love and build each other up as we are also taught to do.However if we see someone beating a child or murdering someone we would have to step in 

and be critical and more .although I remember that Christ  restored and healed the ear of the soldier cut off by Peter,with the sword in the garden of Gethsemene when he was being arrested. This suggests that even violence should be treated with passive firmness after the physical danger has passed and a way forward to love the perpetrator.

[Holly King]

I have been going through something that has stirred up within me deep hurts from my past. I am a reserved person and try to mind my own business. Recently my husband and I moved to a neighbourhood where to me it feels like the neighbours are too friendly. I have pulled away and I have been bad mouthing one fellow. God forgive me for being criticle. I don't feel superior. I just feel that my privacy is being invaded. I need God's help to make me more like Him. To see this fellow as God sees him. I need to trust God more and know that he will take care of me.

Please pray for me.

[Mampho]

On 12/17/2004 at 10:03 PM, Pastor Ralph said:

Q24. (James 4:11-12) In what way does criticizing a neighbor cause you to be a judge of the law? Why do you think it is so tempting to criticize others?

because the law says love your neighbor as you love yourself, it is so tempting to criticize because we always put ourselves higher than others, so its easy to see others fault but our own.

[haar]

Q24. (James 4:11-12) In what way does criticizing a neighbor cause you to be a judge of the law?

Criticizing someone is like pointing out a wrong committed against us and this is like judging the person in our own law court.

Why do you think it is so tempting to criticize others?

I think it is so tempting to criticize others because when we feel hurt and offended, we usually want to prove our innocence or justify why we are judging the person for the wrong he/ she has committed against us.
 

[blezed]

In what way does criticizing a neighbor cause you to be a judge of the law?

Criticizing a neighbor cause you to be judge of the law because it conflicts with the law of love.

Why do you think it is so tempting to criticize others?

It is tempting to criticize others because it is easy to see the faults in others.  Also, jealously causes us to criticize others.

[Irmela]

Q24. (James 4:11-12)

In what way does criticizing a neighbor cause you to be a judge of the law?

Why do you think it is so tempting to criticize others?

It is like condemning them without maybe knowing the full facts. One translation refers to it as slandering or maligning, or just plain, speaking evil of someone. 

Because that person is in his mind an upholder of the Law, you are not judging him but the Law. God is the Lawgiver and He is the appointed Judge to see if the Law was held in contempt or not. It is not for us to do that.

I guess we hear what is being done wrong and we try in our capacity to correct it but go about it the wrong way. The best is approaching the person in question face to face and prayerfully in love talk through it and not criticize.

That's a possible beating about the bush and not answering the question. I guess if we do adhere to gossip still we try to give an answer for what it's worth, not to appear ignorant or uninterested in what is going on around us.

[Janzie]

On 12/17/2004 at 3:03 PM, Pastor Ralph said:

Q24. (James 4:11-12) In what way does criticizing a neighbor cause you to be a judge of the law? Why do you think it is so tempting to criticize others?

When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. ¹² There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you who are you to judge your neighbor?" (James 4:11-12)

It is so tempting to criticize others because it causes us to not look at our own faults but on the faults of others, making us prideful.  Until we have walked in someone else's shoes and been what they have been through, we have no right to judge.   Criticizing someone conflicts strongly with the law of love.  "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

 

[Old Jerry]

When we criticize a neighbor we don’t know all the facts because we don’t know what they are facing. The law tells us not to judge others so when we do we are judging the law. I think that we are tempted to criticize other because it make us feel above them.