Don't Judge

I have covered The importance of being kind and the need for tolerance, so  let me touch on being nonjudgmental. Jesus said not to judge but, as is pften the case, that is a wretched translation.

A better translation for the word we tranlsate as judge, would be to separate out and cast aside. Shunning, an Amish practice is an example of what he meant by judging.

No matter what the actions of a person are, we do not have the right to separate them from humanity. If they are a danger, yes, we can imprison them but, even then we have to recognize and respect their humanity and treat them accordingly.

Why? Everything in the Universe contains a spark of the Divine, of God, if you prefer that term. As such, we are no better or worse than anyone else. This is why the death penalty is not acceptable. It is the ultimate cutting off and separating.

We can certainly defend ourselves and if, in doing so, another dies, well, so be it. We can kill other creatures to feed ourselves, although I believe we should at least give some thought to the fact that we are consuming what was once a living being and that we need to show them respect while they are alive.

By the same standard, the infamous super-max prisons where inmates are kept in isolation for 23 out of 24 hours a day, are completely unacceptable. If someone must be incarcerated, okay, but they must be treated humanely.

If we would be nonjudgmental, in the above sense, then the World would be a far more humane place and that would surely be better than the slaughterhouse we have been.