Saying “It’s not my place to judge” made my list of unquestioned answers that Christians ought to abandon. But I understand why people say it.
To start, many of us are confused about the difference between facts and opinions. We are convinced that all moral statements are opinions. Saying “stealing is wrong” is like saying “Vanilla ice cream isn’t as good as chocolate.”
Second, Christians have largely come to believe that only God judges, and so we can’t. Now, I believe that when it comes to helping others grow spiritually, my job is to share the good news, not adding my judgment to God’s. But that doesn’t mean I can’t discern what God says is right and wrong and plainly state it and advocate for it.
Third, Christians have embraced the idea that no one can express judgements about right and wrong without being completely pure themselves. “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone,” they say, quoting Jesus.
But having good judgement is more than just having good manners. If it’s true that God gives us insight into reality, then we can form beliefs based on what is real. In order to make good judgements, they need to match up to what is really real.
It comes down to this. Having justified true beliefs is the basis of having good judgment. And therefore, good judgement is worth sharing.
So why do we face so much disagreement and confusion about moral judgements? It’s not because God is unclear about who he is and what he wants. It’s because God has communicated clearly and we have rebelled.
As Christians we need to inform ourselves so we can have justified true beliefs. We need to be able to express good judgement. Of course, how we do that really matters. We need to ask questions that display curiosity and friendly determination. Asking, not telling, helps people see past our faults—and their own—through the lens of the Bible’s message of restoration.
What it comes down to is this: saying “It’s not my place to judge” is an unquestioned answer because it cuts short vital conversations just when they’re nearing the truth.
