Thanks for addressing this. I've had this topic on my mind for quite some time. Just a quick note on the Barna stats, some of them have been called into question in Bradley Wright's book:
Christians are Hate-Filled Hypocrites and Other Lies You've Been Told.

I think the nature of online discourse can add to the blurring of the line between discerning and judging. The public forum, impersonal nature, and the inability to set a particular tone for the discussion often ruins a redemptive opportunity.

I interpret "Judge not" in light of its following verse: "For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you." (Mt 7.2) Jesus didn't prohibit judging, but double standards.

However, He didn't come into this world to judge it, but to save it, and I think that's the better guideline to follow.

Good article - especially the application at the end.

I believe you're right in that Christians should be able to discern the difference between right and wrong, and that final judgment should ultimately be left up to God.

I did a study on the judging passages from Matthew 7 a while back, and state my case a bit differently than you've stated yours (emphasizing discernment): http://westcoastwitness.com/2010/03/08/on-judging/

Through the Matthew 7 judging passages, I believe Jesus is teaching us to work toward developing our ability to discern right from wrong so that we can help others.

Skye,

How do you reconcile what you've said above with Paul's clear instruction to the Corinthians in 1 Cor 5:9-13?

9I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

12What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you."[b]

Clearly here there is a command for us not to be "world judgers" but it seems equally clear that we are to judge each other as believers. Not, of course, in an "I'm better than you" way but with genuine care and a desire for reconciliation.

Michael, agreed and may I add:
We must judge our fellow brothers and sisters according to Scripture. This is never to be done for the purpose of demeaning but for reconciliation with God. If I see a fellow Christian going down a treacherous path, woe to me if I just say, "Well, I can't judge them." The MOST loving thing I can do in that moment is judge their actions.

Michael - it would be appropriate in 1 Corinthians 5 to translate "krino" - the word rendered "to judge" in most English translations - "to punish" or "to exercise church discipline."

Paul is speaking about church discipline in the context of the verse - "what business is it of mine to exercise church discipline on those outside of the church? You're only to do this with brothers and sisters in Christ" is in essence what he's saying.

Michael, Patrick and Sheerahkahn, I think the passages in James 5:19-20 and Galatians 6:1-3 speak to the issue you are addressing. I think "judge not" really refers more to an attitude of the heart that says "because you did that, you are less worthy of the grace of God than I am, you are somehow less than me." It is typified by the Pharisee in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican praying in the Temple. It is something that expresses itself many times in public (and internet conversations), around the water cooler, in gossip sessions in the lobby after church, etc., where many times it seems we are more interested in distancing ourselves in the minds of our interlocutors from some scandalous person or event than we are in seeking out and restoring lost sinners and preventing a hostile judgmental atmosphere in the company of the faithful like that generated by the older brother in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. But it is not something that precludes proper church discipline on the part of church leadership, nor correction of a brother or sister we see imperiling their own souls (or those of others) when this is done genuinely out of love and in a spirit of humility. On the contrary, this, too, is an expression of love as you have pointed out, and its goal is the restoration and preservation of the sinner to communion with God, not his condemnation. Since this is the goal, I hesitate to say as Sheer does, that we condemn the sinner along with the sin. Holding someone responsible for their sin and realistically warning him of the natural consequences of his decisions, istm, is not the same thing as declaring him condemnable, contemptible and worthless, or outside the reach of the mercy of God (or at least any more so than I am!), because he has committed it.

I do think the scriptures that instruct "to judge" have to be in context of the "not to judge" ones (and vice versa). My reconciliation is that 1) Judging outside the church must always be personal. So protesting someone or something is usually off limits. 2) judging inside the church should usually be personal as well. If you really have the right heart to call someone to repentance, then an open letter on your blog is probably not the right method and probably unbiblical. 3) judging should most often occur inside the local church, with the strong caveat of being done in love and with the purpose of reconciliation.

Good work here Skye. It is final judgment--condemnation--that we are not to enter into. Well said and well exegeted.

On the other hand, like you said, we need to discern, differentiate between good and evil daily...in fact we need to judge between which side of the road we drive on and which bathroom to go into depending on whether i'm a guy or gal. judge/discern/differentiate yes; judge/condemn no.

Good article. We are all judgmental in the sense of discernment and preference. Even your quote of Martin Luther King "segregation is morally wrong and sinful" reflects his judgment. The key distinction in using judgment between the two contexts lies with the motive and attitude. I also think we often use "do not judge" as an excuse to continue our sinful practices.

You can split rhetorical hairs and rationalize hypocrisy for 1000 posts, but at the end of the day way too many Christians are very judgmental people who really see themselves as better than their neighbor.

They're eager to condemn other people while resting assured that faith, not works, guarantees their own personal sins are okey-dokey with God.

Here is the typical process:
1. A Christian has a belief about the sins of another group of people.
2. They study scripture.
3. They find out that God shares their views about the sins of that other group of people.

Makes excuses until the cows come home, but if 90% of people say Christians are judgmental, Christians are judgmental!

Good article by Skye. if it were 50% shorter it would have been great and really stuck with me.
It could be that this judgmental stuff has to do with judging the action or the person.
It's been my experience with people who say Christians are judgmental is that they simply don't like being called into account for their wrongdoings. They take their actions being called into account personally.

I think Skye misses what non-Christians mean when they say Christians are judgmental. They mean that Christians think they are going to hell if they don't become like the Christians. Of course, most non-Christians think that Christians believe that good works get you to heaven, so they assume that Christians are saying that they have done enough good works and are therefore better people than others.

So some of the problem is a misunderstanding of what Christians actually believe. We don't believe in salvation by works and so don't believe we a morally better people.

But even deeper, once non-Christians realize what Christians really believe, they are still offended by the idea that only believers are going to heaven. In other words, non-Christians aren't so much calling Christians judgmental as calling the Gospel judgmental. They are offended by the exclusivity of the Gospel.

I feel as Christians this is what we do best and this is the area that needs the most work on. Christians (and I'm included) we tend to judge people based on how they dress, or look, or even the actions that they do. And that's not how we should be living. The big picture though is Christians hate being judged! But it's OK for us to do the judging but once they cross the line and start judging us, watch out the glows are off.

The article hit it on the nose- It was very informative and understandable. As a human- we all judge, it is how we are wired. If God didn't wire us this way, we would be long gone before the doe doe bird. Jesus' definition on judgement is different from our understandings.
I judge people all the time, but I can always change my judgement.
Jesus didn't want us to be too critical- be more light on folks, because they are people like your self, not perfect.