"Good judgment comes from a lot of bad experiences."
During the "woosification" of America, we lost sight of the difference between judgment and judging and it was not by accident.
Throw forgiveness, political correctness, peer group pressure and temptation into the mix and you have a recipe for disaster by design with malice and forethought.
Judging is making a determination about someone based on emotional data. Judgment is evaluating evidence and making a reasoned decision based on facts and experience.
Yet, we have victims that have been repeatedly messed over by the same person. I think the problem is that many people have a misunderstanding the Christian concept of forgiveness. I don't believe the good Lord intended forgiveness to be a license to be stupid. "Hurt me once, shame on you. Hurt me twice, shame on me."
Judgment was a gift from the good Lord to mankind. "Judge not lest ye too be judged" was more than a reminder not to get to persnickety or full of yourself. However, "Love thy neighbor" and "turn the other cheek" are not mandates to be stupid.
A person who has wronged you can apologize and asks for forgiveness (by the way, this doesn't happen often and I wouldn't hold my breath). You redeem that individual and yourself by granting forgiveness.
If the offense occurred long ago or the individual has not asked for forgiveness but you find yourself carrying hate and anger; you need to let go - so you can choose to unilaterally forgive the person.
The person who never asked for forgiveness is not even knowledgeable that they have been forgiven and probably would be offended if they knew; yet you have been able to turn loose and begin to heal yourself.
Forgiveness is a blessing for both the forgiven and the forgiver, but forgiveness doesn't mean you have to forget. You can forgive a pedophile, but you don't have to place a child back in a position where they can be abused. You can forgive a thief, but it is not a good idea to let him have a key to your house.
You can forgive a drunk, if they stay sober. You can forgive a drug addict if they stay clean and you can interact with both; but remember what Ronald Ragan said, "Trust but verify!" Evil is predicable and can be avoided, if you know what to watch for and are willing to look.
You can forgive a drunk or a druggie that chooses to stay intoxicated, but you don't have to continue to associate with them.
Evil and temptation are now institutionalized. Temptation is in our movies, on TV, in our schools, it's all over the place. Unfortunately too many folks are "drinking the Kool Aid" of tolerance and political correctness and peer group pressure.
There were signs and warnings before the Rev. Jim Jones' followers murdered their children, their spouses and each other by drinking cyanide laced Kool Aid at Jonestown! I can't imagine the depth of the peer group pressure involved that convinced parents to murder their own kids, but it was the face of evil.
When evil and temptation are "tolerated" and promoted by society, it is most often under the guise of political correctness. When we invite temptation to sit at the table and peer group pressure forces the adults to be polite; the children believe temptation is approved. Once temptation is tolerated, it becomes a "turn on".
A society that does not disapprove of something does, in fact, approve of it.
Fathers, Mothers, Teachers and Preachers have been emasculated by political correctness. When the Shepherds are gone who watches the sheep?
