Judge Not

Scripture cautions us not to judge another person’s faults, even when they are evident, because neither are we perfect and free from error. Scriptures of all faiths echo Jesus’ teaching, not to regard the speck in your neighbor’s eye before removing the log from your own eye.

Father Moon teaches the rule of three: before criticizing another person once, criticize yourself three times. Furthermore, before we correct another person, we should first invest in loving and helping them.

Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment that you pronounce, you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, “Let me take the speck out of your eye,” when there is the log in your own eye?

You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. Matthew 7.1-5

Easily seen are others’ faults, hard indeed to see are one’s own. Like chaff one winnows others’ faults, but one’s own one hides, as a crafty fowler conceals himself by camouflage. He who sees others’ faults is ever irritable—his corruptions grow. He is far from the destruction of the corruptions. Dhammapada 252-53 (Buddhism)

The vile are ever prone to detect the faults of others, though they be as small as mustard seeds, and persistently shut their eyes against their own, though they be as large as vilva fruit. Garuda Purana 112 (Hinduism)

Do not judge your comrade until you have stood in his place.12 Mishnah, Avot 2.5 (Judaism)

A man holding a basket of eggs does not dance on stones. Buji Proverb (African Traditional Religions)

Confucius said, “The gentleman calls attention to the good points in others; he does not call attention to their defects. The small man does just the reverse of this.” Analects 12.16 (Confucianism)

Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God; as it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God. So each of us shall give account of himself to God. Romans 14.10-12

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such. What do you say about her?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the eldest, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus looked up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again.”13 John 8.3-11

He who treads the Path in earnest Sees not the mistakes of the world; If we find fault with others We ourselves are also in the wrong. When other people are in the wrong, we should ignore it, For it is wrong for us to find fault. By getting rid of this habit of fault-finding, We cut off a source of defilement. When neither hatred nor love disturb our mind Serenely we sleep. Sutra of Hui Neng 2 (Buddhism)

Censuring others and praising himself, concealing good qualities present in others and proclaiming noble qualities absent in himself, he causes them to have low status. Disparaging himself and praising others, proclaiming qualities which are present in others and not proclaiming those that are absent in himself, with humility and modesty he lifts them to high status. No obstacle should be created in the [spiritual] development of others. Tattvarthasutra 6.25-27 (Jainism)

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
Before judging someone, study him for at least three years. (Way of God’s Will 2.2)

Do not criticize others; the problem is within you. A weak point of young people is that their minds are stretched out in all directions, like tree branches. Do you know what I mean? They are perceptive and quick; after one glance they are quick to make comments.

However, they tend to overlook themselves. Therefore, before you criticize someone, you should first find three points to criticize in yourself. Be only one-third as critical of that person as you are of yourself. (25:93-94, September 30, 1969)

Do not judge anyone in your heart. You yourself are a sinner, a priest who failed to complete your responsibility; so how can you judge others? (89:268, December 4, 1976)

When you receive God’s grace, you should use it to fight Satan on behalf of God, with the heart of Heaven’s indignation. You should not judge other people based on your opinions.

To enjoy the grace you received [while passing judgment on others who received less] is not the right attitude of faith. If you do so, you will not be able to walk the path acceptable to God. (2:200-01, May 19, 1957)

If you are deficient in your character, listen to other people’s testimonies to make up for it. Listen to them, absorb their experiences as your own, and strengthen your character thereby. You should learn from many people’s experiences. Do not criticize their testimonies after hearing them.

To criticize means to set yourself up as determining whether it is on the side of Satan or God. But in so doing, it is you who are split to be either on Satan’s side or God’s side. Therefore, criticism is like cancer to your growth. (76:141, February 2, 1975)

Examine yourself. Before you speak ill of another, you should look at whether you have that problem. Before you point the finger at another, you should first point it at yourself. Only when you can give yourself a perfect score on every point are you in a position to judge others as you wish.

Jesus taught this when he encountered the men who were about to stone to death a woman who had committed adultery. He said to them, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone,” and they all ran away. Doesn’t this also apply to you?

You women should not praise your offspring while criticizing other people’s children. Rather, you should regard yourself as representing all womankind and love every mother’s child as your own. It is the same with you men. (118:245, June 6, 1982)