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I am told that if someone \u2018loves God\u2019 and \u2018loves their neighbor\u2019 that they are nice Christians and I mustn\u2019t judge.<\/p>\n
But how do I know if they \u2018love God\u2019 and \u2018love their neighbor\u2019? What sort of objective criteria do we have for such judgements? Those who love God keep his commandments. So we avoid sentimental or subjective judgements and see if the person keeps God\u2019s commandments. If they formally allow for divorce and remarriage, homosexual \u2018marriage\u2019, abortion and contraception, if beneath the surface they are greedy, liars who manipulate and control others for power, \u00a0then even if they are nice, prayerful, respectable, intellectual and seemingly pious, well mannered people then they don\u2019t love God. They are, in fact, in rebellion against God.<\/p>\n
Secondly, people can be said to love God if they love the Truth that he has revealed to humanity. Therefore, if a person who calls himself \u2018Christian\u2019 actually formally denies miracles, denies the historicity of the incarnation and virgin birth, denies the historicity of the resurrection and the reality of heaven and hell. If they deny the simple and honest interpretation of the historic creeds of Christendom, then it would be inconsistent to say that they \u2018love God\u2019. They cannot love God if they deny the light and truth that he has revealed to his people, and no amount of religiosity, piety and good works can change that fact.<\/p>\n
Do they love their neighbor? Now the question becomes very interesting, because I would argue that one cannot truly love one\u2019s neighbor in the Christian sense if one does not wish for the salvation of their eternal soul. Oh yes, we can give food and clothing and shelter to our neighbor, and this is always a good and noble thing, but does it count as \u2018loving one\u2019s neighbor\u2019 in the fullest Christian sense? I think not.<\/p>\n
Therefore, can a person who denies God\u2019s revealed moral law and denies the doctrines that are revealed by God and affirmed by his Holy Church actually truly and fully \u2018love his neighbor\u2019? No, because without a full understanding and participation in God\u2019s moral law and doctrinal revelation they cannot love God fully, not can they love their neighbor fully for they cannot assist their neighbor to the greatest blessing of all\u2013which is their soul\u2019s salvation.<\/p>\n
I am not loving my neighbor therefore if I condone and bless their sinful lifestyle. Neither can I say that I love my neighbor is I communicate to him a version of the Christian gospel which is\u2013in fact\u2013heretical.<\/p>\n
This sounds harsh, and I am not on a campaign to judge other individuals. However, I do wish to avoid the sentimentality and mushy subjectivism that pretends that just because a person seems nice, respectable, religious, pious and socially involved that they are \u2018good Christians\u2019. Fact is, we don\u2019t know if they are or not, but we can see what they believe and how they behave and make some tentative judgements.<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s okay if you begin the judgment with the person in the mirror.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I am told that if someone \u2018loves God\u2019 and \u2018loves their neighbor\u2019 that they are nice Christians and I mustn\u2019t judge. But how do I know if they \u2018love God\u2019 and \u2018love their neighbor\u2019? What sort of objective criteria do we have for such judgements? Those who love God keep his commandments. So we avoid […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":557,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
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