Judgement.

   It’s weird but even if a god doesn’t exist, we still need one. And I’m fully prepared to explain why. I know and love lots of god fearing folks, and lots of ethical atheists. This has nothing to do with either, but I do believe it could save us all.

   I’d like to address what lies at the core of almost every problem I can think of: judgement.

   First off, we have to judge. I get that. We have a plethora of input we must sift through and decipher as important or not. We cannot pay attention to everything we sense. We must judge just to survive.
   But, beyond what’s necessary, we all keep judging. And that is the core of a myriad of problematic complexities that once seen, can’t be unseen.  
   If you are a monotheist, then judgement is not your place. Your god is your judge. That one is plain and simple. You can interpret for yourself the right or wrong of whatever you do in accordance with how you deem your god might judge you. And you can assign your own value to who or what gets input on those decisions. But you can’t argue that your personal judgment is ever valid. You surrender that to the divine just by knowing that there is one. Maybe you’re a Christian and you believe homosexuality is sinful. You can share that belief if you want. But if you harass, or bully, restrict or condemn another over it - you are wrong. It’s very plain and very simple. God is their judge, not you.  If you persist, you haven’t learned. You’re building a house of cards in a hurricane. This isn’t my judgment. It’s yours. 

   Fret not. It’s ok. We love the sinner not the sin. But you are no longer surrendering to God in faith.  You’re just judging. You are sinning. You are wrong.

  
   Maybe you’re Hindu and hold that abortion is aviation of ahimsa (non violence). The same point remains valid. You, by your own admission, are not God. She must be the deciding factor of whether that fetus gets to become a baby or not, and you violating her in order to act on your judgement is wrong. Maybe you are motivated by altruism. You want to save the baby. Anyone can see that’s a problem. But it’s plainly obvious that proceeding wrongly is no viable solution. 

   Nobody said this was easy.  

   At the same time, judging each other even over faulty judgements, is wrong. Even if a baby were somehow put in charge of the entire world, and he made ridiculously short sighted decisions that endangered the very fabric of existence, one is still wrong for calling him out, hurting him, labeling his supporters, or claiming his actions were or will be entirely treacherous - because, let’s face it: nobody hears past hurt. Maybe a baby shouldn’t be qualified for this job. Maybe, others ought to evaluate, clearly and rightly step in. If one would like to engage in a debate on this, one must proceed professionally. And If you can’t, it’s fine. Forgive yourself. Understand that you really do not know the factual consequences of every action. Step aside, and maybe let someone with more stamina step in.

   Because in secular life, it’s the same. Even if it is because you’re a judge or leader of some sort and decisions are made as a result of your professional judgment in particular, you still base those judgements on stacks of other people or precedents. A politician has an obligation to their supporters and constituents. Every role has an implied responsibility. A teacher has an obligation to a curriculum. Even a businessperson has a goal to produce a profit. The judging role implicitly permeates the judgment. That’s why, it’s not entirely yours. You agree to judge on behalf of your duty. But it’s not just your judgment you are should be using. You can, and will be wrong. 

   Decades ago Daniel Quinn wrote book called Ishmael. It’s about a man talking to a gorilla. In it, the gorilla beautifully describes how humanity has gone astray, and it started with the very technology we attribute to our evolution: agriculture. When we farm, we essentially decide that this piece of land is ours, and we declare a kind of “war” on anything other than what will serve us. We kill for the sake of our plans for the future. We judge what lives and what dies. In this way, we play god.
   Here’s the really interesting part: any population increases to consume its food source. And while this is debated, it’s still fundamentally true. The other side of this is that land is finite. It will run out. As much as the population might seem intelligent, it’s another level of intelligence to see that there is a difference between real laws and what we tend to call laws. Our general laws are basically agreements, or social contracts. Anyone can kill anyone else. This proves nothing. If I don’t kill you in your sleep, you agree not to kill me. If either one of us breaks this agreement, consequences are invoked.  
   But a real law cannot be broken for example the law of gravity, or aerodynamics. This population/food relationship is real law.  

   And we broke it.

   So maybe you see where I’m going with this (and if you wisely read Daniel Quinn, you know it’s not just me). We ought not judge. We simply cannot know everything. Therefore, we will be wrong.  

   What if we started there?

   What if you live your life simply not judging? I mean judge whether or not you want to eat that berry, or where that suit. But stop judging others. Or at least if you find that you are, recognize that you are, and stop. Forgive yourself for being rash and then let go, live and let live. Speak only qualified statements. Then listen. Pretend you’re having a conversation with a god, and watch how fast life will lift. The quicker we simply get out of our own ways, the faster we might take off.  

   We stifle each other with our stories and selective sympathies. It takes time to convey our experiences and essences. As humans our only asset is our connections and ability to manipulate our environment, but it takes lifetimes to learn even what little we do, and we get so mixed up in such trifle treasures. I believe it’s time to talk about how we can all proceed, sustainably, and contractually recognize that we all know only one thing, and that is the fact that we cannot know. Feel that. Let it wash over you and take your sadness for any past and worry for any future with it. Breathe in deeply and exhale all judgement out. 

   Now open your eyes.