Comments for Can you stop judging others for a month?

Can you stop judging others for a month?

2009-12-01T02:52:16Z

I've been asked to take part in vocalo.org's "Month on Faith" by issuing a challenge to my readers and the vocalo listeners. This challenge doesn't have to be specific to any particular faith- (which is good, because I am a combo platter..) and should make others want to share their experiences.

So why "no judgement?" Because every person I know, spiritual or otherwise, won't be able to succeed. Go ahead- and just try to prove me wrong. You will lose.

While it's not very "spiritual" of me to predict everyone's failure- I speak from experience. This Thanksgiving alone, I saw more judgment fly around within three days than many deal with in several weeks. It started with someone's insistence that we serve canned cranberry sauce, and ended with the jerk kicking the back of my chair on the airplane ride home.

Since every guru or spiritual leader from Jesus to Buddha beats the "no judgment" drum, I figured I would ask everyone to just try it for the month of December. This can be in regards to anything-- from not lashing out at your drunk Uncle for passing out at the dinner table, to resisting that eye roll as you watch some fat ass at the check out counter buy 5 bags of Doritos. NO JUDGMENT... PERIOD. Everyone is where they are, and it is not our job to make them otherwise. Just wish them well, and move on. Do not extend energy on judging their actions or beliefs. It's a misuse of your energy.

So- I tried it out for the weekend. Within hours, I'd already gotten mad at my Mom for trying to get me to watch a preacher named Joel Olsteen on Sunday morning. While I'd never heard of him, apparently he's all the rage with the Christian crowd, speaking to stadiums full of

followers every weekend.

"You can NOT be contained," he said, his voice in full vibrato as he held up his bible.

"I just don't like his delivery, Ma," I tried to explain. (Any preacher that has both a southern drawl and a mullet just isn't for me, okay?)

"You are so judgmental," she pointed out. "Just listen to his message."

But just look at the size of his teeth??!

Yikes. So I've already failed, and that was before we officially hit the "month of Faith.."

See what I mean? This is gonna be tough, dammit!

Comment from elena on 2009-11-30

2009-12-01T04:47:52Z

right, the answer is no. i thought that before i even read the post. i will try but i am doomed to fail.

Comment from Sexy Isra on 2009-11-30

2009-12-01T05:01:28Z

A couple family members and friends love Joel and have been trying for years to get me to watch his show or videos. Knowing people have public and private aspects to their being, I don't feel inclined to get my direction in life from someone whom I don't know how he leads his private or whether he and/or his family members follow what he preaches. As we and a couple flight attendants found out a couple years ago, Joel's wife especially is a judge mental pompous person who feels it is her birthright to receive preferential treatment even physically assaulting airline personnel when she didn't receiving it.

Comment from Sexy Isra on 2009-11-30

2009-12-01T05:02:35Z

Comment from Sexy Isra on 2009-11-30

2009-12-01T05:03:07Z

Comment from Sexy Isra on 2009-11-30

2009-12-01T05:03:12Z

Comment from Sexy Isra on 2009-11-30

2009-12-01T05:03:52Z

Comment from Sexy Isra on 2009-11-30

2009-12-01T05:04:16Z

Comment from elena on 2009-12-05

2009-12-05T16:31:52Z

i have been trying, but no luck. there is too much going on in the news these days. also, yesterday the traffic was horrible and i had errands to run so i judged other drivers. i especially judged the truck driver who got his rig stuck under a viaduct, resulting in traffic being re-routed and obnoxious.