One of the crushing criticisms leveled against Christianity has been where professing believers have been cruel, harsh, and condemning in their action toward others. From the atrocities of the Crusades to the cruelty expressed to Hester Prynne, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s fictitious character in “The Scarlett Letter,” Bible believing Christians have been labeled as judgmental, rigid and hypocritical.

Many of these accounts are true.  Instead of showing compassion and understanding, believers have gone on record with their actions and words as anything but redemptive. Even among our own, Church life has been the scene of friendly fire and drive-by shootings where the pain inflicted has gone to the bone. This behavior is sinful and is in direct contradiction to the commands of our Savior who taught, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” (Matthew 7:1) (more…)