Not talking about doubt process, no…

How many times have we heard the expression: “benefit of the doubt”? A lot, surely. But what does it mean..? It’s called benefit because we want to consider someone innocent until proven guilty? So far, so good. The question is another.

How many times have we heard the expression: “Stop judging that YOU may not be judged”? Even more often. And we all agree that among a pool af sinners it does not have much sense pointing finger at someone. But again:

How many times have we heard the expression: “All things are clean to clean [persons]. But to [persons] defiled and faithless nothing is clean, but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.”?

Now let’s put to a system these three equations (note that in mathematics as well they would be called ‘expressions’). What conclusion can we come to?

Firstly, for human beings judgment is something that travels along with their look. Evrything we hear, see or think, it is automatically classified as white/black/gray (simplifying). Only who has no moral values to refer to can exempt from this mental process, i.e. a baby. Remarkable is indeed we call him/her “innocent”! Why innocent? Because, it’s clear, evil is so only if it’s accomplished on purpose. Or better, crime is imputable only if you are aware of the law (while, on the contrary, state’s law does not admit ignorance). I am saying this deliberately irrespective of the fact that we are imperfect, then we tend to do what’s bad.

Then?

Then we have to fight this tendency with active mental processes. For example, as it’s so often said, it is good practice to keep for ourselves our judgements (without starting to argue about their supposed good quality) (and here we could link to rumors). After this, we have to enact a process. Inside our heads. But careful: NOT to verify “truth” (“what is truth?” from the human point of view, Pilate was certainly right), but to LISTEN THE WITNESSES, that is to strive to imagine opinions and points of view different from ours, to weigh up their reasonableness, to examine their reasons, and so on… In the end, besides if we have “liked” all this, we have to archive the session record and put our soul to rest, aware that possible judgements are a lot, and that:

A) we do not have enough elements to pass one.

B) more important: we do not have the authority to pass one.

The christian is called to keep his conduct on the base of principles, not of laws. This difference in naming, only, should let us guess that there is a difference legally-esecutively talking too. Since there are no precise rules of conduct, everyone is called to judge only himself. Once we have a clear coscience before our only Judge, our assignment ends. Then everything our neighbor or our brothers will do will be pure (that is we will bestow them a real benefit of doubt). Otherwise, if we measure with any meter, everything, i say everything our brothers will do will be wrong (or potentially wrong) in our heads. And we know this is wrong too. It is not healthy for us. It would be the curse, of doubt.

From free (“truth will set YOU free”)…

…to slave (“They bind up heavy loads and put them upon the shoulders of men”).