Idle questions for Monday musings
By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Mar 10, 2014
If you say that you’re not going to judge someone, can you then say “Bravo” about his public statements? Isn’t it perfectly acceptable to judge someone’s public statements (as opposed to his private actions, or the state of his soul)? And isn’t “Bravo” a clear judgment?
Phil Lawler has been a Catholic journalist for more than 30 years. He has edited several Catholic magazines and written eight books. Founder of Catholic World News, he is the news director and lead analyst at CatholicCulture.org. See full bio.
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
-
Posted by: koinonia -
Mar. 10, 2014 8:13 PM ET USA
There is some solace to be taken in candor, honesty. It allows others to know where one stands. It is difficult to maintain any credibility in speaking to Catholic understanding with regard to the natural law when our commentary excludes the objective. It's a feel good story; we live in a feel good time, and it is not good press to dispense with the feel good in order to cut to the chase. And we all enjoy a great big smile from time to time.
-
Posted by: jg23753479 -
Mar. 10, 2014 4:46 PM ET USA
I've noticed that the "No judgments,please!" Street is strictly one-way. If I say, for instance, that G W Bush was a knucklehead, well now, that's only a common sense observation. But if I say that Barack Obama is a hypocrite who uses religious talk to paper over an essentially evil agenda, I cross the line; I'm being 'judgmental'. And if my interlocutor happens to be a case-hardened liberal, he'll probably throw in that I'm a racist to boot!
