Over the centuries, all sorts of things have been said about judgment and, much to the shame of the church, vile acts have been committed in name of God’s judgment, e.g. the burning of heretics and witches.
If I were to sit in judgment of the word, ‘judgment’, I would judge it worthy of removal from the church lexicon, for it means nothing of any value. Is it helpful in bringing love and peace into the world? Does it bring people together? Does it create understanding and acceptance? I very much doubt there would be any loss to those who wish to follow Jesus if the concept of judgment, as a theological category, disappeared completely. Indeed, we all would be better off.
Is there no such thing as judgment then? Of course, there is, but as to God’s judgment, it suggests a choice that God simply does not seem to have. We all, collectively if not personally, must suffer the consequences of our choices. This cause-effect aspect of nature is built in to the fabric of creation. If I touch a hot iron, I will feel pain. If I cut myself, I will bleed. If I…and so on. These consequences are the closest we can come to a notion of God’s judgment, for they were created (or more accurately, evolved) to be so.
Yes, we make judgments, and so we should, but let us never suggest that any of our acts or any of our decisions or any of our opinions are judgments of God.