have you ever been judged

have you ever been judged 

by people who don't even know you

yet somehow believe that they are right

and you are wrong, 

based on what they think they know about you

and based on their opinions of what they think they know?

have you ever been lectured

by someone who doesn't know you

yet has made assumptions about you

and believing that those assumptions are true,

thinks he or she knows more about your life

than you do,

more about what you should or shouldn't be doing,

more about who you should or shouldn't be ... ?

or how about by someone who knows you,

but doesn't ... "know" you ...

unfortunately i think most of us have been there at some time or another!

in my experiences, most of the times when this has happened,

it has been by people who are devout christians or strong believers of some faith

which somehow, which i don't understand, 

affords them the illusory position of being better than me,

more capable of determining right from wrong,

and actually powerful enough to pass judgment and condemn me

based solely on the imagination in their very closed mind.

i find it sad that anyone would claim a lifestyle based on love,

yet reject the very act of loving,

and reject another human being,

thereby rejecting the true foundation of religions all around the world.

are we here to judge?

or are we here to learn ...

are we here to criticize?

or are we here to grow ...

are we here to reject others?

or are we here to love others ...