All About Judgment

In other times and places (not, however, in twenty-first century America), it could be very difficult to know the true from the false and the good from the evil. Discernment was necessary. The word discern comes from Old French: dis (apart) + cernere (to separate). It means to distinguish/divide or separate (a thing) mentally from another or others; to recognize or determine; to use keen perception or judgment.

Miles Coverdale, 1549. “It is not the sacraments that discern the children of God from the children of the devil; but the purity of life, and charity.” (In other words, you will know them by their fruits.)

Robert Tailor, 1614: The Hog hath lost his Pearle. “That precious gem of reason by which solely we are discerned from rude and brutish beasts.”

The difficulty in distinguishing good from evil is partly due to the fact that to be credible, evil must closely imitate good. Antichrist must mimic Christ, but only the latter has true power and authority; the former is a sham.

There are those that have the gift of discernment; they have the purity of sight that cuts to the heart of things. But for others, discernment takes time; its essence is careful consideration. One must gather all the facts and then sift and weigh them, using sound judgment.

I’ve noticed recently that discernment is like a horse-drawn carriage—quaint, but not necessary in the modern world. Events, like automobiles and airplanes, move much more quickly now. We don’t have time to gather all the facts and then sift and weigh them. Today, the children of the devil can be identified instantaneously, no discernment needed.

It’s simple and convenient: They all wear hats bearing a particular political slogan.

Certain characteristics always occur in those who wear the hats—you may depend on it, and all the news networks will confirm it. Such people are 1) bigoted; 2) uneducated; 3) patriotic; 4) rude and brutish beasts. As such, they must be instantly derided and condemned. And of course, no one denounces or castigates better (or more quickly—why wait for the facts?) than those Arbiters of Virtue, the major news networks.

Oh, you children of the devil, you can’t hide anymore—it’s a tough time for you.