: I heard on the radio today about a Christian student conference where
: Christians were called to "repent" of America's "national" sins, such
: as sexual promiscuity.
: 
: To which I reply: ...whoa there!
: 
: How can I repent of _someone else's_ sin?   I can't.
: 
: And when I claim to "repent" of someone else's sin, am I not in fact
: _judging_ him?  Jesus equipped us to judge activities but warned us
: not to judge people. "Judge not that ye be not judged."
: 
: C. S. Lewis made the same point in an essay after World War II,
: when some Christian leaders in Britain were urging "national repentance"
: for the horrors (sins???) of World War II.
: -- 

I see your point, but I cannot more strongly disagree.

To repent means to turn around.  We, as a nation, have behaved incredibly
arrogantly toward God condoning, encouraging, and even forcing folks to
participate in activity directly opposed to the written Word of God.  We
have arrogantly set our nation far above the God who created it and allowed
us the luxury of living in this land.  We have set a bad example for other
nations.  We've slaughtered unborn children by the millions.  We have
stricken the name of God from the classroom.  We've cheated God out of the
honor due Him at every turn, and we owe God an apology every bit as public
as our sins have been.

When Jesus said "Judge not that ye be not judged", he was not addressing
those like John the Baptist who had repented and were calling others to
repent.  He was addressing those who remained in sin while heaping down
condemnation on others for their sins.  His message to us all was to remove
the log from our own eye before removing the speck from our brother's.  But
He also said to rebuke and to reprove.  Don't forget that this is a command
too.

Our problem today is that we tend to judge and condemn as though we were
rebuking and we tend to neglect bringing folks back to the Lord with the
excuse that we don't want to judge anyone.

In truth, what we need to do is to judge less and call others to repent more
and to be able to distinguish between the two in our own motives.  Call sin
what it is and do so openly.  Let it's charge fall correctly where it should.
But instead of running someone into hell over it, pull them out of their
hellward path and onto the heavenward path.

--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
	"I deplore the horrible crime of child murder...
	 We want prevention, not merely punishment.
	 We must reach the root of the evil...
	 It is practiced by those whose inmost souls revolt
	 from the dreadful deed...
	 No mater what the motive, love of ease,
		or a desire to save from suffering the unborn innocent,
		the woman is awfully guilty who commits the deed...
	 but oh! thrice guilty is he who drove her
		to the desperation which impelled her to the crime."