Lesson 6: Good Judgment is Communal

Good judgment when making decisions involves, to some degree, consideration of the common good. This does not negate the singularity of every situation but recognizes that everything is also related to everything else.

A judge representing the people in a criminal or civil court primarily offers a verdict in a single case, but that judgment goes beyond the situation in question. Both the Old Testament Torah and English common law believe a judgment sets a precedence for future decisions.

Society authorizes many people to make important judgments. Because their decisions affect the community’s health, they must undergo training, testing, and sometimes even elections.

An individual using good judgment in making decisions about his or her own life also considers the common good to some extent. One of the many factors taken into account is the latest knowledge, which in a technological society would include the latest scientific theories. Another is respect for what others think.

One of the best places to find that out is around a dinner table. Sharing food creates an atmosphere for sharing ideas. Surely, one way to begin overcoming the divisions in our society is to eat with each other.

Christians equate the common good with God’s will and often use the formula faith, hope, and love to discern what that is. You get an idea what they think goes into making good judgments when they gather around the communion table. They remind themselves how God operated in the Old and New Testament periods. An authorized preacher judges how God operates in the present and what he plans to do in the future. And they share the Communion meal to express their willingness to work with one another and God to bring peace, justice, and love to the whole community.

Tags: Christianity and Judgment, Common Good and God’s Will, Elements of Good Judgment, Good Judgment is Communal, judgment, Judgment and Eating Together, Judgment as Discernment and Accountability, Judgment in a Healthy Society