The poem explores how the phrase “judge not” has been co-opted by a modern culture that prioritizes personal freedom and pleasure over traditional moral or religious values. It begins by depicting this phrase as a protective banner for those who indulge in fleeting desires, contrasting its original biblical intent—to encourage self-reflection—with its current use as a defense for unchecked behavior. The fading influence of faith, symbolized by dim steeples and crosses, is set against the rise of a society that celebrates autonomy as its new creed. The poem closes with a provocative question, challenging readers to consider the spiritual consequences of a world where liberty overshadows accountability to a higher power.

“Judge not,” they cry, a banner high,
A shield for hearts that roam,
Through shadowed vales where pleasures lie,
They build their fragile home.

The words once meant to humble souls,
To weigh the self within,
Now guard the love of fleeting goals,
A culture drunk on sin.

The steeple fades, the cross grows dim,
Their echoes soft and few,
While freedom reigns, a cherished hymn,
To all they long to do.

Yet who will face the soul’s true cost,
When freedom reigns and God is lost?