Do Not Judge

To whom did Jesus say, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24)?
To those who falsely accused Him: The crowd answered and said, “You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?” (John 7:20).

For Christians, isn't it safer for us to simply not judge at all?
Not judging at all is dangerous as it leaves the church wide open to the entry of heresies, false prophets, and wolves in sheep's clothing.

But didn't Jesus also tell us to not judge, lest we be judged?
Here is the full text of what He said: “1 Judge not, that you may not be judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with what measure you measure, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the splinter that is in your brother’s eye, but do not recognize the beam in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me pull out the splinter from your eye’; and look, a beam is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First pull out the beam from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to pull out the splinter from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:1-5). If we never judge, “the splinter in your brother's eye” (Matthew 7:3) will remain, but Jesus wants both it - sin - and “the beam” (Matthew 7:3) - the bigger sin - taken out. In this passage, Jesus isn't telling us to never judge sin; He is telling us to judge and repent of our own sins first before judging and having others repent of their sins, lest we become a “hypocrite!” (Matthew 7:5).

Aren't there some things about which we should not judge?
We are not to judge personal opinions on topics that the Bible doesn't address, such as whether or not to eat only vegetables: “And accept the one who is weak in the faith, and do not pass judgment on opinions. For one believes he may eat all things, but the one who is weak eats vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And, he shall be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.” (Romans 14:1-4).

Then what about the topics that the Bible does address?
We are to “judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24).

Then why do so many preachers today say Christians should never judge?
Some of them are wolves in sheep's clothing who don't want their own clothing inspected. Others are hirelings who don't want sin in their “church” addressed, lest their pews empty of entertained paying customers.