Ahnok ahrk Rahro kogaan, gentle reader…
It is one thing to spend thousands upon thousands of years atop the highest mountain in the world and meditate on the thu’um -it is quite another to enter the world of social media, and have those thoughts and meditations come under public scrutiny. Many teachers of the thu’um have experienced this as they transitioned over to Facebook and Twitter. Some handle it by simply blocking the person talking to them. Others choose to just ignore it. This dovah does not ignore, nor does he block (unless, of course, one were to become greatly disrespectful). All the same, many may encounter those who, being ignorant of the thu’um, which to discredit it, or call it unbiblical.
And so, gentle reader, many of you may be wondering just what you should do if you should encounter criticism. Based off of many who share my theology, as well as examples of those who have dealt with contrary opinion on this wonderful bit of sorcery known as the Internet, I have gathered together a listing of actions for you to undertake. Some reading this may perform them all; some may only perform some. Either way, I believe this will assist you in how to deal with critics of the thu’um.
First, attack their experience. They do not know what it is like to be a dovah. They do not know what it is like to execute their thu’um. They have never experienced the thu’um. They have never seen the effects of the thu’um. Every human knows that you cannot comment upon a single thing unless you have first experienced it. Some will try to argue with you that moral standards are not bound by one’s experiential knowledge of the subject, and some may even try to point out that biblical doctrine and the words of Scripture trumps all experience. When this happens, tell them to simply throw out their Bible, their Lexicon, their Church History, and rely upon their experiences. Yes, gentle reader, your experiences are what is important. If they are holding up their Bibles and trying to hold you to it, then they do not truly understand the thu’um.
Second, accuse them of having a dead faith. You may have no personal knowledge of their spiritual state, but this will be irrelevant – they aren’t experiencing what you’re experiencing, and hence that must mean they don’t have any faith. If they are not experiencing a thu’um, they are not really experiencing their faith. In fact, you might subtly suggest they are unsaved. Of course, you do not want to go all out and say they are not saved…that would be zok meyus – most foolish. Simply make passive aggressive accusations that, if they do not regularly experience the thu’um in their day to day walk as a Christian, they may not truly know Christ. Aazrii wah kos niin!
Thirdly, call them a Pharisee. Studen grahmin. This ploy will surely work. Find any passage of Scripture in which the Pharisees are mentioned or make an appearance, and somehow work your opponent into them. Work their position into the Pharisees, even if history and the plain wording of Scripture somehow contradicts it. While secularists have their Godwin’s Law regarding the Nazis, we Christians have the Pharisee card, and we should utilize it in the face of discernment and contrary opinion whenever possible.
Finally, if all else fails, and the criticism of you ramps up, play the martyr card. “Oh, woe is me,” you can say, “I am under attack just for defending God!” Pull out Biblical names and apply them to yourselves, as this will earn you further sympathy. Do not even be afraid to use the name of Christ, and compare yourself to his position. Remember, these people desire to stop you from being a good Christian, which means practicing your thu’um! By employing the martyr card, you will distract people from any fault on your own end, and remind them that YOU are supposed to be the good guy.
I hope this post has instructed those practitioners of the thu’um in the proper way of handling criticism that you may come across in your spiritual path. Some will criticize these tactics as fallacious and unreasonable, and some will accuse it of merely employing extra-biblical concepts of emotionalism, but they are using their fallible human understanding of these things. After all, gentle reader, you must remember: if they have never shouted out their thu’um, they cannot comment on whether or not it is biblical.
Rah kog.
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