Criticism is defined by Collins English dictionary as the act or an instance of making an unfavourable or severe judgement, comment,etc and is the occupation of the critics. People will criticize you based on the angle they are viewing from. They are sitting on the back end of the elephant and so they don't believe that it has a trunk. They believe that their own angle is the only plausible view and it's a stance like this that caused people like Hitler, Idi Amin,etc to rise to power. Cowards rise to power when they control your perpectives and make you think that their myopic thinking is the way the world aught to be. But they fail to realize that their own pattern of reasoning and way of assessment is just a microscopic section of a much bigger picture in which mature people learn to think and fit. They fail to appreciate the blessedness of a grander view... Bishop T.D. Jakes calls this type Positional Criticism. This arises based on the perspective and priorities of the critic. They criticize you because you don't align with their perspective. Your style strangulates their strength. A lot of times people don't criticize you because they are evil but because they've been trained to think a certain kind of way and whoever doesn't do same is an enemy. They don't value what you value, their principles they make to stifle people and are a slave to their principles. Now we have different sects, religious bodies and denominations who dress a certain kind of way, eat certain food, behave according to what's laid down for them and they feel that that's how it must be. No!

Institutional Criticism means to criticize a behavior that is out of context with their point of reference. You are not normal to them. You don't fit institutionalized thinking. They say "we don't do this here, this is not acceptable here..." As if there can be no other evn better way of doing that same thing. Based on their limited experience, they want you to acquiesce to who they are at the expense of who you are. The critics make themselves the sole authority and their judgement must be final. They criticize you because you don't fit their pattern of thinking.

They want you to act like them, move like them, participate like them forgetting the fact that we are different and unique in our differences. Anytime you don't fit an institution, they will criticize you. And that's because you threaten the institution with your distinction. You are just living you life according to the template provided us in Jesus through His Word and they become critical because their lives have always revolved about a prototype that's different from their view. They say, "who does he think he is? Are we not as much Christian as he is? Is it not the same bible we read that he reads?..."

Paul said, "We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed- always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our body." 2Cor 4:8-10.

Don't Be Crushed. Rise Above Hate. Soar On Criticism. God bless us.

LordRazor1: Critics announce to you that you have just attained your next level; that you have been noticed; at least you have not been ignored. So learn whatever truth you can garner from their words and move on. And as for your die-hard critics, your brilliancy is exposing their impotency; your truth is revealing their weakness and your rise stirs up their dismay cz they never thought you would.

If they did it to Jesus sure they would whip you hard in the same manner but you have to raise your head after every lash and say "thanks but no thanks, ama du better than this next time." Develop the habit of having fun watching them criticize you while they think they are the ones having fun.... You are just more than them because they probably are shocked how you could achieve so much in a short time when it took them months/years to achieve even half of yours.

They forgot that grace differ... Rom 12:3... And it's not by might nor by power but by My Spirit says the LORD

...... To be continued.....

DrummaBoy: ^^^

In other words, never criticize.

Yet Jesus was heavily critical of the religious leaders of his day. See Matthew 23.

John the Baptist died because he dared to critique Herod.

Steven was stoned to death because he critique the Jews.

Paul critiqued false prophets of his time. He called them dogs in Philippians 3.

John critiqued a Pastor, Diotrephus, and commanded the saints to never imitate him.

The core of Jesus' words in his letters to the churches in Rev. were heavily critical.

Where did this morbid fear of criticism come from in Christendom today?

It came from falsehood that abounds in church today. I dare say no other time in Christian history demand more critical analysis of gospel preaching than now.

Again, there is only one reason anyone would fear a critic and that is if he has something to hide. He that is in the light fears not light shining on him; except he is in darkness.

Friend, forget that New Age thinking that discourages criticism. It had no example in the bible.

www.nairaland.com/1862617/criticism#25579275

LordRazor1

I am very interested in discussing this topic of yours with you but it seem you are only interested in opening new threads on each point you pose on it.

Now I have provided your part 1 on the subject above, can we discuss it? If you agree to this, can you attempt these questions please?

1. Does the bible really frown at criticism?

2. Why does the English man propose the terms "constructive" and "destructive" criticism? Is it possible that all you have discussed in the two part series so far is destructive criticism?

3. What will you do if at dining table one day your son or daughter suddenly begins to espouse a theological leaning you know will not only destroy him in eternity but will destroy him in physically too (see last verse of 1 Tim 4)?

4. Does the bible teach that you should beware of false prophets?

5. Does the bible teach that the true gospel is offensive; something like what criticism evokes?

6. Why does T D Jakes, that you quoted, preach a gospel of acceptance? A gospel without offence? An everybody gospel? Could it be because he is not preaching the gospel of Christ? Why does he seem afraid of criticism?

On the contrary, when you're been criticized... Criticism must come, it's a natural phenomenon if I may say. If I'm to explain it, when a person is biased in their assessment of something and to condemn it, that's destructive criticism, not even meant to correct! But somebody who have the learner's mind would be crushed before he learns. On the other hand, constructive criticism will not fail to appreciate something and then go ahead to say how that thing can be better done (the errors to be avoided, not outright condemnation). If I may use your words, Jesus criticized the Pharisees and co., because of their biased way of life to correct them, to make them see that a new dispensation has kicked in; but they were defiant and even wanted to kill him.