They say is not the way

"For his letters, they say, are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence
is weak, and his speech contemptible" (2 Corinth. 10:10, New KJV). Here the
apostle Paul, the greatest evangelist who ever lived (he wrote 13 or 14 of the
26 New Testament books), had been dogged into a defense, of himself! The
problem was not Paul; not what he did or said or wrote. The problem was
what some people at the city of Corinth were saying, what "they say," about
Paul. The problem was some of the Corinthians own selves.

Now in the these days in the USA and world, some emotionally loaded
culturally preprogrammed (ELCP) "buzzwords" have been used as
conditioning devices. These ELCP buzzwords are used to knock, dock, and
block people into conformity to a program. ELCP buzzwords are used as
negative enforcers to get people to: 1) Conform to a program, or 2) If they will
not so conform, to be silent. ELCP buzzwords are used to get people to ignore
Bible authority, to accept as OK what the Bible calls sin, to undermine the
male-female heritage, to undercut parental authority, demoralize children, and
to minimize or exclude God.

Those not fitting themselves into the mold of the programmers, may be called
ELCP buzzwords like hateful, bigoted, mean-spirited, unloving, intolerant,
racist, sexist, paranoid, and fascist. Also resorted to may be a sharp repetition
of profane words, to get the "standing nail" to not stand. Somewhere I read of a
Japanese saying, "The nail that stands up gets knocked down." Actually, the
label and expletive hurling has sort of done a favor. The shock effects of ELCP
buzzwords start to fade when minds discern the difference between solid
substance backed up by godly principles, versus an ungodly agenda promoted
by bombastic ELCP buzzwords. Romans 12:2 says, "And be not conformed to
this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may
prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

Answer to “TheySayers” of the World

Refusing to obey the commandments of Christ (John 14:15; 1 John 5:3), these
TheySayers attack “Christians.” It is sectarian straw men, however, that are
being psychoanalyzed. In a rather Freudian manner the TheySayers will
psychoanalyze a stereotyped “fundamentalist.” The stereotype is said to be
overcompensating for some dysfunction or deficit (which may be so, of false
sectarians or cultics). The “bible thumping fundamentalists” are all lumped
together, which is a fallacy. Then they get “diagnosed” as neurotic children that
will not grow up to the real world. Or they are regarded as ignorant dupes who
allow their minds to be controlled in a "Nazi” way. (To link to a website with
dozens of quoted examples of how the "Hitler" label has been abused, you may
click here).

Another ELCP buzzword used to re-ignite such culturally pre-programmed
mental circuitry, is “Jim Jones” (he of religious cult in Guyana infamy). All of
these words take much time, which is the purpose (“keep away from the
Bible”). So 10,000 or 100,000 or more words of that can deplete people's
minds, as they study each other but not Christ. (Some of these issues are
touched on in my HYS Lessons #4 Hard To Be Understood, and #12 Bible
Study Tips.)

For healthy psychology, why not consult The Sermon on the Mount by Jesus
Christ. There in three (3) short chapters, Matthew 5,6, and 7, is the deepest and
highest aspiration of the human creature made in God’s image. And the amazing
thing is, it is not in ego-stroking jargon. Yes, the children, many adults, and
especially some adults, need help with the meaning of proverbs, parables, and
metaphors. Yet, the Master spoke it in simple words that children can read.
This should remind us that Christ made babes, boys, girls, men, and women.
“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in
earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or
principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him and for Him”
(Colossians 1:16, said of God’s “dear Son,” 1:13, meaning Jesus, vss 12-19).

Jesus Sets It Straight

Jesus was once called a "Samaritan, and hast a devil" John 8:48ff. Samaritan
people were part Gentile and part Jew, 2 Kings 17:22-24; John 4:1-9. Those
disbelievers were trying to dismiss Jesus, by appealing to multi-ethnic
prejudice and demonization. But that device cannot work because Jesus is the
truth (John 14:6). Jesus told them He was honoring God, and that that is why
they the disbelievers were dishonoring Jesus. In John 8:55, He told these
religious people that they "had not known" God.

The point is, those who stand for God and Christ should not be discouraged
when called names by "scoffers" (2 Peter 3:3), or when ELCP buzzwords are
thrown as "fiery darts" (Ephesians 6:16). To please God above man
(Galatians 1:10) sometimes means being "hated" (Mark 13:13; John 15:18),
"persecuted" (Matthew 5:10-12), called "strange" (1 Peter 4:4-5,12-16) and
afflicted. To be a Christian and remain one, a person must overcome the
hindrance of labels, and of what "they say" (2 Corinthians 10:10, NKJV).