CHARACTER ASSASSINATION

                     

False allegations and character assassination are twin evils which the arch enemy of humanity, that is to say, the devil has found to be potent tools for destroying the reputations of innocent persons globally. As a victim of false allegations and character assassination and yet more than a conqueror through the Lord Jesus Christ, I would like to invite you to read this article entitled ‘‘Character Assassination’’ written by an anonymous author and posted on one of the social media platforms recently; Excerpts of the said article (though slightly edited) are presented as follows:

‘‘CHARACTER ASSASSINATION’’

‘‘One mistake you should never make in life, is to allow yourself to be recruited by someone, to hate another person who hasn't wronged you. Hear this: “We must avoid taking hasty conclusion because of what others are saying about someone else..."What people say about others, says a lot about them. I am repeating this more directly: The things you say about others, says a lot about you! I can tell a lot about a person by what they choose to see in others. Character assassination is a pervasive and destructive phenomenon that is found everywhere. You find it in families, places of worship, organizations, work places, etc. Character assassination is the deliberate, malicious, unjustified and sustained effort to damage the reputation or credibility of an individual. Character assassination is the slandering of a person usually with the intention of destroying public confidence in that person. “Character Assassination” is the act of lowering one’s character in a bid to ruin the character of others. There are people that take maximum delight in ruining other's reputation. These set of people have what I will like to call ‘Destructive Tendencies’. They oil their own ego by pulling other people down. PhD (pull him down). False allegations are the most chronic form of mental abuse. When people can’t kill your dreams and purpose, they will try to assassinate your character. There are some people that your spirit will always irritate their demons! Once they realize hating isn’t working they start telling and spreading lies about you. People are assassinated once but ‘Character Assassination’ kills daily! Character assassination is a form of emotional violence against others. Someone once said, “A friend of my enemy is my enemy.” One of the things that hinder us from living a fulfilling and inclusive life is bringing past bias and sentiments into present relationships. A friend of your enemy is not necessarily your enemy; it all depends on intentions and contributions. God can use your enemy’s friend to bless you!`

7 Critical ‘DON’Ts’ that you really need to guard yourself against.

``Refusing to getting trapped in them will help you live a more productive, fulfilling and unbiased life. They are:

1. Don’t conclude about people because of what others say about them: Never draw up conclusions based on what others tell you about someone. It is a lack of social intelligence that makes people draw conclusions on others based on what other people say about them. I know you’ve heard about emotional and financial intelligence, but there is something called social intelligence. This is the kind of intelligence that keeps you sane even when others are trying to pollute your mind against someone else until you have thoroughly confirmed the veracity of the claims before you. Judges are trained to have this kind of intelligence in order to avoid biased judgments.

2.  Don’t inherit other people’s enemy: It is total lack of education and enlightenment when you automatically make your friend’s enemies your own. Don’t make people your enemies just because they are not in good terms with your friends.

3. Don’t use your children as weapons of war:

God can use your enemies to bless your children Stop using them to fight those you don’t like. Your children will need to discern their enemies for themselves; never use your parental influence to make your children hate others. You may often need to guard them with their choice of friends but never plant the seed of discord in the heart of your children against someone else.

 4. Don’t gang up with others to hate someone: Don’t join the majority to hate someone – you may realize that the person has no offence. Someone said, “If you don’t see it with your own eyes, or hear it with your own ears. Don’t invent it with your small mind and share it with your big mouth”. Never join the multitude to hate someone else.

5. Don’t be used as weapon in other people’s battle: It is not every battle that you must involve yourself in. Refuse to be used as weapons in other people’s battle. When people fight dirty, refuse to take sides. Observe deeply before concluding finally.

6. Don’t hate people just because they don’t behave like you: That someone is not your tribe doesn’t make them your enemy. It is a waste of education if the only people you like are those that are like you. The greatest proof of our education is in how we respond to people whose opinions are different from ours. People who think their opinions are superior to others are most prone to overestimating their relevant knowledge and ignoring chances to learn more. The people who don’t think like you are your greatest source of enlightenment. It is normally people that are not like us that help us grow the most. Companies that had maximized growth are really those that value diversity and inclusion.

7. Don’t judge people until you know the whole story: Someone once said, “Beware of the half-truth. You may have gotten hold of the wrong half”. Don’t judge other people’s choices without understanding their reasons.

If people say something bad about you or judge you as if they know you, don’t easily get affected. Remember this, dogs bark if they don’t know the person. People who are intimidated by you talk about you with hopes that others won’t find you so appealing. Stay away from people who talk bad about others daily; these kind of people carry a negative spirit, and a negative spirit is contagious. The real problem is not that they are unhappy about others, but they are unhappy with themselves. Stop the destructive habit of talking about people behind their back. Talking badly about someone else while they aren’t there to defend themselves says more about you than the person you’re talking about. When you have issues with people, try and discuss it with them. Stop discussing it with others. Someone once said, “Don’t talk about me until you have talked to me”. Stop spreading false information and rumours about others. Rumours are carried by haters, spread by fools and accepted by idiots! Stop creating walls of contention, rather help build bridges of understanding among people.’’***

***The end of the article written by an anonymous author.

I must say that the foregoing article will remain relevant as long as humans continue to live on earth. However, a few salient points would now be considered in addition to the ones highlighted in the said article:

1. It should be noted that one of the reasons why false allegations and character assassination have now become so pervasive globally; is because it is easier to deceive people than to convince them that they have been deceived. In this regard, a victim of false allegation and character assassination may live the rest of his/her life trying to prove to people that he/she is indeed innocent. ‘‘A lie is still a lie, even if everyone believes it; the truth is still the truth, even if no one believes it.’’-Anonymous quote. According to the scriptures, “...there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.”-Luke12:2. 

2. At times, the devil can influence people to make false accusations against other persons. The scriptures state that ‘‘Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. ‘‘Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’’-Matthew 5:11-12. I am a born-again Christian, and I can attest to the victories the Lord Jesus Christ gave me as a victim of false accusations and character assassination. To God be the glory. Again, the scriptures assert that “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”-2 Timothy 3:12 

3. Security: People now use false accusations and character assassination as security tools to fight their enemies. This is the most tragic aspect of it. I am stating this based on my experience as a victim of false accusations and character assassination. An innocent person might be falsely accused of stealing something, the next thing that will happen is that people will begin to treat the person falsely accused as a thief where ever he/she goes. People do it because the devil has succeeded in making them believe that they are being proactive by taking such actions against innocent people. 

Finally, a number of references from the scriptures would be cited to buttress the fact that false allegations and character assassination are sinful acts that can separate human beings from God eternally viz:

‘‘A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.’’-Proverbs 19:9 ‘‘...repent ye, and believe the gospel.’’-Mark 1:15

‘‘But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

‘‘For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.’’-Matthew 12:36-37

Would you like to know how you can be converted and become a child of God through the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ? Please read the following excerpts of one of this author's blog-articles entitled ''God’s Judgment: Humanity and Two Available Options.'' viz:

''Four Basic Steps to Salvation.''
''1.   Acknowledge that you are a sinner; ''For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.’’-Roman 3:23
''2.    Repent today, confess and forsake your sins. ''He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.’’- Proverbs 28:13
''3.   Believe in your heart that God loves you and Christ died for you. ''But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’’-Romans 5:8
''4.   Ask the Lord Jesus to come into your life through a prayer of faith, accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”-Revelation 3:20'' Thank you.