We live in litigious times. By “litigious” I mean people take legal action and sometimes win huge financial rewards. A step-down from that is woke thinking, and criticism. Probably you have not been sued, and I haven’t either, but have you been criticized?

Does someone think that your ideas are incorrect?

I know some people who belong to a political party. Without naming the party, the policies are generally middle of the road, and not radical. Recently, my friends went to a local convention for their party, and when they arrived at the site, they saw a large crowd of demonstrators standing across the street, and waving protest signs.

I can’t imagine what the controversy was, but even those friends of mine, with their cautious ideas, attract critics. If you take a position, even a moderate one, and declare it in a public place, someone will oppose you. Maybe your next meeting will attract a crowd of angry people, with signs.

So, where do we find policies and ideas that might attract critics, and even lawsuits?

In churches.

I am writing as a Christian, and I know, that if we don’t believe something, sincerely, we should drop our facade. Probably a better option is to start believing and stay in. But be warned, your sincere beliefs will almost always contradict someone else, who believes that their ‘truth’ is what the world needs.

Brace yourself.

Imagine being Jewish, and living a quiet life … and then Hamas fighters, who are Muslim, attack Israel. You know the story; angry demonstrations are happening around the world, and Jewish people are suddenly worried about their safety. Who saw that coming?

Religious denominations also have their critics. I have never known about the controversy around the Seventh Day Adventists, for example. They go to church on Saturday, and I go on Sunday, but I don’t feel like arguing.

You may know, that the Adventists favor vegetarian diets, although I don’t think they require no-meat diets for their members. They have academic experts, in their universities; Loma Linda University is the school that I know of, and they appear to be one of the driving forces behind vegetarian and vegan dieting:

• READ: Seventh-Day Adventist Diet: A Complete Guide

Yes, there is a polarized argument. We now have a growing movement that promotes the health benefits of carnivore diets and recommends that we eat large amounts of meat. Now that is a polarization that will motivate critics; vegetarian versus carnivore. Recently, the meat side has criticized tax-funded, public groups that seem to get their diet information from the doctrines of a religious denomination. That is not separation of church and state.

This is an emerging public argument. Watch for more.

And here is a lawsuit: When I was a boy, my father used to joke about “Romney the Rambler.” Long ago, a Mr. Romney campaigned to be the President of the United States. He did not succeed, but he did become famous. It’s important, for this story, to know that Mr. Romney was a Mormon.

I asked my father about the “Rambler” name since my Dad was a big fan of Rambler cars, made by the American Motors Corporation. AMC Ramblers were everywhere when I was young, and even my first car was a “Rambler American” that I bought for $75.

My father explained that the Latter Day Saints, Mormons, collected money from their members, and invested it in the Stock Market. Today, their investment fund is estimated to be almost 200 billion. They have done well in that department.

The Church’s investment fund invested heavily in AMC, and people like my father made the funny name “Romney the Rambler.” That was a different generation, that mostly made lame jokes about each other. Now, the LDS Mormons are being sued, by their own members:

• READ: Mormon church sued for allegedly using donations to pad its $175B investment fund

If the critics win, there is a huge amount of money to fight over. This could explode.

I know, these are interesting stories, maybe, but they are also barometers for the times we live in now. These are canaries in the coal mine. If you are something, and if you believe, something, the critics are coming for you.

We were warned, but I think most of us are getting soft and comfortable, in a civil society. If you want to know how to avoid vicious criticism and even lawsuits, I recommend a small book in the Bible “Titus,” specifically chapter 2. Social controversy was nasty, long ago, and Christians were persecuted. We have these words:

“Showing yourself to be an example of good works in every way. In your teaching show integrity, dignity, and a sound message that cannot be criticized, so that any opponent will be at a loss, because he has nothing evil to say about us.” (Titus 2: 7 and 8)

We will be criticized, we have God’s promise. Modern times were predicted two thousand years ago.