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I first mentioned the book Married Sex: A Christian Couple’s Guide to Reimagining Your Love Life just after it came out two years ago. Someone commented that over half of the reviews on Amazon are strongly negative, and asked if I had read the reviews. I had not. But I had read the book, so I felt I was on solid ground, giving it a strong recommendation.

I did some digging on the negative reviews and found they were the result of a smear campaign against the book. Only one of the 36 one-star reviews were Verified Purchasers, and as someone who had read the book, it was obvious many of those attacking it had not read it.

I bring this up because most of us have been on the receiving end of a smear campaign in our lives. Lori and I have been there several times, and it’s no fun.

Here’s the thing – two years later, the Amazon rating for Married Sex is 4.5 stars. Eighty percent are five stars, and only 9% are one star. It’s easy to motivate haters, and they can claim the narrative for a while, but over the long haul they can’t drown out the truth.

Several years after Lori and I walked away from a situation where we were smeared, we got a letter from a couple who have been part of the group. They apologised for believing what they heard. It had over time become obvious that we were being lied about, and they just got caught up in group think.

All of this is to offer you two takeaways:

1.  If you are on the receiving end of a smear campaign, know that jealousy and hate can only claim the narrative for a time. The truth will come out.
2. If you have ever been fooled by a smear campaign and turned on or abandoned someone because of that, please consider sending them an apology. It will mean more to them than you can imagine. 

BTW, props to authors by Gary Thomas and Debra K. Fileta for handling an ugly situation in a most Christ-like manner.

~ Paul – I’m XY, and I always recall Jesus was the victim of a smear campaign! 

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