Don't critique my underpants

I want to be a critic. You know the kind? Like those professional people who work for a newspaper, or magazine, or even TV and they write critiques on cars; which make and model is the best and why.

Or they write critiques about books, films, plays in the theatre, or restaurants.

And what they say matters because they tend to influence many people. The buying public does take account of what they say, it seems.

So if any critic says something nice about my books, hopefully more people would buy and enjoy a copy.

Well, that's what I want to be when I grow up. A critic.

Not of cars for I know very little about cars. Or books, or films or plays or restaurants either. I have no time for any of these.

Far too busy writing my own books, you know.

I'd rather be a food and drinks critic.

For example, I like Guinness.

It's nice whether you buy it in a bottle, a can, or get it in draught from a pub.

There, that's one critical review to my name.

I could also say I like whisky, and my favourite liqueur is Drambuie; and I like a certain tomato ketchup but I get my finger stuck in the top trying to get the last drop out. Why is it there's always a little ketchup that will not come out of the bottle?

Positive critiques or reviews may influence people and encourage them to buy the product. I am grateful to many of you for your kind and generous reviews of my books.

But a negative review can be much more harmful.

It costs a lot of money to make a film, or to put on a production on stage, or to open a restaurant, or make a computer game. All it takes is one bad review to negate all the costs involved and possibly ruin the people or organisations behind the business venture. 

Sometimes, reviewers compete to outdo each other in their negative reviews. They don't want to be out of step with other reviewers, it seems.

I sometimes wonder whether such reviewers think seriously about the harm they are doing with their bad reviews. So they really care? Can they really do any better themselves? Have they ever produced a film or a play, or made a computer game or opened a restaurant? Have they ever risked their money in doing something only to find it is criticised by others?

And how about religion?

I could review different religions and Christian denominations and tell you what I think of each of them and perhaps recommend them to you.

As a Christian, I could also write reams of papers about Christianity, what it is, what it means, and why it is good for you.

You too, you can also do the same and write books and blogs and magazine articles about Christianity.

On the other hand, we could show Christianity by the way we live.

"Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words." St Francis of Assisi.