One of the Devil's beatitudes is: Blessed are they who gossip, for they cause strife and divisions that please me. Both Conservatives and Liberal Christians are guilty of this. So is the REST of the world regadless of their race, culture, lifestyle and beliefs. The fact of the matter is that GOSSIP does not discriminate anyone. Everyone is guilty and everyone is hurt by gossiping.
Gossip, rumors, slander, false accusations, lies, evil speech can stain and pollute and destroy.
Bible does say; Dont gossip
Dont backbite. Fishing around with little hints to find out if anybody else knows about this, is a form of gossip.
Do we discourage others from spreading the gossip?
or
Do we encourage others with listening ears?
Gossiping is a sin, as it is a lack of love.
The Greek term "tattlers" speaks of gossip or babble.
Proverbs 11:13
A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.
Proverbs 16:28
A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.
Proverbs 18:8
The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts.
Proverbs 20:19
A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.
Proverbs 26:20
Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.
Proverbs 26:22
The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts.
Romans 1:29-30
They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,slanderers......
2 Corinthians 12:20
For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.
3 John 1:10
So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.
A Christian who are to give good testimonies to others that will have a good reputation, especially to the outsiders who are watching. Our reputation is evangelism that God CAN use, not when we slander others.
Jesus reserved His strongest criticism for religious people who used their spiritual reputation to get social attention and honors. Jesus saw clearly into the practice of religion, which holds the opinions and attention of man to be more important and desirable than the approval of God. Often Religion leaders makes life harder.
Because religion cannot change a heart, it tries to control people with laws and expectations that are not even kept by the religionists who interpret and apply the rules. With this "burden factor" in mind, Jesus said, "Woe to you also, lawyers [experts in religious law]! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers" (Luke 11:46).
Religion is good at describing high standards of right behavior and relationships, but poor at giving real and merciful help to those who realize they have not lived up to those expectations. Religionists are those who trust the beliefs and actions of their religion to do what only Christ can do.
"Jesus reserved his hardest words for the hidden sins of hypocrisy, pride, greed and legalism." Philip Yancey
"A pharisee is hard on others and easy on himself, but a spiritual man is easy on others and hard on himself." Tozer, A.W.
He who divulgeth secrets cannot or will not forebear to publish other things, and so is not fit to be trusted with anything. Matthew Poole
How can he abide long time in peace who occupieth himself with other men's matters...? Thomas a Kempis
The old country doctor of my boyhood days always began his examination by saying, "Let me see your tongue." It is a good way to start the examination of anybody. Vance Havner
It is required of us that we be tender of the good name of our brethren; where we cannot speak well, we had better say nothing than speak evil; we must not take pleasure in making known the faults of others, divulging things that are secret, merely to expose them, nor in making more of their known faults than really they deserve, and, least of all, in making false stories, and spreading things concerning them of which they are altogether innocent. What is this but to raise the hatred and encourage the persecutions of the world, against those who are engaged in the same interests with ourselves, and therefore with whom we ourselves must stand or fall? "Consider you are brethren. Matthew Henry
It is a sign of a perverse and treacherous disposition to wound the good name of another, when he has no opportunity of defending himself. John Calvin
Gossip is a low form of communion with the saints.
Anonymous
It is easier to be silent altogether than to speak with moderation. Thomas a Kempis
A gossip is a beast of prey who does not even wait for the death of his victim. George Meredith
"All generalizations are false, including this one," yet we keep making them. We create images - graven ones that can't be changed; we dismiss or accept people, products, programs, and propaganda according to the labels they come under; we know a little about something, and we treat it as if we know everything. Elisabeth Elliot
...none are more liable to slanders and calumnies than godly teachers. Not only does it arise from the difficulties of their office, that sometimes they either sink under it, or stagger, or halt, or blunder, in consequence of which wicked men seize many occasions for finding fault with them; but there is this additional vexation, that, although they perform their duty correctly, so as not to commit any error whatever, they never escape a thousand censures. And this is the craftiness of Satan, to draw away the hearts of men from ministers, that instruction may gradually fall into contempt. Thus not only is wrong done to innocent persons, in having their reputation unjustly wounded, (which is exceedingly base in regard to those who hold so honourable a rank,) but the authority of the sacred doctrine of God is diminished...Not only so, but as soon as any charge against ministers of the word has gone abroad, it is believed as fully as if they were already convicted. John Calvin
You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted, then used against you. Anonymous
A real Christian is a person who can give his pet parrot to the town gossip. Billy Graham
The bottom line:
In 1 Corinthians 13:5 says "Love does not act unbecomingly"; which means a Christian should demonstrate godly love and have real Christian credibility.
What, as Conservative Christians can do from now on?
:o
