GOSSIP AND SLANDER I

It is time to very purposely renounce Gossip and Slander in ourselves and in others. With the disintegration of virtue in so many areas (especially on social media) it has become common to gossip and slander any opposing views or opinions to our own. So many places breed this person mongering in each of us by teaching us to ‘take sides’ politically, socially, religiously, by gender, racially, economically and many other ways. This is not the Kingdom Way, but the other way. To make a decision is one thing, but to alienate others is another thing.

It appears there is much in Scripture about this subject. It is called ‘an evil report’ and has various other titles.
An evil report is defined as primarily a distortion of facts, incomplete facts, and false information. Gossip and Slander are forms of an evil report. Evil reports influence us to form bad opinions of each other.

Definitions of this issue:

Whisperer. One who secretly or privately passes on an evil report. Proverbs deals with this strongly:

“A perverse person spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.” (Proverbs 16:28)

“The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.” (Proverbs 18:8)

“For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.” (Proverbs 26:20)

Whispering comes from the disintegration of virtue and with this comes the disintegration of society.

“Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies.” Jesus