Quote:
Originally Posted by Praxeas
So if I say "I read in the news that George Bush might have known there was no truth to the yellow cake uranium story in Africa" is that gossip?
What if no names are mentioned, like the $400 lobster story but we just discuss the ethics involved?
Or what if the intent is to warn others of a dubious character claiming to be a brother when they are really a wolf?
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It's one thing to say, "How ethical would it be for a minister/person to spend 400 dollars for a lobster dinner?"..........or "What do you think about gambling in Las Vegas?"
And, then it's an entirely different thing to say, "NEWSFLASH - a member of this forum was caught red-handed spending 400 dollars on lobster, and gambling in Vegas - what do you think?"
The Bible clearly tells us that if a brother be overtaken in a fault to restore him in a spirit of meekness, considering ourselves lest we also be tempted.
The Bible clearly states that we will be judged by every idle word that proceeds from our mouths, and gossip is defined as "idle words".
I could go on and on, but Biblically, unless the person can be helped by public exposure of their transgression, or as you say, Prax, others need to be warned about this person because of their intentions, I see no other reason to spread rumors about people, or to broadcast their transgressions, even if they be true.
I've been on the receiving end of this type of "gossip", and so I'm probably a bit more sensitive to it than others may be.