The words "gossip," "slander," and "divisive" are all words that appear in the bible and are strong words that are used to describe very bad behavior. Over my 20 years within Christianity, I have heard these words used many times and in many contexts to describe behavior, call out behavior, warn against such behavior. I have also heard multiple definitions and descriptions of these behaviors.
It is the description of such behavior that I will attempt to write about here in the near future. I have wanted to do this for quite a while, and in the heightened attention given to the topic of spiritual abuse recently I think now is a good time to do so.
One reason for this is that I have seen these words used in a context where they are applied to behavior where it is not warranted, and used to flip-flop the places of the guilty and the innocent; the terms don't fit the behaviors. I will try to show examples of what these behaviors are not, in order to give a better idea of what they are. Coming soon. Hopefully.
I don't know if this is what you are referring to but my exposure to Christian gossip and slander was quite extreme. My mom was the founder of a non-profit organization called Maranatha Christian Ministries which did much good at home and abroad. Once a month she needed people to help stuff envelopes and such and invited some of the "good ladies from the church" to help.
ReplyDeleteWhile we were working, those women would pick a person, seemingly at random, and spend the entire time tearing them apart. I have never in my life heard such horrible things than the words that came out of the mouths of those church b@#$es. This is how they entertained themselves. After a couple months I offered to stuff the mailers myself and my mom gratefully accepted.
Jaimie,
DeleteThanks very much for the comment. This, I think, is a prime example of both gossip and slander, what they are, and one of the most common ways people engage in them. I'll be talking about this kind of gossip in my upcoming posts.