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  Religion
What If Gossip Were A Crime? By Pastor Phillip Howle web posted May 19, 2010 RELIGION – This week I came across a story from a few years back and I found it incredible. The Associated Press reported back on May 17, 2005 that in a small town in the Nation of Colombia, gossip had become a criminal offense. That is right. The town had had enough of malicious gossip and passed a law making gossip a crime punishable by up to four years in prison. The official decree issued by the community of Iconozo, located 40 miles south of Bogotá states, "Human beings must be aware and recognize that having a tongue and using it to do bad is the same as having dynamite in their mouths." Wow, the Bible says the same thing in Pro 18:21 “Life and death are in the power of the tongue…” Now as you can imagine some residents were not fond of the new law calling it "ridiculous.” But one resident, Edelmira Giron, says the decree, which also calls for fines up to $150,000 for spreading false rumors, had an impact because it made people think twice about what they say. The town's mayor Jesus Ignacio Jimenez says that in a violent country such as Colombia, gossip can have serious consequences. He recalled a case when a local man was killed because someone claimed he belonged to an insurgent group. He said others have been jailed based on similar false accusations. In an interview Jimenez said, "It's a tradition for gossip to spread through small towns and it's a part of life, but what is worrying is that people are going to jail or being murdered due to gossip." Jimenez admits no one has been arrested on charges of gossiping yet, but believes sooner or later it will happen. He added, "They just haven't been caught.” Now, this just got me thinking about life in a small town. I got to wondering how much time is spent in gossip around here? How much time do you spend in gossip? Your first response may be not very much. But wait. Kent Hughes writes in Disciplines of a Godly Man “Gossip often veils itself in acceptable conventions such as “Have you heard…” or “Did you know…?” or “They tell me…” or “Keep this to yourself, but…” or “I do not believe it is true, but I heard that…” or “I wouldn’t tell you, except that I know it will go no further.” Of course, the most infamous such rationalization in Christian circles is, “I am telling you this so you can pray.” I get this one a lot as a pastor. Now I am not immune to desiring to hear gossip. I sinfully like to hear a juicy tidbit, but if someone says “Can I tell you something about so and so and you not repeat it,” then I try to always say no. I’ll then wonder what it was I did not hear, but better to not know than to fuel gossip. I do this because the Bible says in Proverbs 26:20 “Without wood, fire goes out; without a gossip, conflict dies down.” Now, thankfully Edgefield is not Colombia and people don’t get murdered in the street over gossip, but here in our great town gossip still has devastating effects. People’s lives can be ruined, families destroyed, business hurt, churches split, and integrity lost. Do you ever stop and think about this before you speak in public or private or post something anonymously on a message board? I mean most people are not cold-blooded murderers at heart in our town, but people will sadly kill with their tongue without regard at all. What kind of person gossips? You are not going to like this, but I am just the mailman, take it up with God. The Bible tells us that “a perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends” (Proverbs 16:28). Why is this person perverse? Because they enjoy seeing death and destruction. Things ought not to be like that. Words are meant to bless, love, and encourage. Furthermore, look at the company you keep when you gossip. Note how serious the sin of gossip is before God. Paul, in Romans 1:26-31, lumps you with “females exchanged natural sexual intercourse for what is unnatural. The males in the same way also left natural sexual intercourse with females and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Males committed shameless acts with males and received in their own persons the appropriate penalty for their perversion. And because they did not think it worthwhile to have God in their knowledge, God delivered them over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong. They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, disputes, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful.” Now what is left for us to do? Seek to live out Proverbs 21:23 “The one who guards his mouth and tongue keeps himself out of trouble.” So we must guard our tongues and refrain from the sinful act of gossip. How can we guard out tongues from gossip? Stop and THINK. Use the acronym THINK: T – is it true? H – is it helpful? I – is it inspiring? N – is it necessary? K – is it kind? If we did this so much would not be said, so much hurt would not be done, and blessings would come instead of cursings. So may we all follow the Bible’s teaching on gossip by keeping our mouths shut unless it is necessary and appropriate to speak. Instead of gossip, let’s try fulfilling Hebrews 3:13 “But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin's deception.” What a difference this would make in our town, our relationships, and in our churches! Speak a Kind Word Today! Pastor Phillip © Copyright 2010
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