Monday, June 07, 2021

Communication’s Two Catastrophic Cousins


Joseph Stowell calls them “catastrophic cousins,” and it wouldn’t be difficult to make the case from mere observation that they destroy more relationships and cause more church splits than any spiritual disease: slander and gossip.

Oh, how the sons and daughters of Adam love gossip.

An old cliché says this sin is primarily the domain of women, but I disagree. We men are highly skilled at gossip as well. Think about how your ears perk up when someone begins a conversation with “Hey, did you hear what’s been happening with our old friend Jim?” Such words tend to grab our undivided attention.

Gossip appeals to us because sinners love dirty laundry. We love it when people lose, especially those whom we may (secretly but sinfully) view as being a few layers above or below us on the social, economic, educational, or celebrity strata. We love to hear—and spread—bad news about them. Read More

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