Q: Why is it so easy to believe and spread rumors we read on the Internet as fact?

A: Most people are now passable, if not proficient, Internet users and have discovered the benefits of this resource: shopping with free delivery, connecting with friends daily, viewing pictures of children and grandchildren, reading news, playing games—all at the speed of light.

I especially like using the Internet to download informative visual handouts for my Sunday Bible class. However, with the convenience and speed comes the law of unintended consequences—gossip! According to Proverbs 10:18, "Whoever spreads slander is a fool."

So why do so many of us indulge when the Bible is quite clear about gossip?

1. Mindless Clicking. Most savvy users have small mailing lists of family and friends. One click, and off a message goes. So quick and automatic, we scarcely blink, let alone think. Do we bother to check the validity of the latest hot rumor (check out www.snopes.com or www.truthorfiction.com) or just fire off a missive? Simply using our minds before we click can keep us from spreading false information.
2. Duty to Warn. At certain times, especially during an election season, the "need" to shoot off yet another juicy urban legend seems heightened. Regardless of political preference, all of us have seen statements lifted so far out of context that they're questionable if not downright false. Some of our Internet clicking stems from a duty to warn others about perceived problems. However, propagating partial statements can cause undue excitement or even spread rumors and lies. When we feel the duty to pass a warning along, we can remember what the late D. James Kennedy frequently said when he heard Scriptures misquoted by nefarious talking heads. Kennedy would remind, "A text without a context is a pretext." Likewise, Titus 3:1-2 emphasizes, "Remind the people . . . to do whatever is good, to slander no one . . ."
3. We don't feel as if we're actually saying anything. Sometimes we justify our clicks with thoughts such as, "I'm not in a corner hiding behind a bulletin whispering, so it's not really gossip. I am not even saying what I'm forwarding is true"I'm just passing it on." However, the Bible says, "Therefore, rid yourselves of . . . slander of every kind" (1 Peter 2: 1). We should avoid even passing along slander that someone else actually puts into words.

We are the Holiness crowd, and our standards must always rise to the highest standard and hold fast the admonition to "avoid every kind of evil" (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Anything less risks the integrity and character of our Holiness heritage. Our communications must be impeccable, not suspect.

—JD

Holiness Today, MA 2009

Please note: This article was originally published in 2009. All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at that time but may have since changed.