There is such a fine line between talking about people objectively and gossiping about them. What can start out as an innocent, “Hey, have you heard from Joe and Sandy lately?” can turn into, “Yeah, and did you hear that Joe is cheating on her?” It doesn’t even have to be that dramatic. A lot of us will say about someone we know (and even love), “God bless him, but you do know that he got fired from his job because…” Many have alluded to the connection between gossip and the fifth commandment: Thou Shall Not Kill. As Pope Francis has pointed out – http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/gossip-is-poisonous-insists-pope/ – even our words can “kill” the reputation and character of others. Let’s talk about this on Friday. Share if you’ve battled the sin of gossip, or if you’ve found a gracious way to exit conversations that turn in that direction. What you share may make all the difference to someone who’s listening!

 

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Gossip is poisonous, insists Pope

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