Gossip -- sinful?

[tomarin]

is engaging in gossip sinful?

 

[rpp]

From the Catechism.

                                                                                        2477 *Respect for the reputation* of persons forbids every attitude and word likely to cause them unjust injury.  He becomes guilty:

• of rash judgment who, even tacitly, assumes as true, without sufficient foundation, the moral fault of a neighbor;
• of detraction who, without objectively valid reason, discloses another’s faults and failings to persons who did not know them;
• of calumny who, by remarks contrary to the truth, harms the reputation of others and gives occasion for false judgments concerning them.

2478 To avoid rash judgment, everyone should be careful to interpret insofar as possible his neighbor’s thoughts, words, and deeds in a favorable way:

Every good Christian ought to be more ready to give a favorable interpretation to another’s statement than to condemn it. But if he cannot do so, let him ask how the other understands it. And if the latter understands it badly, let the former correct him with love. If that does not suffice, let the Christian try all suitable ways to bring the other to a correct interpretation so that he may be saved.http://www.kofc.org/publications/cis/catechism/getnote.cfm?ParNum=2478&FNoteNum=280
2479 Detraction and calumny destroy the reputation and honor of one’s neighbor. Honor is the social witness given to human dignity, and everyone enjoys a natural right to the honor of his name and reputation and to respect. Thus, detraction and calumny offend against the virtues of justice and charity

 

[tomarin]

thanks, RPP!

 

[Joe_5859]

From the Catechism.

Translation:

Detraction: The neighbor’s sin is true, and you tell others about it who have no business knowing that information.
Calumny: The neighbor hasn’t even done anything sinful, but you’re just trying to make them look bad.
Rash Judgment: Your friend is committing Detraction or Calumny and you believe it without any evidence!

 

[mercygate]

Detractive gossip is just that: the sin of detraction (linked above).

That said, the gossip chain is one of my favorite tools – and I repeat “good gossip” all over the place. E.g., “Did you hear that Susie got a HUGE scholarship to MIT? Isn’t that great?”

“Marie made the BEST key lime pie for the Cornerstone party? She’s always so generous!”

 

[tomarin]

so it’s not a sin at all, but three sins. i’m glad i asked.

 

[rpp]

Translation:

Detraction: The neighbor’s sin is true, and you tell others about it who have no business knowing that information.
Calumny: The neighbor hasn’t even done anything sinful, but you’re just trying to make them look bad.
Rash Judgment: Your friend is committing Detraction or Calumny and you believe it without any evidence!

so it’s not a sin at all, but three sins. i’m glad i asked.

Yes, I think Joe summed it up quite well. Damaging the someone reputation is a very serious thing.

I certainly like MercyGate’s approach. Very charitable!

 

[JMBNH]

I would say it’s venially sinful normally, but mortally sinful when done with the aim of harming people’s view of someone, though the boundary is hard to define