what is gossip

What is gossip? if you just read something like in a news headline or magazine cover is that gossip? Example if the news headline said "Mickey mouse is smoking", and you read it, is that gossip? or is gossip actually the act of retelling what you read? Any ideas?

rdg

I was hoping to get some thought from you all. I ask because I have a friend who is really into reading about people lives. There is one couple in the news that she follows almost daily about. I have tried to share with her about this but she takes the stand that because she does not go around repeating the stuff she reads about that it is not gossip.
So am I the one who is wrong about this? Should I just let up about it?

Quote:
What is gossip?

Strange that nobody answered your question...I was waiting to see what others would say first ....(now, is this gossip?)

There are a number of tabloids, magazines marketed that sell gossip: "National Enquirer", "People Magazine", to name a few. Personally, I would be very concerned of anyone who is into this kind of adulation of celebrities as is your friend. This is idolatry! It is true, some people do fascinate us, but when that happens will we not place ourselves in a position of making gods out of them? We will find ourselves justifying their sins because "I don't think they are really [i]that[/i] bad" OR "God wouldn't send [i]them[/i] to hell" because they are good folks otherwise, or so you think.

The problem with this is that it feeds the sin of "pride of life", the same one the Devil tempted Jesus with. To want to be someone great and to afford this status to someone are equally wrong.

Scripture teaches us to honor our church leaders, those in authority, our parents, each other. But we are not to idolize anyone which is what these gossip mags promote. After all, there is money to be made from peddling this sin.

Now what is gossip? Scripture calls this 'talebearer'. Consider these scriptures - they teach us something:
Leviticus 19:16
Proverbs 11:13
Proverbs 18:8
Proverbs 20:19
Proverbs 26:20
Proverbs 26:22

The NT:
Philippians 4:8
1 Corinthians 13:1-13

On the flip side you must also consider Romans 16:17. There are wolves out there working to kill - these guys are relatively easy to spot. But it is the snakes that lie low, slithering along the ground that one really needs to watch out for. Paul tells us we need to watch for these folks and it is essential we warn others of them. Paul did in his writings. However, in warning others one must exercise extreme caution that what is reported is totally accurate - always.

Is reporting what you read gossip? Perhaps a more fundamental question would be "is what I am saying, repeating helpful to anyone?" If you allow love for God, his Word and all that entails rule your heart, this answer will occur naturally.

rdg, in closing I would recommend you study Proverbs 31, especially Proverbs 31:26...perhaps this will help.

My understanding - and hope it helps. Any thoughts?

Blessings,
ginnyrose

PS: rdg, I suggest you speak to your friend about her fascination with celebrities, be they religious or secular. This fascination is not healthy spiritually for anyone! I promise.