Saints,
I don't think I need to make a big case or argument for us all to understand that slander, gossip and criticism is rampant in the north american evangelical church. Facebook, christian news sites and blogger sites are full of name-calling, accusations, it seems everyone is critical about someone else. The Apostle Paul called this "biting and devouring" in Galatians 1:15
"If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other."
I wrote recently a piece in the Christian Post labelled: "Renegade Christian bloggers and the fascination of failure": https://www.christianpost.com/voices/renegade-christian-bloggers-and-the-fascination-of-failure.html
Of course there is a healthy sense of dissatisfaction of where we are and the general body of Christ is in north america, and the desire to see more happen. But the danger of harbouring a critical spirit, judging others and slander are equally dangerous and perhaps a symptom that we ourselves are in the more dire need of revival and help.
In the community guidelines for the SermonIndex forums we read:
7. SLANDERING OTHERS - We have a zero tolerance on slander, evil-speaking and speaking against a person's character without warrant. 'Slander no one.' / 'to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.' NASB (Titus 3:2). This is a very important biblical principle and we ask that you would especially respect the biblical method of approaching a brother privately (Matthew 18:15). Also there are hundreds of websites in the internet that exclusively post wrong teachings, errors and question the character of Christians, we do not want SermonIndex to be seen as such a ministry and ask that all forum members do not participate in posting in what is wrong. We believe simply that truth dispels errors and to focus on the truth will shine a light into all the darkness.
This brings me to comment on a recent thread where Carter Conlon was being spoken of slanderously here on SermonIndex. Really to me this is a case-in point of our own need of revival where we are starting to bite and devour each other even seemingly the best of us in this Christian race. Unfortunately this is not an isolated event and that brother who spoke this way did so in the past. And this has led to the removal of his account and my having to write him personally and gracefully about this.
Also I want to affirm publically that myself (Greg Gordon) and the ministry of SermonIndex stand behind the ministry of TSC and Carter Conlon, we are honoured to be able to host and distribute their messages to the greater body of Christ.
My plea with all the brothers and sisters on SermonIndex is that could we consider our speech and talking on this site as more important then we realize and be willing to humble ourselves and see our wrongs. I remember being at a convention in India where Zac Poonen was speaking and he opened the event with a challenge to all the attendees. He said some of us might have physical ailments, etc and he challenged us that maybe if we for this entire week sought not gossip, slander and judge with our tongues that God could potentially heal us. He quoted a scripture to back this up that the very act of slander etc can lead to bodily sickness.
Can that not be a challenge to us also saints? can you ask God to help you not to slander another servant of God for a week nay a month? Even though we can see the faults in a leader what virtue is it to try and bring out those faults when we have our own glaring at us?
May God give us all grace in 2020 to be sensitive in this area of slander and see how God can intensify our witness for him in these forums here and beyond.
Thanks for listening to my heart.