What does the Bible say about spreading rumors?
"Don’t let any evil talk come out of your mouths. Say only what will help to build others up and meet their needs. Then what you say will help those who listen" (Ephesians 4:29).
"Those who talk about others tell secrets. But those who can be trusted keep things to themselves" (Proverbs 11:13).
"Do to others as you want them to do to you" (Luke 6:31).
God does not want us to help spread rumors.What is a rumor? It is talk that is not based on facts—so rumors usually aren’t true. Sometimes rumors are started out of jealousy or meanness. Such as, "Don’t talk to that lady across the street in the yellow house because she’s a witch."
One thing God would want is for kids to never assume that a rumor is true just because someone has said it. If you repeat what isn’t true, you have joined with those who are spreading a lie. At that point, you’re sinning against God, who said, "Do not give false witness against your neighbor" (Exodus 20:16).
So, what should you do if someone has started a rumor? 1) Think about what you would want others to do if the rumor was about
you. You would want the rumor to stop, so good advice would be to not become a part of it. Ask God to help you not to tell anyone else. 2) Ask yourself, "What would Jesus do?" He will always give you good advice. He might encourage you to go to the person privately and tell them what you heard. Say, "Someone told me that_____ _______. Is that true?" If it isn’t, then you will want to help stop the rumor by telling anyone who has heard it that it isn’t true.
