Is Christianity too feminized?

Quote: Evenbob

Most gossip is just relating what you've heard,
and trying to get others opinions. It covers every
subject under the sun, it's how we learn and grow
and function in a society. Gossip is the grease that
makes society run smoothly.

Most gossip is people spreading what they have heard because their life is so empty they want to stick their nose in business of others where it does not belong. Sticking to MYOB is a far better policy. Who likes the office or neighborhood gossip person? Who trusts them to tell them something? Nobody.

Quote: FrGamble

sharing something that could harm oneself or others is not gossip.

Of COURSE it's gossip! And it's often
the worst kind, where you degrade and belittle
someone else. But that's how you find out the
guy across the street is a sex offender, or the
girl you're dating at the office has had sex with
every guy there, or the employer you just went
to work for rips off his employees. It's all gossip,
and without it society would crumble around us.

You have no idea what gossip is, do you. Obviously.

Evenbob I think this might be a case where we have different definitions of gossip. I define gossip as sharing information about someone regardless of its veracity without the knowledge of the person with the intent to belittle, defame, or hurt others. My best guess as to what your definition of gossip is would be: talking about anything about another person and their life. Maybe you could either clarify and make your definition a little more understandable or you could respond if you think anyone should engage in what I define as gossip. I imagine you would agree that according to my definition of gossip no one should engage in it and that it is indeed poison.

Quote: FrGamble

I imagine you would agree that according to my definition of gossip no one should engage in it and that it is indeed poison.

Your definition of gossip is not called 'gossip'. It's
called backbiting, or slander. By saying it's gossip,
you and your Church include the 90% of talk we
do about other people that isn't backbiting and
slander. I totally agree that backbiting can be
destructive. But everyday gossip is informative
and harmless.

Your Church says: The sin of gossip is more specifically considered to be idle talk or rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others.

By that definition, no matter what I say to inform
my neighbor about a mutual friend, without
the friend being present, is considered a sin
by your religion. There is no other way to read
it. That's just ridiculous. Without idle talk and
info being constantly exchanged, we would have
no idea what's going on most of the time. Society
would fall apart.

Quote: FrGamble

Evenbob I think this might be a case where we have different definitions of gossip. I define gossip as sharing information about someone regardless of its veracity without the knowledge of the person with the intent to belittle, defame, or hurt others.

+1

Why the priest in the story made the pennance he did. Gossip damages people. A few "Our Fathers" would not have taught the woman the problem. That is for taking the Lord's name in vain when you smack your thumb with a hammer. By cutting up the pillow in the wind, she saw what the damage was, then she actually was sorry.

I still assume this was made up, but then it teaches thousands the damage caused.

Quote: AZDuffman

Gossip damages people.

No,backbiting damages people. Most gossip is
harmless, it's simply the exchange of information.
Should I wait till it's on the news that my next
door neighbor is a sex offender, or hear it
in a timely fashion from the neighbor on the
other side of me. If I'm an employer should I
ignore what is being said in my industry until
it's too late, just because I dismiss it as 'gossip'?

Gossip: Idle talk or rumor.

It's won wars and sunk ships, ignore it at your
own peril. The people that don't want you
gossiping are those in charge, with an agenda.
Like religious leaders, or prison guards. It
used to be a punishable offense to be caught
talking to other inmates in prison, at dinner
or in the yard. Idle gossip can lead to the prison
losing control, plots being hatched.

Same thing in religion. Really, what's the difference
between a priest and a prison guard. The uniform?
Both have a strict code you have to follow, and
lots and lots of rules.

Quote: Evenbob

No,backbiting damages people. Most gossip is
harmless, it's simply the exchange of information.
Should I wait till it's on the news that my next
door neighbor is a sex offender, or hear it
in a timely fashion from the neighbor on the
other side of me. If I'm an employer should I
ignore what is being said in my industry until
it's too late, just because I dismiss it as 'gossip'?

Fr Gamble is right, you do not understand the term "gossip."

I think Evenbob and I just are using different words. He has agreed that my definition of gossip is what he considers slander or backbiting and that they are bad things.

However, as usually he goes too far in his examples. I can't believe that he would seriously take as truth a neighbor who told him that the guy across the street was a sex offender. Surely he would not just take this person's word for it? Even if the person thought they were correct they could be wrong or have misinformation, the wrong address, a different guy. I'd hate to think I could tell someone that Evenbob is a sex offender and they would believe me without any evidence or proof. This is the problem with rumors there may be a hint of truth in them mixed in with a lot of exaggeration and lies.

Quote: FrGamble

I can't believe that he would seriously take as truth a neighbor who told him that the guy across the street was a sex offender. Surely he would not just take this person's word for it? .

Surely I would not. Surely I would thank
him for the heads up and I would surely
check the sex offender data base. Surely
I would.

But him telling me gave me the heads up
I needed to be proactive. Again, did you
read the article I posted about how gossip
keeps society going and always has? It's
power hungry groups like your church that
want people cut off from information
learned thru gossip so they can control
them. So you make it a 'sin' and people
still do it anyway. lol

Quote: AZDuffman

Fr Gamble is right, you do not understand the term "gossip."

Uh Huh. Did you read this?


https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/11/have-you-heard-gossip-is-actually-good-and-useful/382430/