What is the sin of slander?
Backbiting is the sin that is perhaps the most difficult to refrain from. Yes, we don’t really try: there they reproached someone, here “that’s it!” found out and told others, “bowed” them into the kitchens of the authorities... Meanwhile, backbiting is a serious sin, the rooting of which can lead to very disastrous consequences.
Why is slander dangerous for the slanderer? And what should one do who has been rashly, and sometimes deliberately, condemned? “Fight for truth”? To respond in kind - with slander, according to the principle of “an eye for an eye”? And what could this “war for truth” turn out to be? The pastors of the Russian Orthodox Church answer.
Archpriest Oleg Stenyaev:
– Backbiting is cursing another person. It is said: “Let no corrupt word come out of your mouth, but only what is good for edifying in the faith, so that it may give grace to those who hear” (Eph. 4:29); and again: “Do not act as a carrier (that is, a carrier of rumors and gossip. - Archpriest O.S.) among your people and do not rebel against the life of your neighbor” (Lev. 19:16).
The opposite of slander is prayer for a person. Moreover, we are called to pray not only for our own, but also for strangers. But some of us have managed to do so that they do not consider it possible not only to communicate with lost heretics and pagans, but also to pray for them. Perhaps this has something to do with the spring exacerbation...
Saint John Chrysostom wrote: “So, do not be afraid to pray for the pagans - and God wants this. Just be afraid of cursing others, because He doesn’t want that. And if you need to pray for pagans, then obviously – for heretics, because you need to pray for all people, and not persecute them. This is worthy of approval for another reason - because we are of the same nature. In addition, God approves and graciously accepts our mutual love and complacency towards each other” (John Chrysostom, Saint. Homilies on 1 Timothy, 2: 4).
“By slandering, we deprive ourselves of the grace of God”
Archpriest Pavel Gumerov:
He heard the voice of Christ: “Cast out this man, for he has condemned his brother before My judgment.”
– I will give an example from ancient times, very instructive, about how a person is deprived of the grace of God when he slanderes and condemns someone. The Monk John of Savvaitsky, a contemporary of John Climacus and his associate, related such an incident. One brother, a monk from a neighboring monastery, came to him. And the Monk John of Savvaitsky inquired about how the fathers lived there, and especially about one monk, about whom it was known that he was lazy and sinful. “He hasn’t changed at all, father,” answered the guest. And, hearing these words, the Monk John condemned that brother. And he had a vision: a cross with a crucified Savior. In delight, he rushed towards him to worship the Savior, when suddenly he heard the voice of Christ turning to two angels: “Cast out this man over there!” This is the Antichrist, for he condemned his brother before My judgment.” And he woke up in fear and realized that he had committed a terrible sin. And I also remembered that in a dream vision I had lost my mantle, and I guessed: this mantle is the cover of the Grace of God, of which he was deprived. After this, the Monk John prayed for seven years and strictly fasted in order to find again the grace that he had lost. This is how people in ancient times treated every word responsibly.
Condemnation is a anticipation of God's judgment. But we know almost nothing about a person, except maybe a little about his past. But we don’t know what’s in his soul right now. Maybe in the future he will change, repent, become an ascetic, because such things happen. And we immediately judge him. The Lord alone, knowing the past and future of a person, knowing all his illnesses, all his relatives before Adam, all his merits and sins, can speak His judgment about this person. But he doesn’t speak until this person has died, because “what I find him in, that’s what I judge.” It is a great pride to fall into slander.
The Gospel says a lot about the sin of condemnation. Let us remember: “Judge not, lest ye be judged” (Matthew 7:1). For every word spoken, a person will give an answer on the day of the Last Judgment (cf. Matthew 12:36). And the one who said to his brother: “mad” is guilty of fiery hell (cf. Matt. 5:22).
And let us also not forget that a person who condemns another for something soon himself falls into the same sins for which he condemns.
“You need to accept slander against yourself as a kind of penance”
Priest Valery Dukhanin:
One who slander another becomes close in spirit to demons
– Backbiting and slander are sins of the devil. Actually, the name “devil” is translated as “slanderer.” Therefore, one who slander another becomes close in spirit to demons.
Our word comes from the heart. An evil, crafty and insidious word is an expression of a corrupted heart, cunning and poisonous, like a snake. Such a person cannot be happy, he is restless about the good of his neighbor, looks for ways to hurt him, slander and slander, but ultimately suffers himself.
Slander fell upon many saints. For example, the most prominent saints who occupied the See of Constantinople - Saints Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom - were expelled due to slander and slander. Saint Gregory was accused of illegally occupying the see of Constantinople, although it was Gregory the Theologian who, with his preaching, returned the city, which was in the hands of the Arians, to Orthodox Christians. And a whole series of accusations were brought against Saint John Chrysostom. Eudoxia, the wife of Emperor Arkady, especially hated him. But as soon as the saint, not wanting troubles, left the city, an earthquake occurred, Eudoxia’s chambers were damaged, and she, in fear, asked to return the saint as soon as possible. After the second exile of John Chrysostom, Eudoxia died during childbirth.
And what was it like for the Monk Macarius the Great, who was slandered that he allegedly inflicted violence on the girl and she conceived? The Monk Macarius suffered this reproach, was beaten, and bad rumors spread about him in the village. He was forced to support the girl until she gave birth, when she experienced terrible agony and admitted that Saint Macarius was not to blame.
The slanderer and slanderer are always punished. The sin of slander is terrible, first of all, for the slanderer himself; his soul cannot be with Christ, it is opposite to the Kingdom of Christ, just as darkness is opposite to light, illness is opposite to health, malice is opposite to humility.
But still, the holy fathers recommend that we perceive slander and slander as a cure for sins, as a kind of penance that must be endured in atonement for some of our sins. Therefore, we have no right to harbor grievances or retaliatory anger towards our slanderers.
The Lord Jesus Christ Himself suffered from slander. Slander and slander are the weapons of Satan, directed in Gospel times against the Savior, and then against each of His servants. This means that each of us must also suffer from this. Christ did not respond to slander, did not enter into the analysis of slander, and not a single such temptation touched His soul with even the slightest thought of indignation.
I really like the instruction of St. Maximus the Confessor, who advised not to lose heart, but rather to pray. The Monk Maxim said: “As you pray for the slanderer, God will reveal to those who are tempted the truth about you.” This means that slander and slander sooner or later reveal their emptiness and inconsistency, the victim of slander accepts the same fate as Christ, becomes spiritually strong and receives a crown from the Lord.
“Slander is the desecration of the gift of speech given to us by the Lord.”
Priest Dimitry Shishkin:
– Yes, this is why the sin of slander is terrible, because with our free will we combine with evil and become its participants. We show the world the darkening of our minds with thoughts of condemnation, enmity and malice. What kind of fellowship can there be between righteousness and iniquity? What does light have in common with darkness? (2 Cor. 6:14). So if we slander, then we deprive ourselves of the grace of God, because the gift of speech testifies to our calling to the gospel, but not to condemnation, slander and slander. Let us not forget that our Lord Himself is God the Word, the second hypostasis of the Holy Trinity, and the gift of the word in us is a Divine gift, which we must preserve and multiply with great attention and reverence.
Foul language and slander are opposition to the very plan of God for our “literature”
Unfortunately, idle talk also happens among us, but foul language and slander are already obvious opposition to the very plan of God about our “verbalism.” The desecration of this great gift testifies to the action of demonic forces who want to pervert and desecrate everything holy and pure that is placed in man by God. It is clear that it is difficult to completely keep your tongue from any condemnation and slander, but the very necessity of this must be kept in mind all the time as a requirement that must be fulfilled. Maintaining purity of mind, and as a consequence purity of speech, is one of the mandatory requirements of Christian life. Let us remember this and try to be good servants of the Word.
“Slander of power leads to disasters”
Priest Igor Silchenkov:
– Alas, there are many historical examples of how terrible the sin of slander can be. Let us at least remember how they slandered the Romanov family...
The sins of slander and slander are terrible because they lead to hatred and lead away from Love. And hatred is the most painful suffering, a disease of the soul. It destroys the individual, the family, the work, and entire nations. So, if you slander your husband, wife or children, then soon they will seem completely black to you, it will be impossible to be near them, since you will hate them, condemn them, quarrel with those you slander. And ultimately the family will fall apart. There is only one salvation from this - constant repentance, frequent confession of one’s sins against one’s neighbors and the communion of the Body and Blood of Christ to heal the soul from hatred and to acquire Love. The same applies if such disruptions occur at work or elsewhere.
We know well from history what the consequences of slandering one’s country, one’s authorities, one’s people and other peoples are. Unfortunately, sometimes we don’t remember these lessons well.
In the history of our Motherland there were many such tragic moments when the people succumbed and believed slander against their rulers, and this led to terrible turmoil, to civil war. And as a consequence of this hatred of their authorities and civil strife, foreigners came and devastated Holy Rus'. This was the case during the Time of Troubles, the October Revolution and in many other cases.
Slandering the authorities is beneficial to the enemies: it divides the people and, as a result, weakens the country
Those who are at enmity against any people and country know well: it is not worth fighting with the help of your army, losing soldiers, but it is better to divide the people and pit people against each other, increasing sharp moments and inciting discontent with the authorities. And when people destroy each other enough and the country weakens and becomes powerless, then you can come and rob it. This is what it says in the Gospel: “But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said to them: Every kingdom divided against itself will be desolate; and every city or house divided against itself will not stand” (Matthew 12:25). Therefore, we must in every possible way avoid slandering the authorities and not listen to slander against them, not condemn them. Let us not forget that “let every soul be subject to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God; the existing authorities have been established by God. Therefore, he who resists authority resists God's institution. But those who resist will bring upon themselves condemnation” (Rom. 13:1-2). And again: “Be subject therefore to every human authority, for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to rulers, as those sent by him” (1 Pet. 2:13-14).
We must unite in serving God, the Church and our Motherland, each one trying well to do his own thing, leaving all judgment to God, and then we will have much less disorder, disputes, and discord. And much more strength to carry out work to save your soul and to acquire the grace of the Holy Spirit and eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.
“He who is accustomed to slander is incapable of good”
Priest Maxim Gorozhankin:
– It is said: “A good man brings good things out of his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of his heart” (cf. Matthew 12:35). So when we judge someone, when we gossip, we show that our soul is infected with vice. And we ourselves are not perfect.
Modern society in every possible way provokes the sin of condemnation and slander. Talk shows on television are such exercises in slander. And the great danger is that a person gets used to slander. And those who are accustomed to only slander and condemn are no longer capable of a good impulse. When a person always talks and thinks badly about everyone, it is very difficult for him to change his mind, it is very difficult to see goodness and kind people around him.
Saint Nicholas of Serbia gave the following parable: “What is the difference between a righteous man and a sinful man? A righteous person, if he sees people going somewhere, thinks in his heart: good Christians probably go to the temple of God to pray. And a person who is accustomed to slander, when he sees the same people, thinks: these are probably bandits coming to rob someone.” A striking example of how we very often slander those about whom we know nothing at all.
History has plenty of evidence of what slander turned out to be. We all remember the tragic events of the early 20th century. Then many people slandered both the royal family and the government in general. Yes, these people were flawed, but when the revolution occurred, it became a disaster, the situation in the country became even more difficult than it had been before. And the 1930s, and the Gulag, and the execution of people for their faith?! Many laity and clergy suffered. It is monstrous when a person is shot because he believes in God, or because the literature in his home is not the kind that should be read. It all started with the condemnation of the king. But no one is perfect, and neither is the Emperor. Seeing his bad sides, they did not notice the good ones. Moving away from the monarchical state structure, which to some seemed imperfect, and to others completely unsuitable, what did they come to? To Bolshevism, which turned into a mass of tragedies. This is something we must always remember when we slander rulers at any level. And sitting on the couch, it’s easy to manage the state.
We should try not to slander our near and far ones, but to pray for them. And then everything will be Christian. Ask the Lord to give us strength and those about whom we have thought badly. It’s better to pray that the Lord will correct both us and them. Then everything will be fine.
How did slander come about?
The father of slander is the devil. He was created as an angel, but, having become proud and wanting to be equal to God, he was cast down to earth, becoming after the fall the “prince of darkness,” “father of lies,” “murderer” (John 8:44) - the leader of the rebellion against God.
From the Hebrew language the word “devil” is literally translated as “adversary, slanderer.” When a person slanderes, he is doing what the devil usually does. It is written in the Bible that the devil himself constantly slanderes people before God.
The Bible tells how Satan slandered Job before the Lord by questioning the man's piety. The devil invited the Lord to test the righteous Job. God allowed suffering in Job’s life, and Satan’s slander was not confirmed: Job withstood the test, thereby proving his loyalty and love for God.
The consequences of slander cannot be corrected
Slander never goes unnoticed. If you touch the water, circles will go through it. At first they are very small, but then they will become larger. The spread of these circles cannot be stopped. Slander has the same consequences. Let's see these consequences in the following story.
One man walked around a small village, cursing his neighbor and spreading false, evil rumors about him. But after a while he felt repentance and, coming to his neighbor, asked for forgiveness. He said that he was ready to do anything to atone for his sin. The neighbor then suggested that he take a pillow from home, rip it open and let the feathers fly into the wind. The request was rather strange, but it was not difficult to fulfill.
Having done as he was told, the man returned and reported this to his neighbor.
“Now,” said the neighbor, “go and collect all the feathers.” Although your repentance, as well as your desire to correct the harm caused, is sincere, it is as impossible to repair the damage caused by your words as to collect feathers scattered in the wind.
What will happen to the slanderer?
The Holy Scriptures in the book of Revelation show what will happen to the devil, whose name is the slanderer. “And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, Now is the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ, because the accuser of our brethren is cast out, who slandered them before our God day and night” (Rev. 12:10). The fate of the main slanderer, Satan, is in the underworld.
We will all one day stand before God, and we will have to answer for our every action. So let's leave behind bad deeds in order to appear before God with pure hearts. Jesus commanded us to love one another as He loved us with His boundless love.
Elena Bessalova
