Social Media Discretion Advised for Kingdom People

Lately, I've been a bit disturbed at the speed and ferocity with which Internet rumors are posted and re-posted via Facebook and Twitter by supposed church folks.

Before you know it, some off-the-wall falsehood about a preacher has spread to thousands of people with the mere click of the "Share" or "Re-Tweet" button.

I'm to the point where I must ask, what purpose does it serve to spread this story? Whether you had insider info from your cousin's, best friend's, ex-boyfriend or not, we as kingdom people should not have the desire to spread false news about someone else within the kingdom. That goes for outside the kingdom as well. Rumor and gossip in all its forms is wrong—very wrong.

But something is especially discouraging when folks who are supposedly blood bought, sanctified Christians get some kind of rush out of posting and re-posting the latest juicy rumor regarding Joel Osteen or Joyce Meyer.

Unfortunately, preachers and kingdom people are not the only one's to fall into the cross-hairs of fellow "Christians."

In this hyper-aggressive, super-disrespectful age of political discourse, politicians fall prey to falsehoods and misrepresentation by our always-eager-to-expose-some-obscure-Satanic-agenda, uber-evangelical brethren as well.

Case in point is this mis-represented story that went viral in a hurry.

Let me point out that I'm as uber-evangelical as the next guy. I don't agree with much of what certain mainstream televangelists have to say. I certainly don't identify myself as a political liberal.

But we hurt our cause, our name, and HIS kingdom when we post, repost, tweet, and re-tweet stuff that simply is not true. And even if it is true, why would we take joy in seeing a ministry fall, provided that ministry was teaching even a shred of truth?

I'm all for calling out heretical preachers and wingnut politicians when the story is from a reputable source. But this ministry-bashing based on internet hoaxes and vicious viral sharing of politically charged lies really needs to stop.

Especially when it's God's people fueling the fires.