Thread: On Posting Terrible Events

I would invite everyone to read Tim Challies' excellent blog post on reporting on bad events.

It would seem to me that the best way to go about deciding whether to post on a negative event or not is to ask yourself some of the following questions: will this affect the lives of the PB members in terms of decisions they must make? Will this edify the PB members? Or am I posting this for negative entertainment? Do we constantly need to be looking, as Tim says, at the underbelly of the church? I also feel that we need to ask ourselves whether or not we take as much obvious delight in the good things happening in the church as we take secret negative delight in other churches' foibles, heresies, and failures.

Westminster Larger Catechism

Question 144: What are the duties required in the ninth commandment?

Answer: The duties required in the ninth commandment are, the preserving and promoting of truth between man and man, and the good name of our neighbor, as well as our own; appearing and standing for the truth; and from the heart, sincerely, freely, clearly, and fully, speaking the truth, and only the truth, in matters of judgment and justice, and in all other things: Whatsoever; a charitable esteem of our neighbors; loving, desiring, and rejoicing in their good name; sorrowing for, and covering of their infirmities; freely acknowledging of their gifts and graces, defending their innocency; a ready receiving of a good report, and unwillingness to admit of an evil report, concerning them; discouraging talebearers, flatterers, and slanderers; love and care of our own good name, and defending it when need requires; keeping of lawful promises; studying and practicing of: Whatsoever things are true, honest, lovely, and of good report.

Question 145: What are the sins forbidden in the ninth commandment?

Answer: The sins forbidden in the ninth commandment are, all prejudicing the truth, and the good name of our neighbors, as well as our own, especially in public judicature; giving false evidence, suborning false witnesses, wittingly appearing and pleading for an evil cause, outfacing and overbearing the truth; passing unjust sentence, calling evil good, and good evil; rewarding the wicked according to the work of the righteous, and the righteous according to the work of the wicked; forgery, concealing the truth, undue silence in a just cause, and holding our peace when iniquity calls for either a reproof from ourselves, or complaint to others; speaking the truth unseasonably, or maliciously to a wrong end, or perverting it to a wrong meaning, or in doubtful and equivocal expressions, to the prejudice of truth or justice;speaking untruth, lying, slandering, backbiting, detracting, tale bearing, whispering, scoffing, reviling, rash, harsh, and partial censuring; misconstructing intentions, words, and actions; flattering, vainglorious boasting, thinking or speaking too highly or too meanly of ourselves or others; denying the gifts and graces of God; aggravating smaller faults;hiding, excusing, or extenuating of sins, when called to a free confession;unnecessary discovering of infirmities; raising false rumors, receiving and countenancing evil reports, and stopping our ears against just defense; evil suspicion; envying or grieving at the deserved credit of any, endeavoring or desiring to impair it, rejoicing in their disgrace and infamy; scornful contempt, fond admiration; breach of lawful promises; neglecting such things as are of good report, and practicing, or not avoiding ourselves, or not hindering: What we can in others, such things as procure an ill name.

May God have mercy on us all.

Thanks for posting this. Good stuff.

Here, here! It does seem that we are more interested in the bad of things than the good of things at times.

Originally Posted by sjonee

Here, here! It does seem that we are more interested in the bad of things than the good of things at times.

Indeed, hear, hear!

Terrible events - you mean like the recent presidential election?

On the other hand, we don't want to fall into the trap of covering up sin out of a misplaced sense of charity.

That's a really excellent blog entry - thank you for sharing! I was talking about Matthew 7 with a friend earlier this week and this is really relevant to our conversation.

*Bump*

Pastor Keister posted a good reminder for us all a few months ago; I thought it was worthy of being read again. As he reminded us, before posting a story about some ridiculous or blasphemous thing occurring in some assembly that has the name "church" in front of it, ask yourself: What do I hope to accomplish by posting this? How will this edify others?

I have thought of this before and am grateful that the mods decided to bring this up. Thanks!