The Heresy of Hearsay

E-mailer 1: "Please remember our minister in prayer. He and his wife are going on a much-needed vacation this week."

E-mailer 2: "Our minister needs prayer. He and his wife are going away for a while."

E-mailer 3: "Pray for our minister and his wife. Not sure what's wrong with their marriage, but I heard that we're not going to be seeing them at church for a long time."

Worker 1 at the Water Cooler: "The company's budget is tight and the boss is talking about freezing new hires and cutting office expenses by 10 percent."

Worker 2 at the Water Cooler: "The company is losing so much money that the boss is freezing our wages and cutting our staff by 10 percent."

Worker 3 at the Water Cooler: "Can you believe it? The company is on the verge of closing, but the boss's salary went up by 10 percent. He's even been complaining about how it's freezing in his office."

Neighbor 1: "The Jones family just moved into the neighborhood. They're rehabilitating that old house over on Elm Street. Mr. Jones retired after 30 years with Procter and Gamble."

Neighbor 2: "Did you hear about the Jones family over on Elm Street? Mr. Jones worked for Procter and Gamble. They're rehabbing an old house. I heard it may take them 30 years."

Neighbor 3: "That new family over on Elm Street must be having some problems. I heard that Mr. Jones is going to be in rehab for 30 days. Something to do with a gambling problem."

News Reporter 1: "Students at Thomas Jefferson Middle School have been receiving help from an unexpected source. Members of First Christian Church adopted the school, and they have been showing up every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon to tutor students who need extra help with their homework. These faithful volunteers also bring snacks and words of encouragement for the school's teachers—along with a promise to pray for them. 'It's been a great partnership,' said school principal Mary Smith. 'This positive relationship between the school and a local church could be a model for other communities to follow.'"

News Reporter 2: "Local residents are expressing concern about a church's interference at Thomas Jefferson Middle School. Members of First Christian Church have been showing up twice a week and talking with students on school property. 'It's a real threat,' said worried parent Jane Johnson. 'These volunteers mean well, but we don't want them pushing their religion onto our kids.'"

News Reporter 3: "Controversy is brewing at Thomas Jefferson Middle School. The trouble began when members of what some describe as a right-wing evangelical group began seeking to interject prayer into the public school. 'These religious zealots are crossing the line that separates church and state,' said political activist Ann Martin, president of the National Organization for Going in the Opposite Direction (NOGOD). 'For this to happen at a school that bears his name, Thomas Jefferson must be turning over in his grave!'"

Alumnus 1: "We can be proud of our Christian college. In a day when many teach that morals are relative, the professors are standing firm for God's truth and guiding students in their relationship with the Lord."

Alumnus 2: "Did you hear about our college? The professors are teaching that morals are relative and focusing on 'relationships' instead of God's truth."

Alumnus 3: "I heard that the professors are immoral, and so are their relatives."

'A man of knowledge uses words with restraint' (Proverbs 17:27).

"The speech of a good person clears the air; the words of the wicked pollute it" (Proverbs 10:32, The Message).