Christians Must Not Spread Rumors (Even on Social Media)

In our church, we have been working through the book of Acts in our morning series, and the book of Nehemiah. Within a few weeks of each other, both books dealt with the same problem faced by godly leaders: rumors. Nehemiah was accused by Sanballat of plotting treason against the king and planning to revolt and declare himself king of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 6:5-7). This was completely false. In Acts, rumors spread that Paul was going around telling Jews that they should reject the law of Moses and the customs of the Jewish people (Acts 21:20-21). Once again, this was just not true. Paul had taught that Gentiles need not follow the law, but he actually had Timothy circumcised so as not to cause offense to the Jews he wanted to reach for Christ! (Acts 16:3)

I find it interesting that two separate leaders found themselves facing false accusations that were not based on reality even a little. I think if we pause to consider this, it’s an important lesson for us today. We live in an era when the opportunity to spread rumors is available on a scale like perhaps none other. Social media and instant communication mean that accusations and hot takes can be fired off by anyone, anywhere, anytime. Using these two examples, I want us to consider briefly why we are so prone to rumors, and what can happen when we share them. Then I want us to look at what the Bible has to say about not spreading rumors.

Be Aware of the Danger

Sometimes it’s hard to imagine that rumors could spread before the era of the internet or the newspaper, and yet spread they did. Both Paul and Nehemiah knew what it was like for people to tell rumors about them. But why? Why do rumors start and spread the way they do? Why do they tend to be so powerful and stubborn, even when they are completely and objectively false?

Sometimes rumors just seem so likely that all it takes is for someone to make the suggestion and the rumor takes off. No doubt those living outside of Jerusalem watched Nehemiah building strong defenses, saw him rejecting those who thought they should have a claim but didn’t, and thought it just made sense that the next step was for Nehemiah to proclaim himself king. No doubt the sting of being rejected made Nehemiah into a bad guy in their minds, and don’t we expect bad guys to do bad things? All it took was one lie and a rumor was born and carried about by people who no doubt wanted this lie to be true. Sadly, this can often happen in our cultures and even subcultures. We see something about someone we don’t like on social media, and instead of asking “Is that true?” we think to ourselves, “That sounds like something they would do,” and buy into the rumor.

Sometimes the number of people believing the rumor seems like good enough evidence it is true. “Don’t you see the thousands who are Jewish followers of Jesus, Paul? They’ve all heard that you are telling Jews to stop following the law.” Can you see the scene in your mind? Imagine thousands of people all telling each other that Paul was instructing Jews in the Diaspora to ignore the law. “Where did you hear that?” you might have asked, and the answer would have been “From everyone!” But it wasn’t true. “Lots of people believe it” doesn’t turn a rumor into a fact. Thousands of shares and millions of views can’t turn a lie into the truth.

Believing and spreading rumors is normal human behavior, but it is sinful human behavior. The Bible warns against being gossips, and this means spreading things that might or might not be true. Now that we have the internet (and AI), that problem is about to get a whole lot worse. At this point, you should just assume that everyone on the internet that you don’t know is either dishonest or ill-informed. They might not be. They might be entirely honest and helpful, but you should probably check first.

Realize the Damage

Paul was almost killed because of a totally fabricated lie. Nehemiah was accused before the king of starting an insurrection. Rumors can destroy people and ruin lives, careers, and even families. Even after the truth comes out, many people still continue to believe the lie. Once a seed of doubt has been planted, it will take root and often never be completely uprooted. A shocking social media post about someone can gain a lot of attention, quickly. A sheepish follow up post admitting that the first post was wrong would be lucky to get 10% of that traction. Or, as the old saying goes, “a lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting its shoes on.”

The Bible warns that Satan is a liar and that he has come to destroy (John 8:44). There is a deep and disturbing connection between lies and death. The lies we tell and share, even if accidental, can have greatly damaging effects in people’s lives. For this reason, Christians must not spread rumors.

Check Your Sources

The Bible gives us several wisdom principles for our speech that should help us avoid spreading rumors. First, the Bible warns us that speaking quickly about a matter before we’ve heard it makes us foolish (Proverbs 18:13). The Bible warns us that the first to present their case seems right, but a cross-examination often makes things a little more complicated (Proverbs 18:17). Make sure you have the whole story, and that you have looked into something before you share it in person or online. Be slow to share so that you make sure that what you are sharing is true. If something seems shocking, especially if it is negative about someone, make sure that you aren’t spreading a rumor.

How do you do that? Well, for example if you see a screenshot of someone saying something outlandish, make sure you find the original post. If someone shares a shocking statistic, see where they got the data and check to make sure that it’s from a reliable source and it’s being fairly represented. Keep in mind that anyone on the internet could be lying at any time, so don’t simply take any one person’s word on a matter. Always check your sources and if you are uncertain about something, say so.

If in Doubt, Don’t Share

“Well, if I do all that, I probably would share a lot less.” Fair enough. The Bible warns that we be more ready to hear than to speak (James 1:19; Proverbs 13:3; Proverbs 17:28), and I think you could make a case that should also apply to our social media.

I haven’t always been perfect about this, but as a writer I have always tried to get the exact wording when responding to something in the culture. At one point I thought I had a really good idea for a post, but when I went back and double checked the original sources, I realized that what I had heard and thought wasn’t completely accurate. I tried to see if I could make it work, but the differences between what I thought and what was reality were enough that I eventually scrapped the post. I’m glad I double checked instead of simply writing what would have been an engaging hot take, but one that would have misrepresented the truth.

Why does this matter so much? It matters because the God we serve is a God of truth. The ninth commandment is often abbreviated as “Thou shalt not lie,” and while that’s not entirely wrong it’s also not entirely right. Technically, the ninth commandment is a warning about bearing false witness about our neighbor. It’s a warning specifically that we not share things about other people that are not true. That has never been easier than it is today, and it has perhaps never been more prevalent than today. If we are children of God, then we are children of the God of truth. If we are children of the God of truth, then we should be careful to practice the truth in our families, our communities, and yes, even in our social media.