The Holy Fathers on Slander

The Holy Fathers on Slander
Slander by definition means: the utterance of false charges or misrepresentations which defame and damage another's reputation;
And/or a false and defamatory oral statement about a person.
~From the Holy Scriptures:
“Whoever secretly slanders his neighbour, him I will destroy;
The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart,
him I will not endure.”
(Psalm 100:5 / Psalm 101:5 NKJV)
“Whoever hides hatred has lying lips,
And whoever spreads slander is a fool.”
(Proverbs 10:18)
“Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,But those who deal truthfully are His delight.”
(Proverbs 12:22)
“Do not malign (slander) a servant to his master,
Lest he curse you, and you be found guilty.”
(Proverbs 30:10)
“In you are men who slander to cause bloodshed; in you are those who eat on the mountains; in your midst they commit lewdness.”
(Ezekiel 22:9)
“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.”
(Matthew 5:11)
“But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.”
(Matthew 12:36)
“Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.”
(James 4:11)
“Having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.”
(1 Peter 3:16)
“When a debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the (real) losers.”
“Truth sounds like hate to those, who hate the truth.”
(Unknown)
“What is slander? It is every sort of wicked word we would dare not speak in front of the person whom we are complaining about.”
(St. Anthony the Great)
“Slander is a great evil. Just exactly as the little rudder of a ship guides the ship where it wants, so the tongue guides a person either to good or to evil. The holy fathers greatly reprove (scold) the judgment of others' sins, vices, or evil habits.”
“The chief cause of criticism and slander is pride and egotism, for man thinks himself better (than others). For this reason it is very beneficial for a person to think of himself as smaller than all, so that he sees the brother as better, in order that he may, with the help of God, be delivered from this evil.”
“It is one thing to criticize someone and another to be fought against with regard to criticism. To criticize is a great passion, but to be fought against and to fight back -- this is the cause of crowns.”
(+Geronda Ephraim of Arizona & Philotheou)
~Various sayings from Dessert Fathers:
Abba John said to his brother, "Even if we are entirely despised in the eyes of men, let us rejoice that we are honoured in the sight of God."
Abba Or said, "He who is honoured and praised beyond his merits, will suffer much condemnation, but he who is held as of no account among men will receive glory in heaven."
Abba Or said, "If you have spoken evil of your brother, and you are stricken with remorse, go and kneel down before him and say: 'I have spoken badly of you; let this be my surety that I will not spread this slander any further.' For detraction is death to the soul."
“Slander is, an offspring of hatred, a subtle yet coarse disease, a leech lurking unfelt, wasting and draining the blood of love. It is, simulation of love, the patron of a heavy and unclean heart, the ruin of chastity.”
“One who loves his neighbour can never tolerate slanderers, but rather runs from them as from fire.”
“He who wants to overcome the spirit of slander should not ascribe the blame to the person who falls, but to the demon who suggests it. For no one really wants to sin against God, even though we all sin without being forced to do so.”
“Do not condemn, even if you see with your eyes, for they are often deceived.”
“Blessed is he who, though maligned (unfairly criticized) and disparaged (belittled) every day for the Lord’s sake, constrains himself to be patient. He will join the chorus of the martyrs, and boldly converse with the angels. Blessed is the monk who regards himself as hourly deserving every dishonour and disparagement. Blessed is he who mortifies his will to the end, and leaves the care of himself to his director in the Lord; for he will be placed at the right hand of the Crucified. He who will not accept a reproof, just or unjust, renounces his own salvation. But he who accepts it with an effort, or even without an effort, will soon receive the remission of his sins.”
“No sensible person, I think, will dispute that slander is born of hatred and remembrance of wrongs. Therefore it comes next in order after its forebears.”
Reached capacity:

[@bettyhal665]

Thank you for the edifying videos. This one truly hit home as I ,too, sometimes commit this sin .May the Lord help me to overcome this
Passion.

[@HolyOrthodoxy]

@bettyhal665; Thank you for your comment and kind words. It’s easy to fall into this sin, but thank God that He is merciful and forgives everyone once they repent and confess! 🙏☦️