Calumny in the Blogosphere

H/T to Carl Olson for this story.

Calumny in the Blogosphere by Fr. Michael P. Orsi and appears in the June 2008 Homiletic & Pastoral Review.

..."Calumny and its close relative detraction (derogatory comments that reveal the hidden faults or sins of another without reason) have been part of life since the dawn of time. But opportunities for breaking the Eighth Commandment have proliferated with the advent of the Internet, especially since the rise of the phenomenon known as “blogging.”...

Father offers the following recommendations on blogging.

* Pastors should speak on the Eighth Commandment and its corollary injunctions against calumny and detraction.

* People should be warned that what they read on blogs is not necessarily true.

* Any anonymous blog or unsigned response has the weight of an unsigned letter and so should be quickly dismissed.

* A blog that is particularly vicious toward persons can be indicative of psychological illness, or simply an evil person, and is therefore suspect.

* Any blog that is unedifying and demeaning to another person should not be read. It is the equivalent of pornography.

* Responding to these calumnious blogs, even for defense of the individual or for clarification, only encourages the offender and prolongs the life of the calumny.

* Those who suffer calumny on anonymous blogs are, for the most part, better off enduring it. Seeking to correct misrepresentations usually has the effect of keeping controversy alive and adding to its interest value.

* While reading such blogs is damaging to its target (since it causes unwarranted negative speculation about another’s character), it also hurts the reader since it causes scandal, sowing pessimism and despondency.

* Calumnious blogging is a serious offense against God’s law. Those who engage in it are jeopardizing their immortal souls and the souls of others.

* For anyone to make a judgment concerning a person’s character based on what is read on a negative blog is to be a formal cooperator in the evil perpetrated by the blogger.