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What to do if you've been slandered? “A slanderer deprives himself of the joy of loving.

Due to the fact that various speculations about the life of the Church and its hierarchs have now spread with particular force in society, the Neskuchny Sad magazine has learned what slander is and how to deal with it from ... the holy fathers of the Church.

Sandro Botticelli. Slander (1495)

What to do if you hear slander

Like no other, Saint John Chrysostom suffered from slander. He suffered disgrace and exile, accused by Empress Eudoxia on the slander of Patriarch Theophilus of Alexandria himself, who wanted to put his man on the episcopal chair. To those who heard an unverified rumor or information discrediting anyone, St. John said: “Never accept slander against your neighbor, but stop the slanderer with these words: “Let go, brother, I sin every day with even more serious sins, how can we condemn others?" The saint even suggested extreme measures: “Let us drive away the slanderer, so that, taking part in someone else’s evil, we will not cause death to ourselves.” But the Monk Ephraim the Syrian believed that "if the enemy disposes to slander, we will protect ourselves with silence."

How to escape slander

For the patience of slander, many holy fathers promise a reward. “Remember that the one who hears slander about himself not only does not suffer harm, but will also receive the greatest reward,” says John Chrysostom. But he also testifies that no matter how great the reward, it is not easy to endure slander: “Slander is hard, even if it is well rewarded. The marvelous Joseph was subjected to it, and many others. And the Lord commands us to pray that we will not be tempted... And besides, the slander of proud and strong people is especially difficult, because untruth, relying on strength, brings great harm. The saint advised his brothers in misfortune: “For many, it seems more unbearable than all deaths when enemies spread bad rumors about them and bring suspicion on them ... If this is true, correct yourself; if it's a lie, laugh at it. If you are aware of what is said behind you, then come to your senses; if you don’t realize it, leave it unattended, it’s better to say: be glad and rejoice, according to the word of the Lord (Matt. 5, 11).

Prayer can save you from many troubles and sorrows. St. Maximus the Confessor, even in the case of slander, suggests not to lose heart, but to pray: “To the extent that you pray for the slanderer, God will reveal to those who have been offended the truth about you.”

Bishop Theophan the Recluse suggests that slander is a redeeming remedy:
“You have been slandered... even though you are innocent? We must patiently endure. And this will go instead of penances for what you consider yourself guilty of. Therefore, slander for you is the grace of God. It is imperative to reconcile with those who slandered, no matter how difficult it may be.

slander for the good

Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk gives examples of how slander is turned into good and glory:
“To those who love God... everything works together for good,” says the apostle (Rom. 8:28). For them, slander and reproach are turned to their advantage by the grace of God. The chaste Joseph was thrown into prison by female slander, but in this way he was exalted to a high honor and saved the whole country from famine (Gen. 39 and 41). Moses fled from the wicked lips of Egypt and was a stranger in the land of Midian (Ex. 2, 15-22). But there he was vouchsafed to see the bush, miraculously burning in the wilderness, and to hear God talking to him from the bush (Ex. 3, 2-7). A slanderous tongue made many slanders to Saint David, but in this way he was prompted to prayer and composed many inspired psalms for the benefit of the Holy Church. The slander cast Daniel into a den to be devoured by lions, but innocence blocked the mouth of the beasts and glorified him more than before (Dan. 6:16-28). ... The same judgments of God are being made even now ”(104. 860-861).

And Christ was slandered

St. Tikhon notes that we are not the first to tolerate untruth on Earth: “Christ Himself preceded us through reproach and humiliation, having committed no sin. How much and how cruelly the lips of the Pharisees blasphemed Him and what reproach they threw at Him like poisonous arrows, the holy Gospel testifies to this. It was not enough for them to say that He loves to eat and drink wine, that He is a friend of tax collectors and sinners, a Samaritan, that He has a demon and is mad, - He Who in every way sought the lost, but called Him a liar, corrupting the people: "we found that He corrupts our people and forbids giving tribute to Caesar" (Lk. 23:2), the One Who taught them: "Give Caesar's things to Caesar, and God's things" (Mk. 12:17), Who by the power of His Godhead forbade and cast out demons. None of them escaped slander and reproach. The children of this world have found something to blaspheme even in an immaculate life, invented a deceitful language, with which to defame the immaculate. The prophet Moses, the legislator, the leader of Israel, the friend and interlocutor of God, suffered reproach from the assembly of Korah and Abiron (Num. 16) and from his other people. How many enemies threw poisonous arrows at David, the holy king of Israel and the prophet of God, is evident from the psalm: "All day long my enemies reproach me, and those who are angry at me curse me" (Ps. 101, 9 and further). A lying tongue cast the prophet Daniel into the lions' den as into a tomb (Dan. 6:16). How the apostles suffered from the whole world, to which they preached the mercy of God! Those who turned from delusion to truth, and from darkness to light, and from the kingdom of the devil to the Kingdom of God, were called seducers, corrupters, and troublemakers of the universe. The same was experienced by their successors, the saints, martyrs and other saints. Read church history and you will see how no one escaped them from slander. Even now the saints who live in the world endure the same thing from the evil world. For the world is constant in its malice: it does not love the truth, which the saints show both in word and life, and always clings to lies and untruth, which they abhor. You are not the first to suffer reproach and dishonor. You see that the saints endured and still endure (John 9:10-34).”

How not to slander your neighbor

St. Basil the Great believes that sometimes the truth can turn out to be slander: “You can’t say anything about an absent brother with the intention of slandering him - this is slander, even if what was said was fair.” “... But there are two cases in which it is permissible to speak badly (but the truth) about someone: when it is necessary to consult with others who are experienced in this, how to correct the sinner, and when it is necessary to warn others (without verbosity), which, according to ignorance, they can often be in a community with a bad person, considering him to be kind ... Whoever, without such a need, says something about another with the intention of slandering him, he is a slanderer, even if he speaks the truth.

Saint John Chrysostom warns: “Slander destroys great houses; one slandered, and through him others cry and weep: his children, and neighbors, and friends. But for this, even slanderers are bad. The Lord does not accept their prayers from them, and their candles are extinguished, and their offerings are not accepted, and the wrath of God rests on them, as David says: the Lord will consume all the flattering lips, the tongue is eloquent.

St. Gregory the Theologian advises to pay attention to why we complain about others: "If the complaint is unfair, then it becomes slander...".

And the Monk Abba Isaiah does not advise by slander to save oneself from disasters and human malice: “Every unfortunate person is worthy of mercy when he mourns his misfortunes. But if he begins to slander others and harm them, then pity for his misfortunes will disappear; he is already recognized as worthy not of pity, but of hatred, as having used his misfortune for evil by interfering in other people's affairs. So, the seeds of this passion must be destroyed at the beginning, until they germinate and become indestructible, and do not give rise to danger for the one who is sacrificed to this passion.

Recently, various anti-church rumors, accusations and insults against the Orthodox Church, its clergy and laity have been spreading with unprecedented activity. As the situation with the sensational scandal around the orphanage in the Holy Bogolyubsky convent of the Vladimir diocese has shown, entire information campaigns are organized to discredit the Church, its initiatives and values. And in our everyday life - both among Orthodox believers and people far from the Church - slander is not something unusual. It can be unpleasant for us to find out that we have been slandered, discredited in the eyes of our neighbors, that our words and deeds have been reinterpreted and their meaning has been misunderstood. At the same time, we ourselves often boldly, without hesitation, express our conjectures aloud, spread gossip about a particular person or event, without thinking about the consequences ...

How to deal with the sin of slander, how to learn to treat slander and slander correctly, in a Christian way? Who and why spreads negative information about the Church? With these and other questions, we turned to the monk Augustine, already known to our readers, a resident of one of the monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church.

- Father Augustine, what is slander? What are the characteristics of this sin? What do the Holy Fathers say about him?

Defamation is knowingly false accusations of uncommitted crimes or immoral acts. It is a sin against the truth of God, that is, a lie, and also a sin against love for one's neighbor. The slanderer deprives himself of the joy of loving another person. Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk says: “The slanderer harms the one whom he slanders, because with his tongue he stings him like a sword, and his glory, like a dog with his teeth, torments clothes.<...>He harms himself, because he sins grievously. He harms those who listen to him, because he gives them a reason for slander and condemnation, and so he leads them to the same lawless deed in which he himself is. And just as many people become infected and die from one infected person, so from one slanderer, the source of slander, many Christian souls become infected and die. (“A spiritual treasure, collected from the world”). The slanderer is the proper name of the devil. Saint Andrew of Caesarea writes: "The lie of the devil and his slander against people and serves, as it is said, the reason for his name" (“Interpretation on the Apocalypse of St. John the Theologian”). The one who sins by slander becomes an imitator and disciple of the devil.

- What makes some people slander others? How is this sin connected with other mental illnesses - pride, condemnation, vindictiveness, malevolence, envy? ..

Sometimes slander comes from idle talk. “Void speech is a door to condemnation and slander, a carrier of false news and opinions, a sower of discord and strife,” - we read from the Monk Nikodim the Holy Mountaineer (“Invisible Warfare”).

Another reason for slander is malice. The Monk Nil the Myrrh-streaming says this: «<Злоба же>attracts a person to the following nine: 1 - condemnation, 2 - slander, 3 - slander, 4 - contempt (and at the same time exaltation, pride, etc.), 5 - greed, 6 - theft, 7 - lies and unfair denunciation (t e. slander), 8 - pretense of virtues or hypocrisy, 9 - insidious advice. - Sim exposed to those who condemn their neighbor " (“Posthumous broadcasts of the Monk Nil the Myrrh-streaming Athos”).

Also, slander comes from envy. In the writings of St. Ephraim the Syrian it is written: “A terrible poison is envy and rivalry: slander, hatred and murder will be born from them” ("A word about virtues and vices"). And the Monk Barsanuphius the Great instructs: “Does the enemy excite you to envy, do not slander - and you defeated the evil one, for the fruit of envy is slander” ("Guide to the Spiritual Life"). Waste speech, according to the teaching of the Holy Fathers, comes from vanity. Envy and malice come from pride.

- How to deal with the habit of spreading various rumors and expressing your conjectures and judgments about your neighbors?

Wise Jesus, the son of Sirach, gives such good advice: Ask your friend, maybe he didn't do it; and if he did, then let him not do it ahead. Ask a friend, maybe he didn't say that; and if he said, then let him not repeat it. Ask a friend, for there is often slander. Don't believe every word. Another sins with a word, but not from the heart; and who has not erred with his tongue? Question your neighbor before threatening him, and give place to the law of the Most High (Sir. 19:13-18).

St. John Chrysostom advises not to immediately trust various rumors, but only after a thorough check: “Neither the Father had ignorance in the Old Testament, nor the Son in the New Testament. What does it mean: “When I come down, I will see, if by their cry to come they are done to Me, or else, let me understand”? The rumor, He says, has reached Me, but I want to be even more precise in fact, not because I don’t know, but because I want to teach people not to heed one word and, when someone says something against another, not to believe lightly, but first to carefully examine it yourself and really make sure, and only then to believe. Therefore, in another place of Scripture it is said: “Not for every word of faith” (Ibid., 16). Nothing distorts people's lives so much as hasty credulity to all sorts of speeches. Announcing this, and the prophet David said: “He who slanders his sincere secrets, this one will exile” (Ps. 100, 5) ” (“Against the Anmes,” word 9).

And St. Tikhon of Zadonsk offers the following rule: “When you hear slander against someone, then think about it, are you not sinning with such a sin? If you sin, repent of it, if not, thank God and pray not to fall into this temptation. .

The opposite virtue of slander is silence. “In order to get used to silence, I will show you one of the most direct and simple means: take up this work - and the work itself will both teach you how to do it and help you in this,” says St. Nikodim the Holy Mountaineer. - In order to maintain zeal for such work, think more often about the harmful consequences of indiscriminate talkativeness and the saving consequences of prudent silence. When you reach the point of tasting the saving fruits of silence, then no more lessons will be required for you in this regard. ("Invisible Swearing").

- What if, out of ignorance or passion, you have slandered your neighbor, but you repent of your deed?

If you slandered publicly, for example, through the media, then you need to publicly refute your slander and publicly apologize to the slandered person. If, however, he erected a slander in private, it is necessary to ask for forgiveness from the agreed and tell about his untruth to those people before whom he slandered. We must reproach ourselves, repent of this at confession and try not to do this again, pray that the Lord and the Mother of God will strengthen, give strength to refrain from this sin in the future. Saint John Chrysostom writes: “If you have slandered anyone, if you have become an enemy to anyone, reconcile before the Judgment Seat. Finish everything here so that you can see that seat (of the Judge) without worries. As long as we are here, we have good hopes; but when we go there, it will no longer be in our power to repent and wash away our sins.” (“About Lazar”, word 2).

- How should a Christian behave when he hears a negative review about his neighbor?

The Holy Fathers advise avoiding such conversations under various plausible pretexts. Saint John Chrysostom calls: “So let us keep our mouths clean from oaths and protect our tongue, our lips, and our mind from all this, so that no evil thought is born in us and is not expressed by the tongue. Let us also close our ears tightly so as not to receive empty hearing, as blessed Moses commanded: “Thou shalt not receive a vain ear” (Ex. 23:1), and as blessed David also said: .100, 5). Do you see, beloved, how much vigilance we need, how much labor for virtue, and how the smallest negligence destroys us completely? That is why the blessed David exclaimed in another place, denouncing the one who does this: “Sitting, you slandered your brother, and you put a stumbling block on your mother’s son” (Ps. 49, 20).

And Elder Paisios Svyatogorets of blessed memory offers this salutary advice: when someone begins to slander in your presence, answer: “Forgive me, I sin with the same sin and even worse than that brother.” Sometimes you can say so, at other times - refer to employment or malaise and leave.

- What if you were slandered? Is it necessary to make excuses and strive for the restoration of the truth, or is it better to endure slander in silence, laying everything on the Lord?

Silently endure slander, of course, is best. This path - patience, humility and love - was followed by our Lord Jesus Christ, and all the saints of God. And when there are spiritual forces to that, of course, one should imitate them. And if we sin - we condemn the one who slandered us, vilify in response, then we must repent of this, reproaching ourselves for cowardice and condescending into the depths of humility.

However, this is worth doing in the case when slander affects only you personally. If it can harm other people, then it is necessary, for the sake of others, to resist it, find out and publicly tell about the true state of things.

- How should a Christian relate to negative information gleaned from the Internet and other media, but not verified by himself? For example, what is the right way to behave if you find out somewhere that this or that priest is a young old man with schismatic views, but did not personally communicate with him and do not have reliable evidence about him?

Here it is necessary to look at what direction the publication distributes this information. If, for example, an ecumenical newspaper blasphemes some priest or monk, then this blasphemy, most likely, should be taken in the opposite sense - as a good testimony about a person. Our Lord Jesus Christ said: Blessed are you when they reproach you and persecute you and slander you in every way unrighteously for me. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven: so they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Matthew 5:11-12). And about the sons of this world He said: Woe to you when all people speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets (Luke 6:26). If ecumenists, globalists or other enemies of the Church have slandered someone, then the Christian, having figured it out himself, must explain this situation to his perplexed neighbors.

- What if you meet with a categorical negative judgment about this or that Orthodox book, newspaper or any website, but you yourself have not read the condemned publication? Of course, before forming your opinion, it is best to familiarize yourself with the publication, but it happens that a person is afraid to read it, not being sure that he will be able to independently correctly evaluate the materials published there ...

First of all, you should make it a rule, figuratively speaking, to drink water from a clean source. The first step is to evaluate the source of the information. This can be done by answering a few questions: is this publication Orthodox or not? Have its editors and authors been noticed preaching heretical, schismatic or sectarian ideas? What is their attitude to the most important problems of our time - ecumenism and globalization? Is this edition patriotic or cosmopolitan? If the authors are Orthodox patriots, apologists for the teachings of the Orthodox Church and patristic tradition, if they have a negative attitude towards heresies, sects, schisms, the process of building a new world order, then they have more confidence than everyone else. If they make mistakes, then their mistakes, as a rule, are not malicious, but are made due to human weakness. Such sources usually publish truthful information that can be trusted. And in the case when there is a desire to understand more thoroughly any specific issue, you need to discuss it with your spiritual leader, praying for admonition to the Lord God, His Most Pure Mother and the saints.

- In your opinion, is there a planned campaign to discredit the Orthodox Church through the media today and what are its reasons?

Now a campaign has really been unleashed to discredit Orthodoxy in general, and the Russian Church in particular. However, this is not new. In the early 1990s, Z. Brzezinski, a Russophobe and a hater of Orthodoxy, openly stated that after the fall of the Soviet Union, the Russian Orthodox Church became enemy No. 1 for the United States. And the West is steadily and systematically exerting pressure on our Church in order to destroy it. This is expressed, firstly, in attempts to mix truth with lies, right faith with various heresies in the framework of the so-called ecumenical dialogue. Secondly, there is public persecution of zealots of Orthodoxy who oppose ecumenism. The persecution of Elder Peter (Kucher), the inhabitants of Optina Hermitage through the scandal with the "expulsion" of the Negro, the campaign against the Moldavian Society of the Blessed Matrona are information wars of the past. Now a new round is underway - a series of blasphemous actions in Orthodox churches and their biased and scandalous coverage in the media.

I recently spoke with a respected priest on this subject, and he expressed the following point of view. The reason for the current slander against the Patriarch, in his opinion, lies in the fact that during the first wave of attacks on the Church, when the yellow anti-church publications exaggerated tales about a mug of salt allegedly eaten by an orphan girl in Bogolyubovo, and a pilgrim almost beaten in Optina Hermitage -Negro, they obviously lied in order to discredit our Orthodox shrines, the church leadership did not behave wisely. It allowed this slander to be spread not only to external enemies of the Church, but also did nothing to stop the slanderers within it - Protodeacon Andrei Kuraev, Abbot Sergius (Rybko), who slandered their fellow priests, the lay sectologist Dvorkin, who generally deserved excommunication from the Church for the humiliation of pastors. .. Today, when all these accusations have already been refuted, nonetheless, no one has apologized, no one has been punished, and no one has even received a reprimand from the authorities. And of course, now the same media outlets, which have tested their strength in past actions, have gone further - the Patriarch has become the object of their attacks.

Imagine such a situation, Father Nikolai told me, that some Cossack sinned - he drank too much, went into the house of a gypsy, fought with him, began to pester a gypsy, barely managed to kick him out. The next morning, the gypsy ran to the ataman with a complaint about the unrestrained Cossack (and perhaps with slander against him, if this case did not actually happen), but what did the ataman answer him? - "Go away! This is my Cossack, and I will deal with him myself. If you are guilty, I will punish you to the fullest extent, but don’t stick your nose here, it’s none of your business!” Here is the act of a real chieftain! - said my interlocutor. And I can't help but agree with him. Therefore, it remains to be hoped that our "atamans" - the hierarchy - will see their mistake and draw the right conclusions from all these anti-church attacks.

- How can Orthodox believers and should resist the slander and blasphemy spread through the media?

If the slanderer is a believer, then one should be guided by the commandment of our Lord Jesus Christ: But if your brother sins against you, go and reprove him between you and him alone; if he listens to you, then you have gained your brother; but if he does not listen, take one or two more with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the mouth of two or three witnesses; if he does not listen to them, tell the church; and if he does not listen to the church, then let him be to you, like a pagan and a publican (Matthew 18:15-17).

In addition, in February 2011, the Council of Bishops adopted a document "On the Attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church to Intentional Public Blasphemy and slander against the Church", containing practical recommendations that can be used by every Christian. To counteract public blasphemy, the following measures are proposed:

To attempt enter into negotiations with the relevant media, journalist, political, public or religious figure in order to reconcile and conduct an honest and open discussion; if understanding and reconciliation cannot be reached, it is necessary to stop cooperating with them and recommend that members of the Church not use these media;

- publication of materials explaining the illegality and social danger of a blasphemous or other blasphemous statement that humiliated human dignity and offended the religious feelings of believers;

- assistance to the laity in actively responding to blasphemous actions using information tools and other actions permitted by law, such as reasoned criticism, boycott, picketing;
- the blessing of the laity and their organizations on the peaceful civil opposition to blasphemy as a kind of humiliation of the human dignity of believers and an insult to their religious feelings;

- filing a complaint against the author of blasphemous or other blasphemous material that humiliated the human dignity of believers and offended religious feelings, to self-regulatory journalistic organizations, to arbitration organizations;

- Appeal, in accordance with the procedure established by law, to state authorities to resolve the conflict, as well as to suppress and punish actions aimed at desecrating religious symbols and insulting the feelings of believers, if they are illegal;

- giving canonical bans to those guilty of sinful deeds, if they are Orthodox Christians.

The document also says: "Opposition to cases of blasphemy and slander in the public sphere can be carried out by clergy and laity of the Russian Orthodox Church, both with the blessing of the hierarchy, and on their own initiative, while they must be guided by the sacred canons and officially adopted church documents."

Interviewed Victor ZARECHNY

Lies are the source and cause of eternal death

Abba Anuv said: "From the time I received Baptism and was named a Christian, no lie comes out of my mouth." Abba Anuv (82, 67).

From love to human glory a lie is born (82, 184).

Let no lies come out of your mouth (34, 8).

Let us teach our tongue the praise of God, prayer and truth, in order to get rid of lies when they come out to meet us. (34, 91).

Keep yourself from lying, for it casts out the fear of the Lord. Rev. Abba Isaiah (34, 199).

Is it necessary to lie, meaning something useful? This is not allowed by what the Lord said, Who emphatically says that lies are from the devil (John 8:44), without pointing out any differences in lies. Saint Basil the Great (8, 213).

A deceitful heart has a daring ... he willingly listens to secrets and easily reveals them; he knows how to bring down with his tongue even those who stand firm in good (25, 20).

Unfortunate and pitiful is the one who stagnates in a lie, because the devil is "a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44). He who stagnates in a lie does not have boldness, because he is hated by both God and people (25, 20).

A deceitful person does not deserve approval in any matter and is suspicious in every answer. (25, 20).

There is no ulcer deeper than this, there is no shame higher than this. A liar is vile to everyone and ridiculous to everyone. So be careful and don't lie (25, 20).

The devil draws us into cunning so that a person justifies himself when he is guilty, excuses himself for sin and iniquity, and aggravates his misfortune with apology and guilt. (29, 306).

The devil teaches us resourcefulness in speech, so that, when asked, not to tell us our guilt, and so that, having committed a sin, we can dodge and justify ourselves. Rev. Ephraim the Syrian (29, 307).

Lying is the heinous dishonor of man. Let us avoid the accusation caused by the lie. Do not make yourself untrustworthy in the eyes of a friend, lest you meet with distrust even when you speak the truth. The one who turned out to be a liar in one thing is no longer worth believing even if he speaks the truth. (36, 925).

Like a combustible substance from the house, remove lies from your mouth (39, 610).

There is nothing more powerful than a lie, even if it is covered by countless veils. (42, 184).

A lie always exposes itself by what it thinks to damage the truth, but meanwhile it reveals the truth more clearly. (42, 378).

Lies are the destruction of love. Saint John Chrysostom (46, 965).

The one who weaves lies apologizes with good intentions, and what is actually the death of the soul, he considers the right thing. (57, 102).

He who has acquired the fear of God has abstained from lies, having in himself an incorruptible judge - his own conscience. (57, 102).

When we are completely free from lies, then, if need arises and demands, and even then not without fear, we can use it. Rev. John of the Ladder (57, 102).

Great attention is needed so that we are not robbed by lies; for a liar has no fellowship with God. Lies alienate from God (58, 106).

Mentally lies the one who accepts his assumptions as the truth, that is, empty suspicions of his neighbor. (58, 106).

Just as every sin comes either from voluptuousness, or from the love of money, or from the love of glory, so also lies come from these three causes. A person lies either in order not to reproach himself and not to humble himself, or in order to fulfill his desire, or for the sake of gain, and does not cease to dodge and contrive in words until he fulfills his desire. Such a person is never believed, even if he tells the truth, no one trusts him, and his very truth seems incredible. (58, 111).

Sometimes such a thing happens that there is an extreme need to hide the little; and if someone does not hide a small thing, then the matter brings great confusion and sorrow. When such an extreme is met and someone sees himself in such need, he can therefore break the word so that no greater embarrassment and grief or resentment comes out. But when there is such a great need to deviate from the word of truth, then even then a person should not remain carefree, but repent and weep before God, and consider such an event a time of temptation. And such evasion must not be decided often, but only once out of many cases. (58, 112).

He lies with his life who, being a fornicator, pretends to be temperate, or, being greedy, speaks of alms and praises mercy, or, being arrogant, marvels at humility of wisdom. And he is not surprised at virtue because he wants to praise it, for if he spoke with this thought, then he would first humbly confess his weakness, saying: “Woe to me, the accursed one, I have become a stranger to every good,” and then already, in the consciousness of his weakness, he would begin to praise virtue and marvel at it. And again, he praises virtue not for the purpose of not seducing another, for he should (in this case) think like this: “Truly, I am accursed and passionate, but why should I seduce others? Why harm the soul of another and impose a different burden on yourself? And then, even if he had sinned in this, he would have also touched the good, for to condemn oneself is a matter of humility, and to spare one's neighbor is a matter of mercy. But the liar, not for any of the reasons mentioned, is astonished at virtue, but steals the name of virtue, either to cover his shame and talk about it as if he himself were exactly like that, or often to hurt someone and deceive his (58, 112).

Let us avoid lies in order to get rid of the fate of the evil one, and let us try to assimilate the truth for ourselves in order to have unity with God, who said: “I am the way and the truth” (John 14:6). Rev. Abba Dorotheos (58, 114).

Then the Jews attempted to obscure the Resurrection of Christ with a light mist of lies: "the disciples stole it." This insignificance was easily overcome, and the truth triumphed. But even now the enemy does not cease to smoke before the Resurrection sun, wishing to outshine it. Nobody is embarrassed! What to expect from the father of lies, except lies? He taught many of his minions to write entire books against the Resurrection. This book fog is scattered by books. Do not take a bad book - and do not get clouded, but if you happen to accidentally attack one - take a good book as an antidote and refresh your head and chest. There is another mist from the enemy - in thoughts. But even this one will immediately dissipate, like smoke from the wind, from sound Christian reasoning. Go through everything that has happened and you will see clearly as day that all this could not have been accomplished except by the power of the Resurrection of Christ. This conviction will then be a stronghold for you, having established yourself on which you will easily begin to repulse and defeat the enemies of truth. Bishop Theophan the Recluse (107, 101-102).

May the thought of unfaithfulness to an oath be removed from us! But in order to rather remove him, strike him, as with an arrow, with the terrible word of God: “The Lord will not leave without punishment the one who pronounces His name in vain” (Exodus 20:7). If the Lord does not leave without punishment the one who pronounces His name in vain, thoughtlessly, without need, then what should one expect who, taking an oath before God, would use the name of God unintentionally, blasphemously, in order to cover the impurity of his unfaithfulness with His holiness? “You will destroy those who speak lies” (Ps. 5:7), but will you not first destroy the rest, Lord, who speak lies before Your name and lie before Your face, like Ananias and Sapphira, not to people, but to You, God? The Apostle Peter denounced Ananias with these very words: “You lied not to Men, but to God”, “hearing these words, Ananias fell lifeless.” And then Sapphira, after such a denunciation, suddenly “fell down at his feet and gave up her spirit” (Acts 5, 4-5; 10). This example and many examples outside of sacred history show that a lie before the name of God and before the face of God is a perjurious lie, as if impatience leads heavenly Justice and attracts terrible and sudden blows of fate. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow (114, 207-208).

We see that different lies happen in the world. The merchant is lying when he says that his goods are worth such and such a price, but this is not so. A witness lies in court when he says what he has not seen or heard, or does not say what he has seen and heard, and calls black white, and bitter - sweet ... The worker lies, who, having taken a worthy price, promised to work diligently to hire him , but works lazily or doesn't work at all. The debtor lies, who borrows money and promises to repay, but does not give it back ... The shepherd lies, who promises and swears to shepherd the flock of Christ's sheep, but does not shepherd or carelessly shepherds them. So, a Christian is lying, who in Holy Baptism promises to work for Christ the Lord, but does not work. Such is everyone who, through holy Baptism, transgresses the law and clings to the vanity of this world. Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk (104, 913).

Our forefathers were deceived, that is, they recognized a lie as the truth, and, having accepted a lie under the guise of truth, they incurably damaged themselves with a mortal sin ... (108, 231).

Charm is the assimilation of a lie by a person, accepted by him for the truth. (108, 231).

Opinion is made up of false concepts and false sensations; according to this property, it completely belongs to the realm of the father and representative of lies - the devil. (108, 247-248).

In the false thought of the mind, the whole building of delusion already exists, just as in a seed there is a plant that must sprout if planted in the ground. (109, 203).

Lies are the source and cause of eternal death. Bishop Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) (111, 208).

SLANDER

Nothing can be said about an absent brother with the intention of slandering him - this is slander, even if what was said was fair (9, 54).

... But there are two cases in which it is permissible to speak badly (but the truth) about someone: when it is necessary to consult with others who are experienced in this, how to correct the sinner, and when it is necessary to warn others (not verbose), who, ignorantly, may to be often in a community with a bad person, considering him to be kind ... Whoever, without such a need, says something about another with the intention of slandering him, he is a slanderer, even if he speaks the truth. Saint Basil the Great (10, 192).

If the complaint is unjust, it becomes slander... Saint Gregory the Theologian (15, 333).

If you are subjected to slander and afterward the purity of your conscience is revealed, do not be proud, but serve the Lord with humility, who has delivered you from human slander. (25, 194).

Do not grieve your brother by slandering his brother, for it is not a matter of love to excite one's neighbor to the destruction of the soul. (25, 197).

Nor should one trust the one who speaks evil, because slander often comes from envy ... (25, 208).

If the enemy disposes to slander, we will protect ourselves with silence (25, 233).

As a moth spoils clothes, so slander spoils the soul of a Christian. Rev. Ephraim the Syrian (26, 586).

If you have slandered someone, if you have become an enemy to someone, reconcile before the Judgment. Finish everything here so that you can see the Court without worries (35, 802).

For many, it seems more unbearable than all deaths when enemies spread bad rumors about them and bring suspicion on them ... If this is true, correct yourself; if it's a lie, laugh at it. If you are aware of what is said behind you, then come to your senses; if you don’t realize it, leave it unattended, it’s better to say: be glad and rejoice, according to the word of the Lord (Matt. 5:11) (38, 860).

Remember that he who hears slander about himself not only does not suffer harm, but will also receive the greatest reward. (39, 269).

Let us drive away the slanderer, so that, taking part in someone else's evil, we do not cause death to ourselves. (39, 723).

He who does not allow the slanderer to himself and himself delivers from this vain sin, and keeps the sinner from the injustice of the accusation against his neighbor, and finally saves the slandered from the accusation; thus, abhorring the services of the slanderer, he becomes the organizer of the world and the teacher of friendship (39, 723).

Never accept slander against your neighbor, but stop the slanderer with these words: “Leave it alone, brother, every day I sin with even more serious sins, how can we condemn others?” Saint John Chrysostom (45, 965).

If someone speaks before you about his brother, humiliates him and shows malice, do not bow down against him, lest something that you do not want befall you. (66, 317).

Let us take care of the honor of our neighbor, whoever he may be, not allowing him to diminish in our opinion when he is reviled - this will save us from slander. Rev. Abba Isaiah (66, 347).

Every unfortunate person is worthy of mercy when he weeps over his misfortunes. But if he begins to slander others and harm them, then pity for his misfortunes will disappear; he is already recognized as worthy not of pity, but of hatred, as having used his misfortune for evil by interfering in other people's affairs. So, the seeds of this passion must be destroyed at the beginning, until they germinate and become indestructible, and do not give rise to danger for the one who is sacrificed to this passion. (50, 300).

The Master Christ blessed those who for His sake endured reproof in open and secret deeds, if the accusers turn out to be liars. Therefore, one must know that for one who wishes to enter the highest degree of bliss, there must be another thing: that what is revealed about him should be false. One of these two without the other is not so useful... If, while suffering for the sake of Christ, we hear the truth about ourselves, then it is necessary to blush, because, deserving approval on the one hand, we are convicted on the other. And if we suffer, but not for the sake of Christ, then we receive a reward for patience, but we will not improve on the highest blessedness, which we would improve if both were combined (and suffering for Christ, and slander against us). Rev. Isidore Pelusiot (52, 223).

He who loves his neighbor can never tolerate slanderers, but flees from them as from fire. Saint John of the Ladder (57, 249).

As you pray for the slanderer. God will reveal the truth about you to those who are offended. Reverend Maximus the Confessor (68, 243).

The soul of the slanderer has a tongue with three stings, for it stings itself, and the hearer, and the slandered. Abba Thalassios (68, 329).

Have you been slandered... although you are innocent? We must patiently endure. And this will go instead of penances for what you consider yourself guilty of. Therefore, slander for you is the grace of God. It is imperative to reconcile with the slanderers, no matter how difficult it may be. Bishop Theophan the Recluse (Collected letters, issue 3, 251).

By way of reproach and humiliation, Christ Himself preceded us, having committed no sin. How much and how cruelly the lips of the Pharisees blasphemed Him and what reproach they threw at Him like poisonous arrows, the holy Gospel testifies to this. It was not enough for them to say that He loves to eat and drink wine, that He is a friend of publicans and sinners, a Samaritan, that He has a demon and is mad, He Who in every way sought the lost, but called Him a liar, corrupting the people: “we found that He corrupts our people and forbids giving tribute to Caesar" (Luke 23:2), the One Who taught them: "Give Caesar's things to Caesar, and God's things" (Mark 12:17), Who by the power of His Godhead forbade and cast out demons. None of them escaped slander and reproach. The children of this world have found something to blaspheme even in an immaculate life, invented a deceitful language, with which to defame the immaculate. The prophet Moses, the legislator, the leader of Israel, the friend and interlocutor of God, suffered reproach from the assembly of Korah and Abiron (Num. 16) and from his other people. How many enemies threw poisonous arrows at David, the holy king of Israel and the prophet of God, is evident from the psalm: “All day long my enemies reproach me, and those who are angry at me curse me” (Ps. 101, 9 and further). A lying tongue cast the prophet Daniel into the lions' den as into a tomb (Dan. 6:16). How the apostles suffered from the whole world, to which they preached the mercy of God! Those who turned from delusion to truth, and from darkness to light, and from the kingdom of the devil to the Kingdom of God, were called seducers, corrupters, and troublemakers of the universe. Their successors, the saints, martyrs and other saints, also experienced the same thing. Read church history and you will see how no one escaped them from slander. Even now the saints who live in the world endure the same thing from the evil world. For the world is constant in its malice: it does not love the truth, which the saints show both in word and life, and always clings to lies and untruth, which they abhor. You are not the first to suffer reproach and dishonor. You see that the saints endured and still endure (John 9:10-34).
Everything will end. Slandering and patience will end, those who blaspheme and endure blasphemy will each receive their own from the truth of God. Hula will turn into eternal reproach and shame to those who blaspheme, and reproach to those who endure - into eternal glory, when people will answer not only for blasphemy, but also for every idle word. “For it is righteous in the sight of God to reward those who offend you with sorrow, but to you who are offended, joy with us, at the appearance of the Lord Jesus from heaven,” writes the apostle (2 Thess. 1, b-7). The blasphemers and slanderers harm themselves more than the one who is blasphemed, for the name and glory of that person are temporarily darkened, and their own souls are destroyed. What is the duty of a Christian to answer them? Christ says, "Bless those who curse you...and pray for those who despitefully use you" (Matthew 5:44). When slander, reproaches and reproaches fall on you and you are exhausted from slanderous tongues, like a deer driven by dogs, run to the living source of Holy Scripture and seek coolness from it. God does not please those whom everyone praises, on the contrary, he says to them: “Woe to you when all people speak well of you!” (Luke 6:26). But it pleases those who suffer reproach from the evil ones: “Blessed are you when they reproach you and persecute you and speak unjustly in every way for Me. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven” (Matthew 5:11-12). Who will not be comforted, persecuted by unbridled tongues, when he only thinks of a great reward in heaven? Who will not be comforted by hearing such a promise, who will not agree to endure any temporary dishonor and reproach? A good hope will soften any sorrow, especially the hope for Eternal Life, glory and joy. All sorrow and dishonor of the present, even if they last a lifetime, death will put an end, but there is no end to future joy and glory. Then a person will forget all the troubles and misfortunes; one consolation, joy and unceasing joy will have without end. “As a mother comforts anyone, so I will comfort you, and you will be comforted in Jerusalem. And you will see this, and your heart will rejoice” (Isaiah 66:13-14). But you will say: this reward is promised to those who endure for the sake of Christ; true, but which of us suffers not as a murderer, or a thief, or a villain, but as a Christian, “do not be ashamed, but glorify God for such a fate” (1 Pet. 4:15-16). For even this consolation will be shared with the saints as “a partner in tribulation and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 1:9). “To those who love God…everything works together for good,” says the apostle (Rom. 8:28). For them, slander and reproach are turned to good use by the grace of God (Luke 18:14). For this reason, the soul, wounded by the slander and slander of lawless people, “hope in the Lord, be of good cheer, and let your heart be strengthened, and hope in the Lord” (Ps. 26:14). “Trust in him, and he will do, and bring out, like light, your righteousness and your justice, like noon” (Ps. 36:5-6). Be silent, like a dumb one, as David did: “But I, like a deaf person, do not hear, and like a dumb person who does not open his mouth; and I became like a man who does not hear and has no answer in his mouth, for in Thee, O Lord, I trust; You will hear. Oh my God!" (Ps. 37:14-16). Do the same and God will speak for you. Just as a father according to the flesh, when he sees an outrageous scolding and offending children, who look at their father in silence, answers and protects them instead of them, so does God, the Heavenly Father, deal with us and those who offend us. For every insult and reproach that is inflicted on us is committed before God, as the Omnipresent and All-Seeing. When He sees that we, offended and reviled, endure, keep silent and look at Him alone, and commit this matter to His righteous Judgment, speaking with the prophet: “You will hear. Lord, my God ”(Ps. 37:16), then He will speak instead of us, intercede and protect us, and humble those who rise up against us. So did Saint David, who in all sorts of misfortunes resorted to the one God, and looked at Him, and sought help and protection from Him, as you can see from the psalms. Follow this prophet and shut your mouth, be silent, let God Himself speak instead of you. When you remain constantly in silence in this way, then reproach and humiliation, nothing but praise and glory, will come to you from God. The whole world is nothing before God, and therefore the humiliation of the whole world, not only some of the blasphemers, is nothing before the glory that God gives to his faithful servant. Blessed is not the one whom people, unjust judges, praise, but the one whom the Holy and Righteous God praises; and cursed is not the one whom people humiliate, but whom God humiliates (115, 535-537).

“To those who love God…everything works together for good,” says the apostle (Rom. 8:28). For them, slander and reproach are turned to their advantage by the grace of God. The chaste Joseph was thrown into prison by female slander, but in this way he was exalted to a high honor and saved the whole country from famine (Gen. 39 and 41). Moses fled from the mouth of the mouth of Egypt and was a stranger in the land of Midian (Ex. 2:15-22). But there he was vouchsafed to see the bush, miraculously burning in the wilderness, and to hear God talking to him from the bush (Ex. 3:2-7). A slanderous tongue made many slanders to Saint David, but in this way he was prompted to prayer and composed many inspired psalms for the benefit of the Holy Church. The slander cast Daniel into a den to be eaten by lions, but innocence stopped the mouth of the beasts and glorified him more than before (Dan. 6:16-28). The Israelite Mordecai was plotted by Amanov's tongue to kill, but the opposite happened by God's providence: Mordecai became famous, Haman was hung on a tree that he had prepared for Mordecai's death, and so he himself fell into a pit that he dug for the innocent (Esther 7). The same judgments of God are still taking place (104. 860-861).

We humble ourselves with slander and slander, and our conceit is destroyed. Thus a wicked tongue is given to us, like "Satan's angel," so that we do not exalt ourselves (104, 865).

Many do not kill with their hands and do not wound, but stab and kill with the tongue as with a tool, according to what is written about the “sons of men”, “whose teeth are spears and arrows, and whose tongue is a sharp sword” (Ps. 56:5) . Many do not eat fish, meat, milk, which God did not forbid, but even blessed the faithful and those who knew the truth to accept with thanksgiving (1 Tim. 4:4-5), but they devour living people. Many do not give temptations with their deeds - this is good and commendable - but they spread temptations with their tongues, and from place to place they carry evil, like a sick infection and like a fire like the wind, from which there are many troubles and misfortunes. (104, 867-868).

The slanderer harms the one whom he slanders, because with his tongue he stings him like a sword, and his glory, like a dog with his teeth, torments clothes: he does this and that. He harms himself, because he sins grievously. He harms those who listen to him, because he gives them a reason for slander and condemnation, and so he leads them to the same lawless deed in which he himself is. And just as many people become infected and die from one infected person, so from one slanderer, the source of slander, many Christian souls become infected and die. (104, 868).

Reproach and slander are either true or false. Truthful - if we are truly guilty of what we are reproached for, and therefore we accept what is worthy; then it is necessary to correct, so that the reproach will be abolished and become false. False reproach - when we are not to blame for what we are reproached for; and this reproach must be endured with joy and comforted by the hope of God's eternal mercies. In addition, although they are not guilty of what they reproach us for, they have sinned in another, and therefore we must endure. Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk (104, 871).

Out of envy of the virtuous deacon Paphnutius, someone slandered him for stealing, throwing a book into his cell. The book was found, and a penance was imposed on the deacon. Without making excuses, Pafnuty performed it for three weeks. But here the demon attacked the slanderer. After his confession, only the prayer of Paphnutius healed the unfortunate man. Ancient Patericon (72, Z68).

Nothing can be said about an absent brother with the intention of slandering him - this is slander, even if what was said was fair (9, 54).

... But there are two cases in which it is permissible to speak badly (but the truth) about someone: when it is necessary to consult with others who are experienced in this, how to correct the sinner, and when it is necessary to warn others (not verbose), who, out of ignorance , can often be in a community with a bad person, considering him good ... Whoever, without such a need, says something about another with the intention of slandering him, he is a slanderer, even though he spoke the truth. Saint Basil the Great (10, 192).

If the complaint is unfair, then it becomes slander... St. Gregory the Theologian (15, 333).

If you are subjected to slander and afterward the purity of your conscience is revealed, do not be proud, but with humility serve the Lord, who has delivered you from human slander (25, 194).

Do not grieve your brother by slandering his brother, for it is not a matter of love to excite one's neighbor to the destruction of the soul (25, 197).

One should not trust anyone who speaks evil, because slander often comes from envy... (25, 208).

If the enemy disposes to slander, let us protect ourselves with silence (25, 233).

As a moth spoils clothes, so slander spoils the soul of a Christian. Rev. Ephraim the Syrian (26, 586).

If you have slandered someone, if you have become an enemy to someone, reconcile before the Judgment. Finish everything here so that you can see the Judgment without worries (35, 802).

For many, it seems more unbearable than all deaths when enemies spread bad rumors about them and bring suspicion on them ... If this is true, correct yourself; if it's a lie, laugh at it. If you are aware of what has been said about yourself, then come to your senses; if you do not realize it, leave it unattended, but it is better to say: be glad and rejoice, according to the word of the Lord (Matt. 5:11) (38, 860).

Remember that the one who hears slander about himself not only does not suffer harm, but will also receive the greatest reward (39, 269).

Let us drive away the slanderer, so that, taking part in someone else's evil, we do not cause death to ourselves (39, 723).

Never accept slander against your neighbor, but stop the slanderer with these words: "Let go, brother, I sin every day with even more serious sins, how can we condemn others?" Saint John Chrysostom (45, 965).

If someone speaks before you about his brother, humiliates him and shows malice, do not bow down against him, so that what you do not want will not befall you (66, 317).

Let us take care of the honor of our neighbor, whoever he may be, not allowing him to diminish in our opinion when he is reviled - this will save us from slander. Rev. Abba Isaiah (66, 347).

He who loves his neighbor can never tolerate slanderers, but flees from them as from fire. Saint John of the Ladder (57, 249).

As you pray for the slanderer. God will reveal the truth about you to those who are offended. Saint Maximus the Confessor (68, 243).

The soul of the slanderer has a tongue with three stings, for it stings itself, and the hearer, and the slandered. Abba Thalassios (68, 329).

Have you been slandered... although you are innocent? We must patiently endure. And this will go instead of penances for what you consider yourself guilty of. Therefore, slander for you is the grace of God. It is imperative to reconcile with the slanderers, no matter how difficult it may be. Bishop Theophan the Recluse (Collected letters, issue 3, 251).

Everything will end. Slandering and patience will end, those who blaspheme and endure blasphemy will each receive their own from the truth of God. Blasphemy will turn into eternal reproach and shame to those who blaspheme, and reproach to those who endure into eternal glory, when people will answer not only for blasphemy, but also for every idle word. “For it is righteous before God to repay those who offend you with sorrow, but to you who are offended, joy with us, at the appearance of the Lord Jesus from heaven,” writes the apostle (2 Thess. 1, b-7). The blasphemers and slanderers harm themselves more than the one who is blasphemed, for the name and glory of that person are temporarily darkened, and their own souls are destroyed. What is the duty of a Christian to answer them? Christ says: "Bless those who curse you... and pray for those who despitefully use you" (Matthew 5:44). When slander, reproaches and reproaches fall on you and you are exhausted from slanderous tongues, like a deer driven by dogs, run to the living source of Holy Scripture and seek coolness from it. God does not please those whom everyone praises, on the contrary, he says to them: "Woe to you when all people speak well of you!" (Luke 6:26).

But it appeases those who suffer reproach from the evil ones: "Blessed are you when they reproach you and persecute you and slander you in every way unjustly for me. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven" (Matt. 5, 11-12). Who will not be comforted, persecuted by unbridled tongues, when he only thinks of a great reward in heaven? Who will not be comforted by hearing such a promise, who will not agree to endure any temporary dishonor and reproach? A good hope will soften any sorrow, especially the hope for Eternal Life, glory and joy. All sorrow and dishonor of the present, even if they last a lifetime, death will put an end, but there is no end to future joy and glory. Then a person will forget all the troubles and misfortunes; one consolation, joy and unceasing joy will have without end. "As a mother comforts anyone, so I will comfort you, and you will be comforted in Jerusalem. And you will see this, and your heart will rejoice" (Isaiah 66:13-14). But you will say: this reward is promised to those who endure for the sake of Christ; true, but which of us suffers not as a murderer, or a thief, or a villain, but as a Christian, "do not be ashamed, but glorify God for such a fate" (1 Pet. 4, 15-16). For he will share this consolation with the saints as "a partner in tribulation and in the kingdom and in the patience of Jesus Christ" (Rev. 1:9).

"Those who love God ... everything works together for good," says the apostle (Rom. 8:28). For them, slander and reproach are turned to their advantage by the grace of God (Luke 18:14). For this reason, the soul, wounded by the slander and slander of lawless people, "hope in the Lord, be of good cheer, and let your heart be strengthened, and hope in the Lord" (Ps. 26:14). "Trust in him, and he will do, and bring out, like light, your righteousness and your justice, like noon" (Ps. 36, 5-6). Be silent, like a dumb man, as David did: "But I, like a deaf man, do not hear, and like a dumb man who does not open his mouth; and I became like a man who does not hear and has no answer in his mouth, for to You "Lord, I trust; You will hear. Lord, my God!" (Ps. 37:14-16). Do the same and God will speak for you. Just as a father according to the flesh, when he sees an outrageous scolding and offending children, who look at their father in silence, answers and protects them instead of them, so does God, the Heavenly Father, deal with us and those who offend us. For every insult and reproach that is inflicted on us is committed before God, as the Omnipresent and All-Seeing. When He sees that we, offended and reviled, endure, keep silent and look at Him alone, and commit this matter to His righteous Judgment, speaking with the prophet: "You will hear. Lord, my God" (Ps. 37, 16), then He will speak instead of us, intercede and protect us, and humble those who rise up against us. So did Saint David, who in all sorts of misfortunes resorted to the one God, and looked at Him, and sought help and protection from Him, as you can see from the psalms. Follow this prophet and shut your mouth, be silent, let God Himself speak instead of you. When you remain constantly in silence in this way, then reproach and humiliation, nothing but praise and glory, will come to you from God. The whole world is nothing before God, and therefore the humiliation of the whole world, not only some of the blasphemers, is nothing before the glory that God gives to his faithful servant. Blessed is not the one whom people, unjust judges, praise, but the one whom the Holy and Righteous God praises; and cursed is not the one whom people humiliate, but whom God humiliates (115, 535-537).

"To those who love God ... everything works together for good," says the apostle (Rom. 8:28). For them, slander and reproach are turned to their advantage by the grace of God. The chaste Joseph was thrown into prison by female slander, but in this way he was exalted to a high honor and saved the whole country from famine (Gen. 39 and 41). Moses fled from the wicked lips of Egypt and was a stranger in the land of Midian (Ex. 2, 15-22). But there he was vouchsafed to see the bush, miraculously burning in the wilderness, and to hear God talking to him from the bush (Ex. 3, 2-7). A slanderous tongue made many slanders to Saint David, but in this way he was prompted to prayer and composed many inspired psalms for the benefit of the Holy Church. The slander cast Daniel into a den to be devoured by lions, but innocence blocked the mouth of the beasts and glorified him more than before (Dan. 6:16-28). The Israelite Mordecai was plotted by Amanov's tongue to kill, but the opposite happened by God's providence: Mordecai became famous, Haman was hung on a tree that he had prepared for Mordecai's death, and so he himself fell into a pit that he dug for the innocent (Esther 7). The same judgments of God are taking place even now (104. 860-861).

We humble ourselves with slander and slander, and our conceit is destroyed. Thus is given us a slanderous tongue, like "an angel of Satan," so that we do not exalt ourselves (104, 865).

Many do not kill with their hands and do not stung, but stab and kill with their tongues, as with a tool, according to what is written about the “sons of men”, “whose teeth are spears and arrows, and whose tongue is a sharp sword” (Ps. 56, 5) . Many do not eat fish, meat, milk, which God did not forbid, but even blessed the faithful and those who knew the truth to accept with thanksgiving (1 Tim. 4:4-5), but they devour living people. Many do not give temptations with their deeds - this is good and commendable - but they spread temptations with their tongues, and from place to place they carry evil, like a sick infection and like a fire with the wind, from which there are many troubles and misfortunes (104, 867-868).

The slanderer harms the one whom he slanders, because with his tongue he stings him like a sword, and his glory, like a dog with his teeth, torments clothes: he does this and that. He harms himself, because he sins grievously. He harms those who listen to him, because he gives them a reason for slander and condemnation, and so he leads them to the same lawless deed in which he himself is. And just as from one infected person many people become infected and die in the body, so from one slanderer, the source of slander, many Christian souls become infected and die (104, 868).

“You have been slandered... even though you are innocent? We must patiently endure. And this will go instead of penances for what you consider yourself guilty of. Therefore, slander for you is the grace of God. It is imperative to reconcile with those who slandered, no matter how difficult it may be.

I reread these words from the letter of Bishop Theophan, the Recluse Vyshensky, I recognize the intonation inherent in him alone, of infinitely patient paternal care, tireless concern for each addressee ... And I think that “benevolently endure”, reconcile with slander is actually very difficult, almost impossible.

On my way there were no catastrophic situations related to slander, but there were, so to speak, very unpleasant moments. What does not happen in journalistic life, even more so in today's ... The most painful thing was this, indestructible and almost sacramental: "The article, of course, is custom-made, and I know who paid for it." More cold-blooded - or simply less scrupulous in this sense - colleagues advised to "ignore" and "be above". But for some reason I couldn’t get the required height, I inevitably fell into pain and despair. I was haunted by thoughts: “To how many other people did he say this - with the same unshakable confidence! How many people who do not know me, however, who have an idea about today's life, immediately accepted this as the pure truth!

Reputation is very important for a journalist, of course, in other words, he needs to be believed. However, I suffered - not only because of the perception of my publications, that is, not only because of their effect and resonance. The suffering from slander is a deeply personal suffering. Slander does not make us what we are, it deprives us of face. We try to make ourselves, and it is very important for us that people perceive us exactly as we think we have made ourselves. And why did they do something? .. Is it not in order to be loved? Slander robs us of love. After all, the reason for it is in dislike. Not always in purposeful malicious intent, but always in a deep dislike for a person, in refusing to see him as kind, honest, decent. And who is the main hater of a person, who is the main slanderer? Enough has been written about this gentleman. There are countless examples when the victims of slander were precisely those who annoyed him the most - the saints. Moreover, their suffering was by no means limited to the internal experience of the slander. Slander in the life of an ascetic always had practical consequences, and what!

The slandered John Chrysostom was brought to the grave by cruel persecution. The Monk Maximus the Greek, accused of heresy and excommunicated from Eucharistic communion, could not partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ for sixteen years in a row, six of these years he spent in terrible conditions of solitary confinement. St. Nektarios of Pentapolis was accompanied by slander all his life, it only changed its content depending on the current moment - the main slanderer is stubborn and inventive.

Medieval hagiographies and patericons often tell how God Himself justified the innocent and shamed the slanderers. Saint Basil of Ryazan, accused of breaking his monastic vow and almost killed by the pious Muromians, many of whom, indeed, felt offended in holy feelings, spreads his mantle on the surface of the water, stands on it and floats upstream the Oka - from Murom to Staraya Ryazan... But this did not always happen. In most cases, slander was opposed not by a visible miracle, but only by holiness with its “weapon” - meekness, patience, trust in God. Here is an episode from the memoirs of Abbess Theodosia (Katz) about the events that took place on Aegina, in the Aegina virgin monastery, founded by St. Nektarios: “I remember our lord during one terrible scene. Some representative of the authorities, bewildered by slanderers, attacked him with grave insults. Unable to bear it, we shouted: "Vladyka, answer the offender!" But he, invariably sober, quiet and imperturbable, kept silent. Looking up and leaning on a small staff, he seemed to be a heavenly being.

So, trust in God and calm patience, I repeat to myself, returning to the unpleasant moments of my life. The Almighty knows everything, He has everything, as they say, under control. I repeat, but to calm down, to free my soul from the rusty hook on which it is hooked, to stop thinking about slander, stop suffering from it - I just can’t ...

But this is not the goal of spiritual life at all - to stop suffering, to calm down, to find inner comfort. Inner peace of mind, an optimal emotional state is sometimes (not always!) a good symptom that speaks of recovery, or, better, a relative improvement in spiritual affairs - but the correction itself does not consist in this.

The slander that we have been subjected to is an occasion to think about ourselves. Indignant against slander, we say, as it were, "I am not dirty, I am clean!" Counter question: what, all clean? Just like from the bath? "No, but…"

Indeed, it is hard when we are accused of what we are innocent. But why not think in these moments about what we are guilty of, and what, interestingly, no one accused us out loud? As a journalist, I have never carried out the notorious "orders", I have never written accusatory texts for someone's money. But our profession is fraught with many other temptations, and what: I never succumbed to them? Alas. The most common professional temptation is to use someone else's tragedy as bait, interesting material that draws the attention of readers to the publication in which you work and promises you success. Willingly or involuntarily (involuntarily - this is when the editor certainly demands that all the work of the newspaper be built on this, etc.), but this has happened to me more than once, but if you think about it, this is also a sale of conscience. It is accompanied by a lot of excuses, painting over, glossing over (Well, I sympathize with them, these victims! I support them!), but in the end it is still done.

Then an interesting thought: but if I were absolutely clean from this sin, and someone would accuse me of it, would it hurt me? Yes, probably! But why is there not the same sharp pain, the same feeling of insult from the fact that I am not clean, that this is true about me? There is, of course, a certain experience, but there is no such pain as it would be from slander...

Slander offends us personally. And our sin offends the image of God in us, it offends the Creator Himself. What's more important? Here they are, our distortions. Having actually eliminated any unjust deed from our lives, excluding it for ourselves, we make this circumstance super-significant for our sense of self: “I am an honest, incorruptible journalist, I can’t stand it if someone says otherwise about me!” But it might be easier for me to endure this if I remembered in time: “an honest journalist” is by no means an exhaustive description of me, you can add something about me, and this “something” doesn’t sound like that anymore beautiful, like an "honest journalist". One can say not only about the costs of chasing interesting material already mentioned here, but also about many professional mistakes: after all, sin is the basis of every mistake. It may be a sin of vanity, it may be a sin of selfishness (I didn’t try to put myself in the place of the person I wrote about, I didn’t delve into his situation), or maybe unconscious love of money - I really wanted to get a fee for this number, so I didn’t think it through a little, did not check...

Penance, about which Saint Theophanes writes in the quoted passage, is not a punishment, but rather a medicine that heals the wounds of sin with patience and humility. In general, what is penance sent by God Himself - you can hear it from a priest, you can read it in a spiritual book, or you can feel it yourself - when you suffer from your own guilt and suddenly console yourself with the fact that you will now endure your own suffering from the evil of others ... An unexpected thought , especially for those who have not yet read Theophan the Recluse; I don't know where, but it comes!

And one more thought should probably come: haven’t we ourselves slandered anyone for an hour?.. As already mentioned here, slander is not always associated with deliberate malicious intent, much more often with irresponsible chatter when we pronounce other people’s names and repeat statements about other people, without any thought for the proof of these statements. At the same time, we very often “refer to sources”: “I don’t know if this is true or not, but Maryivanna told me ...”. This is in everyday life, and if we return to the profession of the author of these lines, then it allows you to “attach legs” to slander much more effectively. After all, slander today is one of the most common weapons of political struggle. She is good in that the attempts of the slandered to defend herself from her give her additional chances. The slandered person files a lawsuit, asks the prosecutor's office to bring the slanderers to justice - and thereby creates a situation that will be discussed by all the media, even the most loyal to the victim of the slander. And here they will not just attach legs - they will make slander a nimble centipede. Am I involved in these things? Certainly. So should I be so upset about the completely trivial and inevitable slander that fell on my lot? You have to be thankful for it.

Instead of loving me, slander me, but I pray(Ps. 108:4). The theme of slander is constantly present in the Old Testament. The story of Job the Long-suffering is, in fact, the story of the disgrace of slander... And in the Soviet years, slander became almost the main weapon in the fight against Christianity, in the Church. And it was truly a colossal slander, its power, scale and inclusiveness will continue to amaze for a long time. But the Christians who lived and served God in those years remembered that Christ was also slandered.

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