Sin Gone Viral

If you read something online that is wrong—like offensively, hatefully wrong—should you respond?

I suppose a more relevant question isn’t the hypothetical “if,” but the inevitable “when.” All of us who read blogs and follow social media have come across vicious rants, mean-spirited treaties, and complete misunderstandings that anger us.

I faced this question last week when a friend of mine became the subject of a blog post meant to smear her career and reputation. On the one hand, the claims were so blatantly deceptive, it was laughable. And yet, the more I read and thought about it, the angrier I became.

I stared at the screen as my emotions raged. Inspiration flowed like a river, flooding my mind with insulting tweets. I fantasized about mocking, silencing, and shaming the people working to discredit my friend. I wasn’t just angry. I was outraged.


This is what the Internet can do to us, especially through the escalating back-and-forth on our Facebook and Twitter feeds. A 2013 study found that anger was the emotion most likely to spread through social media. In fact, its influence has a “a ripple effect that could spark irate posts up to three degrees of separation from the original message.”

In a New York Times article, author Teddy Wayne speculated that anger spreads so easily due to its brevity and conviction: “A 700-word Facebook post accounting for all sides of a contentious issue is unlikely to garner as many readers and endorsements as a one-sentence quip blaring heightened feelings.”

Much has been written about Internet outrage. This widespread phenomenon has garnered worthy attention, including among Christians. Less has been written about a different aspect of Internet rage: what it teaches us about the nature of sin.

In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul is harsh with the Corinthian church, which had welcomed immorality into its midst. Warning against the dangers of sin, he writes, “Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough?” This verse is frequently used to justify Christian isolation. Based on this passage, some Christians refuse to keep company with known sinners, for fear that the sin will spread. (In fact, my friend was criticized for just this reason, owing to her friendships with openly gay men.)

There is some wisdom in this interpretation. As Proverbs 13:20 cautions, “The companion of fools will suffer harm.” Sins, in their particularities, have a way of rubbing off. However, sin does not always spread so obviously. Instead, it has a way of adapting to our lives and situations. As Christians respond to the sin in their midst, even with the best of intentions, the sin assumes a new form.





CHRISTIANITY TODAY