(Shutterstock)

OTTAWA - Psst. You’ll never guess what the United Church of Canada has gone and done now.

At its annual meeting at Carleton University this weekend, the general council will discuss how to get its congregations to stop gossiping.

The church wants to “encourage congregations to seek ways to raise awareness of the harmful aspects of gossip.”

“Gossip can cause people to lose their jobs and their good reputations, lead to broken friendships and split families, and can be used as a malicious weapon against an opponent, and can cause people to switch churches or in some instances, to stop attending church altogether,” the resolution reads.

But Klaus Pohle, associate professor of journalism and media law at Carleton University’s School of Journalism, said the problem is actually stopping the gossip.

“I think the church’s heart is in the right place, but how would you enforce such legislation?” Pohle asked.

“We think of gossip as being innocuous but it’s far from it. Under some circumstances, we all do it because people love to talk, but gossip’s rarely positive. The more malicious it is, the better.”

denis.armstrong@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @OttawaSunDenisA