(London, U.K.) - I think it's safe to say that God hates gossiping. Scripture is clear about the extent to which the Lord is grieved by it.

Some may subconsciously shrug off the admonition not to engage in the seemingly innocuous pastime, thinking that it's simply a "natural" human tendency. But, according to new research that backs up God's case against gossip, it is anything but harmless. Arguably, it is the source of many a conspiracy theory circulating the globe. It can also, indeed, have deadly consequences.

According to a publication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, German researcher Ralf Sommerfeld found that people are apt to believe what they hear from others regardless of evidence that proves otherwise. Such is the power of gossip.

"We show that gossip has a strong influence... even when participants have access to the original information as well as gossip about the same information," wrote researchers. "Thus, it is evident that gossip has a strong manipulative potential."

Do you think?

To read more about how this study was conducted and the conclusions researchers made, follow the link provided.

Source: Michael Kahn-Reuters