Is it ever justifiable to break confidence?

[Elbit Pada]

If you get involved in people's lives as a friend or counselor, you will occassionally face a moral dilema about keeping secrets. Is there any justifiable reason to break that confidence. Example: You are told of marriage infidelity and one of the person's involved is a spiritual leader, and you are watching someone becoming a victim before your very eyes. Of course there are cases of abuse, embezzlement, etc... Is there ever a reason to break confidence?

absolutely....

The Bible tells us exactly how to go about it also.

mike

That's what I was going to ask. Does anybody know what the Word says about it? Could you site it please Mike. Thanks!

[Hunterpoet]

I think the real question here is...why do you have to have secrets?

If I'm couseling a person, of course everything said is in confidence and not the business of others, but does that constituent a secret?

There are things in my life I won't share, there not a secret, just none of your business.

I don't like secrets or the cloud that surrounds them. If you don't want people to discover someting...just keep your mouth shut and don't tell me, cause i don't keep secrets...keeping a secret obligates me to you in a way that makes me uncomfortable, it causes me to have to look at another human being in a different light, which I care not to do.

Secrets are a bad thing...get rid of them.

[psalmone]

General discretion is reasonable, but secrecy obstructs our 'Christian liberty' reducing the strength of our principle, integrity and armour which may affect our health in places. I agree people must mind their business because meddling is a sickening thing to experience, but hopeless secrecy,I shun because it is bondage.

[irishcowboy]

If you get involved in people's lives as a friend or counselor, you will occassionally face a moral dilema about keeping secrets. Is there any justifiable reason to break that confidence. Example: You are told of marriage infidelity and one of the person's involved is a spiritual leader, and you are watching someone becoming a victim before your very eyes. Of course there are cases of abuse, embezzlement, etc... Is there ever a reason to break confidence?

absolutely....

The Bible tells us exactly how to go about it also.

mike

That's what I was going to ask. Does anybody know what the Word says about it? Could you site it please Mike. Thanks!

if you see a brother doing wrong (knowing of it, or being told of it by the brother (or sister) such as in telling you a secret)

we are to take that person aside and let them know that what they are doing is not a good thing....... and that it is against the Word of God, also the damage it can cause others.....

if they reject the counsel, obtain another trusted person strong in the Word, to go with you, to approach the person again, again if rejected, then take it to the congregation, a person might go one step in between, and take it to the board of elders or deacons of the church fellowship, and have the man counseled that way as well....

if still, rejecting, then he is to be cut off..... if he repents, reinstate him.....

i do not have the verses right at my hand, if some one else could help out in this, would appreciate.

mike