Some professed Christians cherish contemptuous feelings towards persons belonging to rival professions, rival denominations, and those possessing disagreeable manners. Among these, they commonly include their personal enemies. With such feelings, they are very prone to form a habit of backbiting. Their contemptuous denunciations place them on a level with those they reproach.
This practice ruins their influence to do good, and makes them unworthy of Christian fellowship themselves. One such sinner destroyeth much good, and brings immense reproach upon the cause of truth which he professes to advocate. It is impossible to measure the evils which one influential person may do in a neighborhood and society, who falls into this mischievous error.
The point
Christians who habitually despise and backbite rivals ruin their own influence for good.