You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. – Exodus 20:16 NRSVCE
The Eighth Commandment is about telling the truth and living in truth. According to the Catechism, “The disciple of Christ consents to “live in the truth,” that is, in the simplicity of a life in conformity with the Lord’s example, abiding in his truth. “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live according to the truth.“
(CCC no. 2470)
Pontius Pilot asked Jesus the question, “What is truth?” How do we define it? Father Mike Schmitz has described it this way, “Truth is simply ‘what is.’ Truth is reality.” This is not talking about subjective truth where there is my truth and your truth. This is not about opinions or preferences. (eg Dark chocolate tastes better than milk chocolate.) This is about objective truth. Subjective truth can never contradict objective truth. Objective truth is true or false to the degree that is conforms to “what is”. (eg It is an objective truth whether or not you can buy dark and milk chocolate at the local grocery store. It is a subjective truth of your preference in chocolate.)
The Eighth Commandment requires us to live and bear witness to truth or ‘what is’. It requires us to seek out the truth. Then, upon learning of the truth, “…They are also bound to adhere to the truth once they come to know it and direct their whole lives in accordance with the demands of truth.” (CCC no. 2467) This means being truthful in our words, our deeds, and our relationships. Living in accordance with God who is the source of all truth. Remember that Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)
Once we understand that Jesus is who he says he is, then we are bound to adhere to that truth and direct our whole lives in accordance with the demands of truth. We are to live genuine, authentic lives of honesty, integrity, and sincerity.
Jesus was very clear about the evils of lying. He said, “Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:37 NRSVCE). Jesus went on to describe the devil as a “liar” and “the father of lies” (John 8:44). In Proverbs, the Bible details what the Lord hates, “There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to Him…a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, …a lying witness who testifies falsely, and one who sows discord in a family.” (Proverbs 6:16–19). Yikes! Whether you’re devout to our faith or not, that statement ought to give you pause. We are all broken and we all make mistakes, however if you’re going to try to avoid making mistakes, you may want to put the mistakes that the Lord hates at the top of your list.
In his review of the Eighth Commandment in the Catechism in a Year podcast, Father Mike Schmitz describes it this way – We naturally want to live the truth. The only thing that gets us off of living the truth is our weakness. It is our weakness that causes us to choose anything other than the truth. The Catechism explains that “Men could not live with one another if there were not mutual confidence that they were being truthful to one another. The virtue of truth gives another his just due. Truthfulness keeps to the just mean between what ought to be expressed and what ought to be kept secret: it entails honesty and discretion…” (CCC no. 2469)
Be alert for untruthfulness in our world. Often when enemies can’t find anything negative about someone, they will use bearing false witness as a weapon against the innocent. Don’t share anything negative about others with people that don’t need to know it. Certainly, don’t lie to others or about others. If you hear someone sharing negative information about someone else that you don’t need to know, stop them, and express your concern about them talking negatively about others. If you hear something that you know to be untrue, proactively share the truth. If someone was speaking negatively or lying about you, you would want someone to stand up for you. As the second greatest commandment from Jesus says, “Love your neighbor as yourself“. (Matthew 22:36-40)
The Eighth Commandment is not only about avoiding untruthfulness, it is also about seeking the truth as well. We fulfill this Commandment when seek and live in truthfulness with each other, as well as, seeking the truths of our faith and living them authentically.
RESPECT FOR THE TRUTH, FOR OTHERS, AND FOR THE COMMON GOOD
Some people will share negative things about others. This could be in the form of triangulation, tearing someone else down, or even gossip and venting. When someone calls them out on it, they often say, “I’m just being honest.” This may be their honest opinion of the other person however if it is sharing information that isn’t necessary for the other person to know or promoting the common good, then it would be a sin and against Eighth Commandment. In addition, it isn’t being respectful of the other person and it is likely breaking the second greatest commandment to, “love your neighbor as yourself”. Discretion in what is communicated and how it is communicated is always needed.
According to the Catechism, “The right to the communication of the truth is not unconditional… This requires us in concrete situations to judge whether or not it is appropriate to reveal the truth to someone who asks for it.” (CCC no. 2488) “Charity and respect for the truth should dictate the response to every request for information or communication. The good and safety of others, respect for privacy, and the common good are sufficient reasons for being silent about what ought not be known or for making use of a discreet language. The duty to avoid scandal often commands strict discretion. No one is bound to reveal the truth to someone who does not have the right to know it.” (CCC no. 2489) In other words, sharing information that doesn’t do anything positive for the common good or safety of others, shouldn’t be shared.
Information doesn’t ever need to be shared with those that don’t need to know it. In some situations, the details of things in private must be known for the common good and these facts should be shared. For example, if someone commits an immoral act, or even a crime, in private that did harm to others, or could harm others in the future, this action should be shared with those that need to know for the common good. In addition, the facts may need to be shared in order for there to be appropriate restitution for the immoral act.
COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA
“The information provided by the media is at the service of the common good. Society has a right to information based on truth, freedom, justice, and solidarity: The proper exercise of this right demands that the content of the communication be true and – within the limits set by justice and charity – complete. Further, it should be communicated honestly and properly. This means that in the gathering and in the publication of news, the moral law and the legitimate rights and dignity of man should be upheld.” (CCC no. 2494)
Unfortunately, many of those in media have lost their way in the service of the common good and instead often publish stories that are far from honest and not anywhere near complete. They often have an agenda and spin stories, withhold critical information, or insert false information to sell the story and/or promote their chosen narrative.
With the rise of social media, it has never been easier to disseminate information to a mass amount of people in a short time. Unfortunately, this type of communication is almost never complete and seldom completely honest. Like other forms of communication and media, social media can be a positive or negative influence depending upon how it is used. If truth is shared, it can be a great tool for communicating information, circulating ideas that further knowledge and respect for others, and for the formation of sound public opinion. If truth isn’t shared, it becomes a sinful and destructive weapon of control against the common good and against truth. Instead of a free circulation of ideas to further knowledge and respect, when truth isn’t shared, it is tool of control preventing the circulation of ideas, preventing knowledge transfer, and sometimes causing the formation of erroneous public opinion. As it says in the Catechism, “…Nothing can justify recourse to disinformation for manipulating public opinion through the media…” (CCC no. 2498)
TRUTH IN THE BEAUTY OF GOD AND HIS CREATION
Lastly, the Eighth Commandment calls us to seek true objective beauty. We are created in the image of God and, through the knowledge and skills He has given us, we can express the objective truth of God and His creation through our works. We have a duty to use art and our works for the glory of God. “Created “in the image of God,” man also expresses the truth of his relationship with God the Creator by the beauty of his artistic works… Arising from talent given by the Creator and from man’s own effort, art is a form of practical wisdom, uniting knowledge and skill, to give form to the truth of reality in a language accessible to sight or hearing. To the extent that it is inspired by truth and love of beings, art bears a certain likeness to God’s activity in what he has created.” (CCC no. 2501)
WHAT DOES THE COMMANDMENT REQUIRE?
- “The eighth commandment forbids misrepresenting the truth in our relations with others…” (CCC no. 2464) The truth could be misrepresented by word or by deed, by refusing to commit ourselves to live morally uprightly, or to live in such a way that we are not bearing witness to the truth. “Truth or truthfulness is the virtue which consists in showing oneself true in deeds and truthful in words, and guarding against duplicity, dissimulation, and hypocrisy.” (CCC no. 2505) This commandment requires us to live our lives in way that others can see what is true.
- Don’t lie. According to MyCatholic.life, a lie is committed when someone “intentionally and willfully falsifies the facts to one or more persons. This intentional and willful deceit is grave when that which is lied about is of a more serious nature. Any direct and intentional misrepresentation of the facts is grave matter.” The Catechism explains that, “A lie consists in speaking a falsehood with the intention of deceiving.” The Lord denounces lying as the work of the devil: “You are of your father the devil, . . . there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (CCC no. 2482) “Lying is the most direct offense against the truth. To lie is to speak or act against the truth in order to lead someone into error. By injuring man’s relation to truth and to his neighbor, a lie offends against the fundamental relation of man and of his word to the Lord.” (CCC no. 2483) “The gravity of a
lie is measured against the nature of the truth it deforms, the circumstances, the intentions of the one who lies, and the harm suffered by its victims. If a lie in itself only constitutes a venial sin, it becomes mortal when it does grave injury to the virtues of justice and charity.” (CCC no. 2484) “By its very nature, lying is to be condemned. It is a profanation of speech, whereas the purpose of speech is to communicate known truth to others. The deliberate intention of leading a neighbor into error by saying things contrary to the truth constitutes a failure in justice and charity…” (CCC no. 2485) “Since it violates the virtue of truthfulness, a lie does real violence to another. It affects his ability to know, which is a condition of every judgment and decision. It contains the seed of discord and all consequent evils. Lying is destructive of society; it undermines trust among men and tears apart the fabric of social relationships.” (CCC no. 2486) - Lying by omission with the exclusion of certain facts, or the negligent failure to correct a misconception is still being dishonest and thus prohibited. It has been said that, “An uncorrected lie is a lie still being told.” Failure to correct a lie or omitting certain facts can sometimes be even more damaging because of the malicious and deceitful nature of these form of lies.
- “False witness and perjury. When it is made publicly, a statement contrary to the truth takes on a particular gravity. In court it becomes false witness. When it is under oath, it is perjury. Acts
such as these contribute to condemnation of the innocent, exoneration of the guilty, or the increased punishment of the accused. They gravely compromise the exercise of justice and the fairness of judicial decisions.” (CCC no. 2476) Perjury is especially serious when the lie does damage to another. As mentioned earlier, a lie can also be an act of omission of facts. Therefore, if someone knowingly withholds facts, even if they do not technically break the civil law of perjury by withholding essential facts, they sin before God for their failure to reveal the whole truth. - “Respect for the reputation of persons forbids every attitude and word likely to cause them unjust injury. He becomes guilty:
- of rash judgment who, even tacitly, assumes as true, without sufficient foundation, the moral fault of a neighbor;
- of detraction who, without objectively valid reason, discloses another’s faults and failings to persons who did not know them;
- of calumny who, by remarks contrary to the truth, harms the reputation of others and gives occasion for false judgments concerning them.” (CCC no. 2477)
- In other words, rash judgment would be presuming the worst. It is not necessarily even spoken, but an internal judgment of another. This does damage to them and is contrary to the truth. “To avoid rash judgment, everyone should be careful to interpret insofar as possible his neighbor’s thoughts, words, and deeds in a favorable way: Every good Christian ought to be more ready to give a favorable interpretation to another’s statement than to condemn it. But if he cannot do so, let him ask how the other understands it. And if the latter understands it badly, let the former correct him with love. If that does not suffice, let the Christian try all suitable ways to bring the other to a correct interpretation so that he may be saved.” (CCC no. 2478)
- Detraction is speaking something negative about another that is true to those who don’t have a right to hear it. Gossip is a form of detraction. Even though what is said is true, it is still a sin since it is a truth that shouldn’t have been revealed to another. Calumny is speaking something that is false and defamatory to another. This is the worst sin against the reputation of another. Whatever the form, reparation is required for these offenses. “Detraction and calumny destroy the reputation and honor of one’s neighbor. Honor is the social witness given to human dignity, and everyone enjoys a natural right to the honor of his name and reputation and to respect. Thus, detraction and calumny offend against the virtues of justice and charity.” (CCC no. 2479)
- “Every word or attitude is forbidden which by flattery, adulation, or complaisance encourages and confirms another in malicious acts and perverse conduct. Adulation is a grave fault if it makes one an accomplice in another’s vices or grave sins. Neither the desire to be of service nor friendship justifies duplicitous speech. Adulation is a venial sin when it only seeks to be agreeable, to avoid evil, to meet a need, or to obtain legitimate advantages.” (CCC no. 2480)
- “Boasting or bragging is an offense against truth. So is irony aimed at disparaging someone by maliciously caricaturing some aspect of his behavior.” (CCC no. 2481)
- Fr. Arul Joseph V. further defined some of these offenses against another’s good name, “This Commandment forbids suspicion, detraction, slander, or abuse that would harm another person’s honor. It also forbids those who listen with pleasure, when a neighbor is spoken against. If the one who slanders the good name of another kindles fire, then the one who listens to it willingly throws fuel to the fire.
- Suspicion consists in conceiving evil of one’s neighbor without reasonable grounds.
- Detraction consists in disclosing the fault of another, so as to spoil his/her good name.
- Slander consists in attributing faults, of which he/she is not guilty.
- Gossip, with which one purposely tries to ruin the honor and good name of another, also falls under this category. ”
- Additional clarification and descriptions of these offenses against a person’s good name can be found in the Catechism (CCC no. 2477).
- Every offense committed against justice and truth entails the duty of reparation, even if its author has been forgiven. When it is impossible publicly to make reparation for a wrong, it must be made secretly. If someone who has suffered harm cannot be directly compensated, he must be given moral satisfaction in the name of charity. This duty of reparation also concerns offenses against another’s reputation. This reparation, moral and sometimes material, must be evaluated in terms of the extent of the damage inflicted. It obliges in conscience.” (CCC no. 2487) This would include any person who has injured or damaged the good name of another. The obligation to restore the good name either by apologizing privately, if committed in private or publicly, if committed in public. Those who do not strive to repair the harm, done in one way or other, then they cannot obtain pardon for their sins.
- Regarding social media, “Society has a right to information based on truth, freedom, and justice. One should practice moderation and discipline in the use of the social communications media.” (CCC no. 2512)
- “The duty of Christians to take part in the life of the Church impels them to act as witnesses of the Gospel and of the obligations that flow from it. This witness is a transmission of the faith in words and deeds. Witness is an act of justice that establishes the truth or makes it known.” (CCC no. 2506)
HOW CAN WE APPLY THIS TO OUR FAITH?
- Live an authentic life of truth. We can testify to this truth in our everyday lives by living out the responsibilities and implications of our faith. I’ve heard Matthew Kelly discuss how early Christians changed the world. He explained that they did it not by blending in with what everyone else was doing at the time. “They lived differently, loved differently, and worked differently.” Unfortunately, living a life of authenticity consistent with the truth of Jesus (“the way, the truth, and the life”) is still unique in this world. Living a life of truth won’t blend in, and, even today. It can change the world.
- Be prepared to explain and defend the truth and our faith. When we come into contact with others that don’t hold the fullness of faith or anyone that wants to better understand the implications of the faith on morality or other issues of the day, we need to be prepared. As Peter explained, “…Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence…” (1 Peter 3:15-16).
- Promote honestly and authenticity. Avoid any form of dishonestly or deceit. Use discretion and be truthful.
- Respect others and their reputation. Avoid any forms of suspicion, detraction, slander, gossip, etc. If you see it happening, shut it down and defend others’ good name. Remember to, “Love your neighbor as yourself”. (Mark 12:31)
- Avoid bragging or boasting. If it is necessary to discuss successes, accomplishments, etc. keep it to facts and objective truth.
- Avoid any flattery, adulation, or complaisance that encourages or confirms others in malicious, perverse, or dishonest acts.
- Examination of conscience: What lies have I told? Have I gossiped or slandered others? Have I hurt the reputation of others? Have I omitted information that would have caused others to believe something that wasn’t true? Have I corrected known lies by myself or others? Have I made rash judgments of others? Have I listened to others share negative information about others to me that I didn’t need to know? Have I provided reparations for those I’ve harmed?
HOW CAN WE APPLY THIS TO OUR FAMILY?
In addition to the above applications mentioned above, there are a number of ways that we can apply this Commandment within our families.
- Strengthen, encourage and empower our children to be their authentic selves and not feel peer pressure to “blend in”.
- Don’t pressure our children to pursue our interests over their own. Express our unconditional love for each of our children and their uniqueness. Demonstrate how our love for them is not conditioned upon their abilities in a particular sport or activity, their grades, their appearance, their friends, successes/failures, etc.
- In our families it can be very easy to fall into the trap of “white lies” because we fool ourselves into believing the false choice that we can either share our honest concerns or tell “white lies” (spoken or by omission by staying silent) to keep the peace. This is a false choice because in most situations when we are dishonest (through our statements or by omission), we will never keep the peace. This dishonesty and inauthenticity drive bigger and bigger wedges in relationships. In most cases, respectfully seeking to understand each other by expressing honest concerns and actively listening is the only way to keep the peace in the long-term, and, if done well, it can often strengthen the relationships. As Peter described, when discussing a difficult topic where there is disagreement, “…do it with gentleness and reverence…” (1 Peter 3:16). In other words, approach the conversation with the right intentions of genuine love and then be respectful and caring in your words and tone. Seek to understand their perspective versus seeking judgment.
HOW CAN WE APPLY THIS TO OUR BUSINESS?
- There have been countless articles written about the value of being our authentic self to work. As leaders we need to lead by example to demonstrate that it is a safe environment to be ourselves and that we, and the business, embraces the unique thoughts, experiences, ideas, etc. of others. There can be a natural apprehension about being your authentic self at work. Harvard Business Review provided some suggestions on how you could “Be Yourself, But Carefully” as a leader at work.
- Studies have shown that most employees feel uncomfortable to speak up at work so they stay silent. Not only does this damage engagement, productivity, and long-term success of the business, but it can be downright dangerous when people fail to speak up about unsafe work conditions, unethical behavior, etc. It is critical to the safety and success of our teams and our business to create a safe environment for people to speak up.
- To love our neighbor employees as ourselves, we must provide employees with honest expectations, evaluations, and feedback. Too often leaders don’t do a great job of clearly communicating their expectations which then makes it almost impossible to objectively evaluate how an employee is performing to those expectations. And how can anyone possible provide objective feedback on evaluations that are subjective based upon unclear expectations? An employee should never feel unclear about the expectations for them to excel in their responsibilities. Communicating clear expectations is the minimum required to be considered a leader.
- Some leaders may feel very uncomfortable sharing honest feedback. These are crucial communication skills to be an honest and effective leader. It is unfair, immoral, and a disservice to not provide clear and honest feedback to employees. Leaders should be trained on how to do this effectively and measured on their performance in communicating expectations. If you are looking for a training resource for these skills, Crucial Learning provides some effective and proven courses.
- “Professional secrets – for example, those of political office holders, soldiers, physicians, and lawyers – or confidential information given under the seal of secrecy must be kept, save in exceptional cases where keeping the secret is bound to cause very grave harm to the one who confided it, to the one who received it or to a third party, and where the very grave harm can be avoided only by divulging the truth. Even if not confided under the seal of secrecy, private information prejudicial to another is not to be divulged without a grave and proportionate reason.” (CCC no. 2491)
Take care and God bless. I’m praying for you. Please pray for me.
ADDITIONAL WISDOM FROM THE BIBLE
- “Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness speaks deceitfully. Rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment. Deceit is in the mind of those who plan evil, but those who counsel peace have joy.” Proverbs 12:17-20 NRSVCE
- “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with the wicked to act as a malicious witness.” – Exodus 23:1 NRSVCE
- “Neither shall you bear false witness against your neighbor.” – Deuteronomy 5:20 NRSVCE
- “A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies.” – Proverbs 14:5 NRSVCE
- “then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days, and the judges shall make a thorough inquiry. If the witness is a false witness, having testified falsely against another, then you shall do to the false witness just as the false witness had meant to do to the other. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.” – Deuteronomy 19:17-19
- “There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that hurry to run to evil, a lying witness who testifies falsely, and one who sows discord in a family.” – Proverbs 6:16-19 NRSVCE
- “Like a war club, a sword, or a sharp arrow is one who bears false witness against a neighbor.” – Proverbs 25:18 NRSVCE
- “So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another.” – Ephesians 4:25 NRSVCE
- “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices” – Colossians 3:9 NRSVCE
- ““Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’” – Matthew 5:33 NRSVCE
- “You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” – John 8:44 NRSVCE
- “A false witness will not go unpunished, and a liar will not escape.” – Proverbs 19:5 NRSVCE
- “A false witness will not go unpunished, and the liar will perish.” – Proverbs 19:9 NRSVCE
- “A false witness will perish, but a good listener will testify successfully.” – Proverbs 21:28 NRSVCE
- “And they took action against the two elders, because out of their own mouths Daniel had convicted them of bearing false witness; they did to them as they had wickedly planned to do to their neighbor.” – Daniel 13:61 NRSVCE
- “Then I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be swift to bear witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.” – Malachi 3:5 NRSVCE
- “For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander.” – Matthew 15:19 NRSVCE
- “Birds roost with their own kind, so honesty comes home to those who practice it.” – Sirach 27:9 NRSVCE