THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (Ex 20:16; Deut
5:20).
You have heard that the ancients were told, “You shall not
make
false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord” (Matt
5:33).
The eighth commandment forbids misrepresenting the truth in our
relations with others. This moral prescription flows from the
responsibility of God’s people to bear witness in word and
deed
to the holiness and faithfulness of their God – Who is the
truth
and wills the truth. Offenses against the truth expressed by word or
deed are a refusal to commit ourselves to submitting to God in all our
ways (Prov 3:6; 1 Cor 10:31; Col 3:;17) and being godly in all our
behavior (1 Pet 1:15). Deliberate dishonesty in any form is a sign of
unfaithfulness to God, and in this sense, it undermines the covenant He
has made with us.
Living in the Truth
The Old Testament attests that God is the source of all truth. His Word
is truth. His Law is truth. His "faithfulness endures to all
generations (Ps 119:90, 142; Prov 8:7; 2 Sam 7:28; Lk 1:50). Since God
is "true," each member of his people (kingdom, church) is called to
live in the truth (Ps 119:29-30).
In Jesus Christ, God's truth has been made manifest. Jesus Christ is
“the truth” (Jn 14:6), and He is “full of
grace and
truth” (Jn 1:14). He came as the “light of the
world,” and if we walk in His way, we will walk in the light
(Jn
8:12). “[Jesus] came as Light into the world, so that
everyone
who believes in [Him] will not remain in darkness” (Jn
12:46).
Jesus said to those who had believed Him, “If you continue in
My
word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the
truth, and the truth will make you free . . . and sanctify
you”
(Jn 8:32; 17:17). To follow Jesus is to live in “the Spirit
of
truth,” whom the Father sends in His name and who leads us
“into all the truth” (Jn 16:13). And finally, Jesus
taught
a simple and straight forward commitment to honesty: “Let
your
statement be simply, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no'” (Mat 5:37).
By nature, we tend toward wanting to know the truth. Therefore, we are
obliged to honor and bear witness to the truth, and to seek the truth
– especially religious truth. We are also bound to adhere to
or
live according to the truth we know(Jam 4:17), directly our whole lives
in accordance with the demands of truth.
Truth as doing what is right in human action and speech is called
truthfulness, sincerity, or candor. Truth or truthfulness is the virtue
which consists in showing oneself true in deeds, truthful in words, and
in guarding against duplicity, deception, and hypocrisy.
It would be exceedingly difficult to live with one another if there
were no mutual confidence that we were being truthful to one another.
Truth gives to others what is their just due, and withholds what is not
to be given or spoken. Truthfulness walks the fine line between what
ought to be expressed and what ought to be kept secret – it
entails honesty and discretion. Justice and honor demand that we give
honesty and truth to one another.
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 that we have fellowship with Him and
yet
walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we
walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship
with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all
sin “ (1 Jn 1:6-7).
II. To Bear Witness to
the Truth
Before Pilate, Christ proclaimed that he “came into the
world, to
bear witness to the truth”(Jn 18:37). Paul said,
“For I am
not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to
everyone who believes” (Rom 1:16). As Christians, we are not
to
“be ashamed of testifying about our Lord” (2 Tim
1:8). In
situations that offer opportunity or require witness to the faith,
Christians must profess the truth without equivocation (vagueness or
ambiguity), following the example of Paul before his judges. It is in
bearing witness to the truth in all situations that we
“maintain
a blameless conscience both before God and before men” (Acts
24:16).
As it is the duty of Christians to take part in the life of the Church,
so it is our duty to act as witnesses of the Gospel and involve
ourselves in the obligations that flow from it – such as
discipleship (Matt 28:19-20), guarding against any evil or unbelieving
hearts within the church (Heb 3:12), encouraging one another to love
and good deeds (Heb 10:24), going to a fellow Christian who has fallen
into sin (Matt 18:15-17), and restoring those caught in sin (Gal
6:1-2). In all cases and situations, whether witnessing or building up
the church (Eph 4:12), we are to bear witness to the truth and speak
the truth (Col 3:9-10).
To have integrity, all witness to the truth must be accompanied by a
life that lives according to the truth. Hypocrisy damages the integrity
of any truth we may speak. Therefore, all Christians, by the example of
their lives and the witness of their word, wherever they live, have an
obligation to manifest the new man which they vowed to put on at
Baptism and to manifest the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells within
and strengthens them for godly living.
Martyrdom (bearing witness even unto death) is the supreme witness
given to the truth. The martyr bears witness to Christ who died and
rose again, to message of salvation, to the mercy and love of God, and
the forgiveness of sin. He bears witness to the truth of the faith and
of Christian doctrine. He endures death through the grace given by God
and an act of love for God.
St. Ignatius of Antioch said: “Let me become the food of the
beasts, through whom it will be given me to reach God, for neither the
pleasures of the world nor the kingdoms of this age will be of any use
to me. It is better for me to die [in order to unite myself] to Christ
Jesus than to reign over the ends of the earth. I seek Him who died for
us; I desire Him who rose for us.”
Martyrium Polycarpi said: “I bless you for having judged me
worthy from this day and this hour to be counted among your martyrs....
You have kept your promise, God of faithfulness and truth. For this
reason and for everything, I praise you, I bless you, I glorify you
through the eternal and heavenly High Priest, Jesus Christ, your
beloved Son. Through him, who is with you and the Holy Spirit, may
glory be given to you, now and in the ages to come. Amen.”
III. Offenses Against
Truth
Those “who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh
with
its passions and desires” (Gal 5:24), and have “put
on the
new man, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness
and holiness of the truth” (Eph 4:24). Having laid aside
falsehood, all malice, all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all
slander, they are to speak truth to one another and about one another
(Eph 4:25; 1 Pet 2:1).
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 (Prov 19:9). 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 (Prov 18:5). They gravely
compromise the exercise of justice and the fairness of judicial
decisions.
Respect for the reputation of persons forbids every attitude and word
likely to cause them unjust injury. He becomes guilty:
1. of rash judgment who,
even tacitly, assumes as true, without sufficient foundation, the moral
fault of a neighbor;
2. of disparagement who, without objectively valid reason, discloses
another's faults and failings to persons who did not know them (Sir
21:28);
3. of defamation who, by remarks contrary to the truth, harms the
reputation of others and gives occasion for false judgments concerning
them.
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 intended it. And if the
latter intended 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 understanding of what he has done” (St.
Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises, 22).
Disparagement and defamation 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, disparagement and defamation offend against the
virtues of justice and love.
Every word or attitude is forbidden which by flattery, adulation
(excessive admiration or idolization), or complaisance (passively
yielding to the will of another) 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 sins. Neither the desire
to be of service nor friendship justifies duplicitous (two-faced)
speech. Adulation is wrong even when it only seeks to be agreeable, to
avoid evil, to meet a need, or to obtain legitimate advantages.
Boasting or bragging is an offense against truth. So is irony aimed at
disparaging someone by maliciously caricaturing some aspect of his
behavior.
In its essence, a lie is speaking a falsehood with the intention of
deceiving. It is the direct offense against the truth. To lie is to
speak or act against the truth in order to lead into error someone who
has the right to know the truth. Therefore, lying damages and
ultimately destroys man’s relation to truth, his relationship
to
his neighbor, and his relationship with God.
The Lord denounces lying as the work of the devil: “You are
of
your father the devil, . . . and he does not stand in the truth because
there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his
own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (Jn
8:44).
The gravity of a lie is measured against the nature of the truth it
deforms, the circumstances it alters, the circumstances under which it
is made, the intentions of the one who lies, and the harm suffered by
its victims. The culpability of the one lying is greater when the
intention of deceiving entails the risk of deadly consequences for
those who are led astray.
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 love. 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.
IV. Respect for the Truth
The right to communicate truth and/or receive truth is not
unconditional. Everyone must conform his life to the Gospel precept of
brotherly love. This requires us in certain situations to judge whether
or not it is appropriate to reveal the truth to someone who asks for it.
Love 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
discreet communication. 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.
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 damaging to another is not to be divulged without a
grave and proportionate reason (Prov 11:13, 25:9-10; Matt 18:15).
Everyone should observe an appropriate reserve concerning persons'
private lives. Those in charge of communications should maintain a fair
balance between the requirements of the common good and respect for
individual rights. Interference by the media in the private lives of
persons engaged in political or public activity is to be condemned to
the extent that it infringes upon their privacy and freedom.
V. The Use of the Social
Communications Media
Within modern society the communications media play a major role in
information, cultural promotion, and formation (that which leads groups
of people to act as a unit). This role is increasing, as a result of
technological progress, the extent and diversity of the news
transmitted, Internet social media sites (blogs, Facebook, Twitter,
etc.), and the influence they exercise on public opinion.
The information provided by these media ought to be 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
obligation demands that the content of the communication be true and
– within the limits set by justice and love –
complete.
Further, it should be communicated properly and graciously. This means
that in the gathering and in the publication of news or other types of
information, the moral law and the legitimate rights and dignity of man
should be upheld.
The means of social communication (especially the mass media, TV, and
the Internet) can give rise to a certain passivity among users, making
them less than vigilant consumers of what is said or shown. Christians
are to show the unbelieving world the standard of moderation and
discipline in their use of mass media – whether disseminating
or
receiving information.
Civil authorities have particular responsibilities in this field
because of the common good. It is the responsibility of the civil
authority to defend and safeguard a true and just freedom of
information. By promulgating laws and overseeing their application,
public authorities should ensure that public morality and social
progress are not seriously endangered through misuse of the media.
Nothing can justify disinformation for manipulating public opinion or
the support of immoral or unjust behavior through the media.
VI. Truth, Beauty, and
Sacred Art
Truth carries with it the joy and splendor of spiritual beauty. Truth
is beautiful in itself. Truth in words, the rational expression of the
knowledge of created and uncreated reality, is necessary to man, who is
endowed with intellect. But truth can also find other complementary
forms of human expression, above all when it is a matter of evoking
what is beyond words: the depths of the human heart, the exaltations of
the soul, the mystery of God. Even before revealing himself to man in
words of truth, God reveals himself to man through the universal
language of creation – the work of his Word and his wisdom.
Creation reveals the order and harmony of the universe –
which
both the child and the scientist discover. “From the
greatness
and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their
Creator,” “for the author of beauty created them
“
(Wis 13:3,5).
[Wisdom] is a spiritual form of the power of God, and a manifestation
of the glory of the Almighty. Therefore nothing defiled gains entrance
into her. She is a reflection of eternal light, a spotless mirror of
the working of God, and an image of his goodness (Wis 7:25-26). For
[wisdom] is more beautiful than the sun, and excels every constellation
of the stars. Compared with the light she is found to be superior, for
the darkness of night follows the light of day, but against wisdom,
evil cannot prevail (Wis 7:29-30). Such is the beauty of truth revealed
by wisdom.
Created “in the image of God” (Gen 1:26), man also
expresses the truth of his relationship with God the Creator by the
beauty of his artistic works – when done to the glory of God.
Indeed, art is both a distinctively human form of expression, and a
reflection of the human being's inner spiritual riches. Arising from
talent given by the Creator and from man's own effort, art is a form of
practical wisdom, uniting knowledge and skill (Wis 7:16-17), 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
God’s creation, art bears a certain likeness to God's
activity in
what he has created.
Sacred art is true and beautiful when its form corresponds to its
particular vocation: evoking and glorifying, in faith and adoration,
the transcendent mystery of God – the surpassing invisible
beauty
of truth and love visible in Christ, who “reflects the glory
of
God and bears the very stamp of his nature,” in whom
“the
whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Heb 1:3; Col 2:9).
Genuine sacred art draws man to adoration, to prayer, to the love of
God, to reverence for the Creator, to gratitude for the Savior
–
the Holy One and Sanctifier.
Final Reminder:
Bear in mind
that the golden rule (Matt 7:12; Mk 12:31) helps one discern, in
concrete situations, whether or not it would be appropriate to reveal
the truth to someone who asks for it.