The Eighth Commandment

1
The Eighth Commandment

• You shall not bear false witness against your
  neighbor.

2
Why should we not bear false witness?

• God is the source of all truth.
• His Word is truth.
• His Law is truth.
• His faithfulness endures to all generations.
• As Gods people, we are called to live in the
  truth.

3
Offenses Against Truth

• False witness and perjury
• Rash judgment assuming as true the moral fault
  of a neighbor
• Detraction disclosing anothers faults and
  failings

4
Offenses Against Truth

• Calumny harming the reputation of others by
  remarks contrary to the truth
• Lying violates the nature of truthfulness and
  does real violence to another.

5
Slander

• The evil tongue ... (or slander) is considered
  among the Jewish people as one of the worst sins
  imaginable ... one almost tantamount to murder in
  that the good name, livelihood, reputation, etc.
  can all be destroyed by a single word, look,
  expression.

6
How to Avoid Sins Against 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

7
Dont Be Afraid to Speak Up!

• The Christian is not to "be ashamed of testifying
  to our Lord" (2 Tim 18) in deed and word.
  Martyrdom is the supreme witness given to the
  truth of the faith.

8
One man spread a rumor about another. He later
felt regret, and went to the rabbi to ask how to
make amends. "Go to the store and buy a bag of
seeds," said the rabbi, "then go to a big open
field and scatter the seeds into the wind. Do so
and report back to me in a week." The man did as
he was told, and came back the next week to find
out what to do next. "Now," said the rabbi, "go
back to the field and pick up all the
seeds." "But," protested the man, "those seeds
have scattered far and wide! I'll never find
them all. Many have even already taken
root!" "Exactly," explained the rabbi. "Now you
understand. When we speak badly about another
person, the effect is far and wide. And it is
damage that can never be fully undone."