Wednesday, December 10, 2014

To those who think a lie can't ruin a guy, a woman or any person's life.

To those who think a lie can't ruin a guy, a woman or any person's life.

What does the Bible mean by 'thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor'?

What does the Bible mean by 'thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor'?

Answer by JohnWelsh
It means you should not lie (tell an untruth) in such a way that it will hurt someone else. The commandment stems from the way in which disputes were settled in Jewish society. If someone was in a dispute, theywere expected to tell the truth to whoever was judging the dispute (usually the priest). If, however, they told a lie (bearing 'false witness' - ie their statement as a witness was untrue) so that the guilty could go free, or, more importantly, the innocent would be blamed, this would breach this commandment. Nowadays it simply means that we should strive to be honest in all that we do. It does not mean that we should never tell a lie, as occasionally a lie is the necessary lesser of two evils. As an example, in the Second World War, the French Resistance helped save the lives of many Jews and other races by hiding them in cupboards or other concealed places away from the German Nazis. If a Nazi asked if they were hiding anyone, telling the truth would almost certainly mean death for the Jew in a concentration camp when they were found. Lying in this case, therefore, would be perfectly justified. Therefore this commandment only speaks out against lying when someone else is hurt or betrayed rather than a blanket ban.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There are six things that the LORD strongly dislikes, 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 make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

—Proverbs 6:16–19

You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit.
— Exodus 23:1-2



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