2067Exodus 20:16

[evile]

Mar. 31, 2004

 

 

Roninjedi (good looking guy whose dated Nikiyoy & Onyxlynxx) referred to this
bible verse in his LJ: it's one of the 10 commandments: thou shalt
not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

Here was the commentary I found on one bible website:

Exodus 20:16

Speech is arguably man's greatest gift and at the same time his most
dangerous ability. It is impossible to estimate the good it has done
when great men and women have truthfully instructed and inspired
others. By contrast, we cannot measure how much evil the tongue has
perpetrated, for falsehoods disguised as truth have destroyed
reputations and even nations.

God devotes two of the Ten Commandments to the evils of false
witnessing, the third and the ninth. These seem to be broken with
impunity—sometimes even by those who are aware of their application—
because the drives that motivate people to break them are so powerful.

God commands, "You shall not bear false witness against your
neighbor," but liars and lying abound. Everybody knows that marketers
lie about what products can do. Books, magazines, and movies feature
liars of many different stripes. The media and the public have caught
prominent government figures from presidents on down lying about
important issues.

According to an article by Jan Mendenhall in the June/July 1997 issue
of Aspire, college kids lie to their moms in 50% of conversations.
Dating couples lie to each other a third of the time, and spouses
deceive each other in about 10% of major conversations. Twelve
percent of four million Americans lost their jobs
for "misrepresentation." A November 1997 survey conducted by the
publishers of Who's Who Among American High Schools Students reveals
that 76% of the students listed in their publication (supposedly the
elite achievers) admit having cheated. Two-thirds of these believe it
is "no big deal" to cheat to get a good test grade—and 65% of their
parents agree!

We use a large number of euphemisms to soften the act of lying. Some
are: duplicity, fabrication, evasion, stringing someone along,
inaccuracy, exaggeration, fudging, rationalization,
falsehood, "whopper," deception, misrepresentation, dishonesty,
putting someone on, putting up a front, and fibbing.


John W. Ritenbaugh
The Ninth Commandment