Eighth Commandment

The numbers in parenthese that follow the questions refer to related paragraphs in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Eighth Commandment

1. What is the eighth commandment of God?
2. What did Jesus say about the eighth commandment?
3. What does the eighth commandment require of us?
4. How do we show our loyalty as disciples?
5. Why is truthfulness important?
6. What does the eighth commandment forbid?
7. What is a lie?
8. Will a good reason for telling a lie excuse it?
9. What is a jocose lie?
10. What is a mental reservation?
11. What is perjury?
12. What is rash judgment?
13. What is detraction?
14. What is slander or calumny?
15. What is tale bearing?

1. What is the eighth commandment of God?
The eighth commandment of God is:

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (Ex 20:16).

2. What did Jesus say about the eighth commandment?
Jesus said:
Again, you have heard that it was said to your ancestors, "You shall not break your oaths!" and "You shall fulfill your oaths to the Lord!" But I tell you not to swear at all, neither by heaven, because it is the throne of God, nor by the earth, because it is the footstool for his feet, nor by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the Great King, nor shall you swear by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. Let your "yes," be "yes," and your "no," "no"; anything more than that is from the Evil One (Mt 5:33-37).

3. What does the eighth commandment require of us?
The eighth commandment requires us to be truthful and to interpret in the best possible way the actions of others. Our truthfulness bears witness to our belief that God is Truth. (2464)

Therefore, put away falsehood and let everyone speak the truth to his neighbor, because we are parts of one another (Eph 4:25).

4. How do we show our loyalty as disciples?
We show our loyalty to Christ as disciples by bearing witness to the truth, by living up to the Gospel and by willingly sharing our faith with others. Should circumstances ever require it, we should also be ready to offer the supreme witness of martyrdom rather than deny Christ. (2471-2474)

So Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world-to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice" (Jn 18:37).

5. Why is truthfulness important?
Truthfulness is important for our own integrity, for trust and understanding among people, and for our loyalty to Christ as disciples. (2467-2470)

If we say we are in fellowship with him yet walk in darkness we are lying and do not follow the truth... (1 Jn 1:6).

6. What does the eighth commandment forbid?
The eighth commandment forbids lying, rash judgments, perjury, false witness, rash suspicions, detraction, calumny, tale bearing and telling secrets we are bound to keep.

So lay aside all malice and deceit, all hypocrisy, envy, and slander (1 Pt 2:1).

7. What is a lie?
A lie is an untruth said for the purpose of deceiving others. (2482-2483)

Do not lie to one another (Col 3:9).

8. Will a good reason for telling a lie excuse it?
No reason, however good, will excuse telling a lie, be-cause a lie is always bad in itself. It is never allowed, even for a good intention, to do a thing that is bad in itself. A lie offends against justice, charity and trust. (2483-2487)

9. What is a jocose lie?
A jocose lie is a story made up for the purpose of amusing or instructing others. It becomes sinful if the person telling it does not make it clear that it must not be taken literally.

10. What is a mental reservation?
A mental reservation, made in circumstances when one is bound in conscience not to tell the entire truth, limits the sense of the speaker's words to a certain meaning. To make a complete reservation to the truth is a lie. (2488-2489)

11. What is perjury?
Perjury is to lie while under an oath to be truthful. Perjury committed in a court of law can cause grave injustice and injury to innocent persons. (2476)

A false witness will not go unpunished (Prov 19:9).

12. What is rash judgment?
Rash judgment is believing, without sufficient reason, something harmful to another's character. (2477)

13. What is detraction?
Detraction is making known, without good reason, the hidden faults of others. (2477)

14. What is slander or calumny?
Slander or calumny is to injure the good name of another by lying. (2477-2479)

You shall not utter a false report (Ex 23:1).

15. What is tale bearing?
Tale bearing is telling persons what others have said about them, especially if the things said are evil. It is wrong because it gives rise to anger, hatred and ill-will, and often causes greater sins.