18.
Slander is prohibited by which commandment?
a.
first
b.
eighth
c.
tenth
THE
ANSWER IS….B…… The 8th commandment forbids bearing false witness against
one’s neighbor. The Church teaches us that the commandment goes even farther.
We are commanded to interpret the words or actions of another in the most favorable light possible.
For example, if someone shows up to church in sneakers, we have the obligation of not making a catty remark, and instead assume he has a good reason. Perhaps he has a broken toe and cannot walk without a sneaker.
Another example: If your
friend comes down with gout or cancer, it would be un-Christian and
uncompassionate to suggest to others that the sick person brought it on himself
due to poor diet or lack of exercise or whatever.
Another example: if your friend
with no money buys a 2005 Mercedes Benz, you have the obligation of assuming he
did not steal money, and of never suggesting or implying to others that he did
so.
Another example: If someone makes a statement playfully or jokingly, and you repeat it to someone in a non-joking mean-hearted tone, that is a sin.
Another example: If a colleague
is sick on Monday, it would be sinful to assume or imply to co-workers that he
probably drank too much.
Another example: If an
individual does something nice for you, it would be sinful to assume or imply
they only did it because they want something back.
Another example: It would be
wrong to criticize the child-rearing or child-teaching efforts of another
parent. One must instead support friends and assume they are sincerely
doing their best for the child. (unless you see some beating going on)
Another example: If we see
our friend making a web site we disagree with, we have the obligation to not
mock the person behind his or her back, and instead, assume he/she has
good-hearted intentions. :-)
If on the other hand, we
come to a fully-informed conclusion that a person really is doing something for
the wrong reasons, then the Christian is called to take them aside lovingly and tell
them the truth of God’s teaching.
For example, if the sneaker
person announces he was wearing sneakers in church because he wants to show off his new
expensive brand, then you have confirmed his bad intentions.
Likewise, if the person with
the Mercedes Benz confides in you that he found a bundle of money in his rental
car and didn’t return it, then you have confirmed his bad intentions
Finally, the Church teaches that even if your friend does have true faults or failings, we are prohibited from disclosing them to someone he or she doesn’t know as well, unless there is a valid, necessary reason. That’s because we are obliged to respect the reputations of others.
So if you don't like someone, do everything you can to keep this information to yourself.
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The following is from the
Catechism of the Catholic Church
2464 The eighth commandment forbids
misrepresenting the truth in our relations with others. This moral prescription
flows from the vocation of the holy people to bear witness to their God who is
the truth and wills the truth. Offenses against the truth express by word or
deed a refusal to commit oneself to moral uprightness: they are fundamental
infidelities to God and, in this sense, they undermine the foundations of the
covenant.
2465 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."[254] Since God is
"true," the members of his people are called to live in the
truth.[255]
2466 In Jesus Christ, the whole of God's truth has
been made manifest. "Full of grace and truth," he came as the
"light of the world," he is the Truth.[256] "Whoever believes in
me may not remain in darkness."[257] The disciple of Jesus continues in
his word so as to know "the truth [that] will make you free" and that
sanctifies.[258] To follow Jesus is to live in "the Spirit of truth,"
whom the Father sends in his name and who leads "into all the
truth."[259] To his disciples Jesus teaches the unconditional love of
truth: "Let what you say be simply 'Yes or No.'"[260]
2467 Man tends by nature toward the truth. He is
obliged to honor and bear witness to it: "It is in accordance with their
dignity that all men, because they are persons . . . are both impelled by their
nature and bound by a moral obligation to seek the truth, especially religious
truth. They are also bound to adhere to the truth once they come to know it and
direct their whole lives in accordance with the demands of truth."[261]
2468 Truth as uprightness 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 and truthful in
words, and in guarding against duplicity, dissimulation, and hypocrisy.
2469 "Men could not live with one another if
there were not mutual confidence that they were being truthful to one
another."[262] The virtue of truth gives another his just due.
Truthfulness keeps to the just mean between what ought to be expressed and what
ought to be kept secret: it entails honesty and discretion. In justice,
"as a matter of honor, one man owes it to another to manifest the
truth."[263]
2470 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 we
have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live
according to the truth."[264]
2471 Before Pilate, Christ proclaims that he
"has come into the world, to bear witness to the truth."[265] The
Christian is not to "be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord."[266]
In situations that require witness to the faith, the Christian must profess it
without equivocation, after the example of St. Paul before his judges. We must
keep "a clear conscience toward God and toward men."[267]
2472 The duty of Christians to take part in the
life of the Church impels them to act as witnesses of the Gospel and of the
obligations that flow from it. This witness is a transmission of the faith in words
and deeds. Witness is an act of justice that establishes the truth or makes it
known.[268]
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 have
put on in Baptism and to reveal the power of the Holy Spirit by whom they were
strengthened at Confirmation.
2473 Martyrdom is the supreme witness given to
the truth of the faith: it means bearing witness even unto death. The martyr
bears witness to Christ who died and rose, to whom he is united by charity. He
bears witness to the truth of the faith and of Christian doctrine. He endures
death through an act of fortitude. "Let me become the food of the beasts,
through whom it will be given me to reach God."[270]
2474 The Church has painstakingly collected the
records of those who persevered to the end in witnessing to their faith. These
are the acts of the Martyrs. They form the archives of truth written in letters
of blood:
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. My birth is approaching. . .[271] 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.[272]
2475 Christ's disciples have "put on the new
man, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and
holiness."[273] By "putting away falsehood," they are to
"put away all malice and all guile and insincerity and envy and all
slander."[274]
2476 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.[275] 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.[276] They gravely compromise the
exercise of justice and the fairness of judicial decisions.
2477 Respect for the reputation of persons
forbids every attitude and word likely to cause them unjust injury.[277] He
becomes guilty:
- of rash judgment who, even tacitly, assumes as true, without sufficient
foundation, the moral fault of a neighbor;
- of detraction who, without objectively valid reason, discloses another's
faults and failings to persons who did not know them;[278]
- of calumny who, by remarks contrary to the truth, harms the reputation of
others and gives occasion for false judgments concerning them.
2478 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 understands it. And if the latter understands 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 interpretation so that he may
be saved.[279]
2479 Detraction and calumny 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, detraction and calumny offend against the
virtues of justice and charity.
2480 Every word or attitude is forbidden which by
flattery, adulation, or complaisance 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 grave sins. Neither the desire to be of
service nor friendship justifies duplicitous speech. Adulation is a venial sin
when it only seeks to be agreeable, to avoid evil, to meet a need, or to obtain
legitimate advantages.
2481 Boasting or bragging is an offense against
truth. So is irony aimed at disparaging someone by maliciously caricaturing
some aspect of his behavior.
2482 "A lie consists in speaking a falsehood
with the intention of deceiving."[280] The Lord denounces lying as the
work of the devil: "You are of your father the devil, . . . there is no
truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a
liar and the father of lies."[281]
2483 Lying is the most 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. By injuring man's relation to
truth and to his neighbor, a lie offends against the fundamental relation of
man and of his word to the Lord.
2484 The gravity of a lie is measured against the
nature of the truth it deforms, the circumstances, the intentions of the one
who lies, and the harm suffered by its victims. If a lie in itself only
constitutes a venial sin, it becomes mortal when it does grave injury to the
virtues of justice and charity.
2485 By its very nature, lying is to be
condemned. It is a profanation of speech, whereas the purpose of speech is to
communicate known truth to others. The deliberate intention of leading a
neighbor into error by saying things contrary to the truth constitutes a failure
in justice and charity. The culpability is greater when the intention of
deceiving entails the risk of deadly consequences for those who are led astray.
2486 Since it violates the virtue of
truthfulness, a lie does real violence to another. It affects his ability to
know, which is a condition of every judgment and decision. It contains the seed
of discord and all consequent evils. Lying is destructive of society; it
undermines trust among men and tears apart the fabric of social relationships.
2487 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 charity. 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. It obliges in conscience.
2488 The right to the communication of the truth
is not unconditional. Everyone must conform his life to the Gospel precept of
fraternal love. This requires us in concrete situations to judge whether or not
it is appropriate to reveal the truth to someone who asks for it.
2489 Charity 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 a discreet language. 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.[282]
2490 The secret of the sacrament of
reconciliation is sacred, and cannot be violated under any pretext. "The
sacramental seal is inviolable; therefore, it is a crime for a confessor in any
way to betray a penitent by word or in any other manner or for any
reason."[283]
2491 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 prejudicial to another is not to
be divulged without a grave and proportionate reason.
2492 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.
2493 Within modern society the communications
media play a major role in information, cultural promotion, and formation. This
role is increasing, as a result of technological progress, the extent and diversity
of the news transmitted, and the influence exercised on public opinion.
2494 The information provided by the media is at
the service of the common good.[284] Society has a right to information based
on truth, freedom, justice, and solidarity:
The proper exercise of this right demands that the content of the communication
be true and - within the limits set by justice and charity - complete. Further,
it should be communicated honestly and properly. This means that in the
gathering and in the publication of news, the moral law and the legitimate
rights and dignity of man should be upheld.[285]
2495 "It is necessary that all members of
society meet the demands of justice and charity in this domain. They should
help, through the means of social communication, in the formation and diffusion
of sound public opinion."[286] Solidarity is a consequence of genuine and
right communication and the free circulation of ideas that further knowledge
and respect for others.
2496 The means of social communication
(especially the mass media) can give rise to a certain passivity among users,
making them less than vigilant consumers of what is said or shown. Users should
practice moderation and discipline in their approach to the mass media. They
will want to form enlightened and correct consciences the more easily to resist
unwholesome influences.
2497 By the very nature of their profession,
journalists have an obligation to serve the truth and not offend against
charity in disseminating information. They should strive to respect, with equal
care, the nature of the facts and the limits of critical judgment concerning
individuals. They should not stoop to defamation.
2498 "Civil authorities have particular
responsibilities in this field because of the common good.... It is for the
civil authority ... to defend and safeguard a true and just freedom of
information."[287] By promulgating laws and overseeing their application,
public authorities should ensure that "public morality and social progress
are not gravely endangered" through misuse of the media.[288] Civil
authorities should punish any violation of the rights of individuals to their
reputation and privacy. They should give timely and reliable reports concerning
the general good or respond to the well-founded concerns of the people. Nothing
can justify recourse to disinformation for manipulating public opinion through
the media. Interventions by public authority should avoid injuring the freedom
of individuals or groups.
2499 Moral judgment must condemn the plague of
totalitarian states which systematically falsify the truth, exercise political
control of opinion through the media, manipulate defendants and witnesses at
public trials, and imagine that they secure their tyranny by strangling and
repressing everything they consider "thought crimes."
2500 The practice of goodness is accompanied by
spontaneous spiritual joy and moral beauty. Likewise, 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 him through the universal
language of creation, the work of his Word, of his wisdom: the order and
harmony of the cosmos-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."[289]
[Wisdom] is a breath of the power of God, and a pure emanation of the glory of
the Almighty; therefore nothing defiled gains entrance into her. For she is a
reflection of eternal light, a spotless mirror of the working of God, and an
image of his goodness.[290] 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 it is succeeded by the night, but against wisdom evil does
not prevail.[291] I became enamored of her beauty.[292]
2501 Created "in the image of
God,"[293] man also expresses the truth of his relationship with God the
Creator by the beauty of his artistic works. Indeed, art is a distinctively
human form of expression; beyond the search for the necessities of life which
is common to all living creatures, art is a freely given superabundance of the
human being's inner 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,[294] 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
beings, art bears a certain likeness to God's activity in what he has created.
Like any other human activity, art is not an absolute end in itself, but is
ordered to and ennobled by the ultimate end of man.[295]
2502 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."[296] This spiritual beauty of God is reflected in
the most holy Virgin Mother of God, the angels, and saints. Genuine sacred art
draws man to adoration, to prayer, and to the love of God, Creator and Savior,
the Holy One and Sanctifier.
2503 For this reason bishops, personally or
through delegates, should see to the promotion of sacred art, old and new, in
all its forms and, with the same religious care, remove from the liturgy and
from places of worship everything which is not in conformity with the truth of
faith and the authentic beauty of sacred art.[297]
2504 "You shall not bear false witness
against your neighbor" (Ex 20:16). Christ's disciples have "put on
the new man, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and
holiness" (Eph 4:24).
2505 Truth or truthfulness is the virtue which
consists in showing oneself true in deeds and truthful in words, and guarding
against duplicity, dissimulation, and hypocrisy.
2506 The Christian is not to "be ashamed of
testifying to our Lord" (2 Tim 1:8) in deed and word. Martyrdom is the
supreme witness given to the truth of the faith.
2507 Respect for the reputation and honor of
persons forbids all detraction and calumny in word or attitude.
2508 Lying consists in saying what is false with
the intention of deceiving the neighbor who has the right to the truth.
2509 An offense committed against the truth
requires reparation.
2510 The golden rule helps one discern, in
concrete situations, whether or not it would be appropriate to reveal the truth
to someone who asks for it.
2511 "The sacramental seal is
inviolable" (CIC, can. 983 # 1). Professional secrets must be kept.
Confidences prejudicial to another are not to be divulged.
2512 Society has a right to information based on
truth, freedom, and justice. One should practice moderation and discipline in
the use of the social communications media.
2513 The fine arts, but above all sacred art,
"of their nature are directed toward expressing in some way the infinite
beauty of God in works made by human hands. Their dedication to the increase of
God's praise and of his glory is more complete, the more exclusively they are
devoted to turning men's minds devoutly toward God" (SC 122).
2514 St. John distinguishes three kinds of covetousness
or concupiscence: lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life.[300]
In the Catholic catechetical tradition, the ninth commandment forbids carnal
concupiscence; the tenth forbids coveting another's goods.
2515 Etymologically, "concupiscence"
can refer to any intense form of human desire. Christian theology has given it
a particular meaning: the movement of the sensitive appetite contrary to the
operation of the human reason. The apostle St. Paul identifies it with the
rebellion of the "flesh" against the "spirit."[301]
Concupiscence stems from the disobedience of the first sin. It unsettles man's
moral faculties and, without being in itself an offense, inclines man to commit
sins.[302]
2516 Because man is a composite being, spirit and
body, there already exists a certain tension in him; a certain struggle of
tendencies between "spirit" and "flesh" develops. But in
fact this struggle belongs to the heritage of sin. It is a consequence of sin
and at the same time a confirmation of it. It is part of the daily experience
of the spiritual battle:
For the Apostle it is not a matter of despising and condemning the body which
with the spiritual soul constitutes man's nature and personal subjectivity.
Rather, he is concerned with the morally good or bad works, or better, the
permanent dispositions - virtues and vices - which are the fruit of submission
(in the first case) or of resistance (in the second case) to the saving action
of the Holy Spirit. For this reason the Apostle writes: "If we live by the
Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit."[303]
2517 The heart is the seat of moral personality:
"Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery,
fornication...."[304] The struggle against carnal covetousness entails
purifying the heart and practicing temperance:
Remain simple and innocent, and you will be like little children who do not
know the evil that destroys man's life.[305]
2518 The sixth beatitude proclaims, "Blessed
are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."[306] "Pure in
heart" refers to those who have attuned their intellects and wills to the
demands of God's holiness, chiefly in three areas: charity;[307] chastity or
sexual rectitude;[308] love of truth and orthodoxy of faith.[309] There is a connection
between purity of heart, of body, and of faith:
The faithful must believe the articles of the Creed "so that by believing
they may obey God, by obeying may live well, by living well may purify their
hearts, and with pure hearts may understand what they believe."[310]
2519 The "pure in heart" are promised
that they will see God face to face and be like him.[311] Purity of heart is
the precondition of the vision of God. Even now it enables us to see according
to God, to accept others as "neighbors"; it lets us perceive the
human body - ours and our neighbor's - as a temple of the Holy Spirit, a
manifestation of divine beauty.
2520 Baptism confers on its recipient the grace
of purification from all sins. But the baptized must continue to struggle
against concupiscence of the flesh and disordered desires. With God's grace he
will prevail
- by the virtue and gift of chastity, for chastity lets us love with upright
and undivided heart;
- by purity of intention which consists in seeking the true end of man: with
simplicity of vision, the baptized person seeks to find and to fulfill God's
will in everything;[312]
- by purity of vision, external and internal; by discipline of feelings and
imagination; by refusing all complicity in impure thoughts that incline us to
turn aside from the path of God's commandments: "Appearance arouses
yearning in fools";[313]
- by prayer:
I thought that continence arose from one's own powers, which I did not
recognize in myself. I was foolish enough not to know . . . that no one can be
continent unless you grant it. For you would surely have granted it if my inner
groaning had reached your ears and I with firm faith had cast my cares on
you.[314]
2521 Purity requires modesty, an integral part of
temperance. Modesty protects the intimate center of the person. It means
refusing to unveil what should remain hidden. It is ordered to chastity to
whose sensitivity it bears witness. It guides how one looks at others and
behaves toward them in conformity with the dignity of persons and their
solidarity.
2522 Modesty protects the mystery of persons and
their love. It encourages patience and moderation in loving relationships; it
requires that the conditions for the definitive giving and commitment of man and
woman to one another be fulfilled. Modesty is decency. It inspires one's choice
of clothing. It keeps silence or reserve where there is evident risk of
unhealthy curiosity. It is discreet.
2523 There is a modesty of the feelings as well
as of the body. It protests, for example, against the voyeuristic explorations
of the human body in certain advertisements, or against the solicitations of
certain media that go too far in the exhibition of intimate things. Modesty
inspires a way of life which makes it possible to resist the allurements of
fashion and the pressures of prevailing ideologies.
2524 The forms taken by modesty vary from one
culture to another. Everywhere, however, modesty exists as an intuition of the
spiritual dignity proper to man. It is born with the awakening consciousness of
being a subject. Teaching modesty to children and adolescents means awakening
in them respect for the human person.
2525 Christian purity requires a purification of
the social climate. It requires of the communications media that their
presentations show concern for respect and restraint. Purity of heart brings
freedom from widespread eroticism and avoids entertainment inclined to
voyeurism and illusion.
2526 So called moral permissiveness rests on an
erroneous conception of human freedom; the necessary precondition for the
development of true freedom is to let oneself be educated in the moral law.
Those in charge of education can reasonably be expected to give young people
instruction respectful of the truth, the qualities of the heart, and the moral
and spiritual dignity of man.
2527 "The Good News of Christ continually
renews the life and culture of fallen man; it combats and removes the error and
evil which flow from the ever-present attraction of sin. It never ceases to
purify and elevate the morality of peoples. It takes the spiritual qualities
and endowments of every age and nation, and with supernatural riches it causes
them to blossom, as it were, from within; it fortifies, completes, and restores
them in Christ."[315]
2528 "Everyone who looks at a woman
lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Mt 5:28).
2529 The ninth commandment warns against lust or
carnal concupiscence.
2530 The struggle against carnal lust involves
purifying the heart and practicing temperance.
2531 Purity of heart will enable us to see God:
it enables us even now to see things according to God.
2532 Purification of the heart demands prayer,
the practice of chastity, purity of intention and of vision.
2533 Purity of heart requires the modesty which is patience, decency, and discretion. Modesty protects the intimate center of the person
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