35. LIVING IN TRUTH

35. LIVING IN TRUTH CHRISTIANS HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PRACTICE HONESTY AND INTEGRITY IN ALL THAT THEY SAY AND DO. Compendium 521-526 Dt 5:20 Matthew 5:33-37 When our word is our bond we build trust, engender cooperation and serve the common good. We must seek to live the truth in charity. Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life, his followers must guard against deception, duplicity and hypocrisy. The Christian must bear witness to the Truth even with his life. False witness, perjury and lying are forbidden by the Eight Commandment. It also forbids Rash Judgement, Calumny, Gossip, Slander and Defamation. Flattery, Complaisance and adulation are also against the Eighth Commandment: Thou shall not bear false witness. The eighth commandment requires discretion in speech. Truth is beautiful and that which is truly beautiful proclaims the Truth.