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[Brain Hacker]

How serious is "thou shalt not bear false witness"?

My understanding is that Christian theologians believe that to "not bear false witness" is around more severe lying like lying on taxes, to the court, etc.

How do you feel about lies in the political context? Things that are CLEARLY provably lies. Would someone who lies for political gain to to hell?

I imagine if "thou shalt not kill" is one of the ten commandments and so is "thou shalt not bear false witness" that these are roughly in the same ball park in terms of punishments?

Would love your thoughts.

[jimwalton]

Yes, the "shall not bear false witness" is generally about testimony in court, not about lying in general. The main focus is on formal slander, false accusation, and libel in the legal setting. You can't have justice if you can't depend on your witnesses to be telling the truth. Wrongly prosecution or lying to escape prosecution are specifically designed to negate justice.

Nevertheless, the reach of the command goes beyond the court room. Any character assassination, false or unfounded evidence, or perjury, in any of its forms legal or casual, are a violation of this command. In a world where truth is disregarded, words become nothing more than tools of power. A society that cannot rely on the truth from its media or in courts of law is in danger of unraveling at its very roots. False witnesses in essence undermine the very foundation of society.

Now, on to the political context. Lies in the political context, in my opinion, fall under the constrictions of this law. If we cannot trust our politicians to be telling us the truth (ha, ha, I'm reading over what I just said...), then I cannot make clear judgments about anything pertaining to this wide sphere under the auspices of governing. To some extent we learn to ignore them, because they all seem to be a bunch of liars (politics is a dirty business), but in the Bible the government was supposed to be for ruling in righteousness, and promoting justice and peace, rewarding those who do right and punishing those who do wrong. So if it's NOT doing that, and if its' lying about it, then we have a real problem. Lately we have seen how lies on both sides of the fence and from media just tear a country apart. It's not right.

> Would someone who lies for political gain to to hell?

A person doesn't go to hell because they lie for political gain. The Bible is clear that salvation is based on a love relationship with God, submitting to his Lordship, and inviting him to do a miracle in you to change your nature from a sin nature to the nature of Jesus. It's not about good behavior or bad behavior.

The Bible paints human nature as binary, in a sense: you can have only one of two natures. You either have the nature of sin or the nature of Jesus. We are all born with a nature of sin, and each and every one of us is offered the free gift of the nature of Jesus. By turning away from our sins, believing in Jesus, and submitting to His Lordship, we can have the free gift of the nature of Jesus, which is not dependent on our works, our goodness, or anything we do. We merely have to accept his offer of salvation.

There were two occasions where Jesus was asked, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" (i.e., to get into heaven). On those two occasions, Jesus offered his criteria (since we're going to go by Jesus' words):

1. Love God with all that you are.
2. Love your neighbor as yourself.
3. Do God's will by obeying his moral commands.
4. Be willing, if he asks you, to drop everything and leave it behind to follow him.

It is also said in many places in Scripture that one must "believe" (John 1.13) in Jesus: recognize who He is and put one's faith in him (mental assent plus heart attitude [Matt. 5] plus behavioral obedience [John 14.15]). John also teaches in John 1.12 that one must "receive him."

People go to heaven who have received the nature of Jesus in them, and who live in a love relationship with him. People go to hell who remain in their sin nature and do not accept God's free gift of salvation. Lying for political gain doesn't constitute an automatic trip to hell. If one has the nature of Jesus, however, one will not lie (Ephesians 4.25). Lying is contrary to how God has told us to live.