We should Always tell the Truth!

One of the 10 Commandment is- Don't bear false witness against thy neighbor. This is the commandment that no one really talks about very much, but it has to be important to God in order for Him to include it on the same list with "Thou shall not kill."
You'd think that killing is quite possibly the worst thing you can do to a person, so how can bearing false witness against thy neighbor or in other words lying,  possibly compare to that, and what does it really mean  to do that?  It's actually done quite often, but it comes under the disguise of the so called fun activity that we know well as gossip. It also shows up as the misguided loyalty of having your friend's back, or even the deceptive practice of stealing from the boss by vouching for a co-worker who often leaves early, but clock out late. To bear false witness against thy neighbor means to say things about someone that are not true, or that you can not prove. It's when you share information that can be damaging to a person's reputation, or even helpful to their reputation without taking responsibility for making sure that what you say is absolutely true, and necessary to be said. Consider if you can readily see the positive and Godly benefit of what you testify to concerning someone else. Bearing false witness often contributes to the demise of  those being falsely accused. It also causes some to suffer at the hands of deceitful people who gain influence as a result of those who are willing to lie for them. Killing destroys people quickly, but bearing false witness destroys people in ways that are slower, and even more painful. As Christians we have a responsibility to be accurate with the information we share. We must also be considerate enough to ask ourselves, am I handling this information  in the way that I would hope that others would, if they were holding my reputation in their hands.  I believe that if we let that question determine what we say about others, then we would choose to avoid rumor mills and bashing sessions, but only share the things that can correct, improve, and lift others up to a higher and more Godly way of life.