Exaggerations, half-truths, mischaracterizations, and slander are part of every political campaign; still, this presidential election seemed different.
We were blanketed by blizzards of lies. There were stupid fabrications about humping sofas and dangerous slanders about immigrants eating the pets. When obvious falsehoods were pointed out, politicians and their surrogates doubled down. They complained about fact-checking. They gaslighted us, denying that they said what they said, or meant what they clearly meant. Campaigns promised to provide proof to back their candidate’s claims, but never did, trusting that the press and the public would move on. Partisan networks reinforced misperceptions, knowing that outrage keeps their viewers engaged.
In this sea of misinformation, responsible news organizations wondered how they should report falsehoods, or whether the latest fabrications were novel enough to count as “news,” or if it is proper to call mendacious politicians “liars.” Historians and political scientists like Timothy Snyder warned us that the fiction about a stolen election is the sort of “big lie” that has sabotaged democracies in the past.
This side of the election, we face a moment of truth about democracy, about the health of our institutions, and about the character of the public. Importantly, now that voters have told us that they did not find Trump’s lies disqualifying, we face questions about the nature and importance of truth itself.
As this election has unfolded, I became increasingly convinced that the ninth command, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor,” has new relevance. It speaks to humanity’s communal search for truth, the part we play in this search, and connects these to the well-being of our neighbors.
The determination of truth, like the construction of knowledge, is a social endeavor.
The determination of truth, like the construction of knowledge, is a social endeavor. Every community we participate in (families, businesses, religious congregations, neighborhoods, political parties, nations) passes on versions of “the truth.” We rely on communally shared knowledge (scientific, historical, economic, spiritual, etc.) to inform us because we could never gather and test all the facts.
At the same time, every community inevitably passes on errors. To overcome our fallibility, humans have also developed institutions that have systems, tests and procedures to better determine what is true. Courts have rules governing evidence and testimony. The scientific method involves methods, as well as a community of scientists who evaluate each other’s work. Academic disciplines have methods of research, evaluation and peer review. Responsible newsrooms have codes of ethics and print corrections and retractions. Churches have rules of interpretation, the capacity to reform traditions, and inclusive, democratically accountable leadership. Democratic governments separate powers and give the public a voice and vote.
One pertinent lesson from this election is that, rightly or wrongly, many Americans do not trust these institutions. They write off mainstream media, dismiss science, distrust the courts, and look at colleges and – let’s be honest – progressive Christian churches with suspicion. This is a serious problem that requires attention from leaders of these institutions. None of these institutions are perfect, but these systems, tests and procedures, still offer the best promise of glimpsing the heart of reality. Without a commitment to their integrity, we cannot hope to minimize our inevitable errors and biases.
Despite this, communities occasionally intentionally disregard the truth in favor of a fabricated reality that better serves their purposes. Sometimes communal identities, leaders and members are so tied up with their proclaimed “truths” they resist efforts to reform. Other communities value loyalty and belonging over truth. The police, for example, are tempted to observe “the blue code of silence,” an informal agreement where officers do not report the misconduct of other officers. In authoritarian systems (whether in families, congregations, nations, or political parties), leaders define what is true and punish those who question them.
People lie to control others. Most lies delay a reckoning with reality, but only a bit. An authoritarian’s lies are more enduring because they manipulate others into sharing the illusion. This is why they demand that people trust them more than other “experts” (scientists, journalists, and eyewitnesses).
When people believe an authoritarian’s lies, they surrender their agency. Possessed by alternate facts, they become unwitting instruments of the liar. The more followers abandon institutional tests of truth and invest in the liar and their deception, the more difficult it is for them to break free. At some point, we might even say that those who believe a lie have become enslaved.
When Jesus says that “the truth will set you free” (John 8:32), he points to the power of all truth to break a liar’s spell. The truth liberates us from deception to respond to God’s world, free of illusions.
Jesus follows up this observation with the claim, “If you follow my teachings… you will know the truth.” Jesus’ teachings set us free from destructive illusions. He helps us recognize that enemies, strangers and the despised are really our neighbors. He even helps us to face the truth of our sin with confidence that nothing can separate us – all of us – from the God who so loves the world.
The ninth commandment points to our witness, which is how we contribute to communally shared truth.
The ninth commandment points to our witness, which is how we contribute to communally shared truth. This witness can several forms. It may be the active sharing of our truth, our testimony. Our witness may involve the faithful stewardship of institutions that are responsible for determining the truth. Our quiet acquiescence may be a passive witness, leading people to assume that we affirm the things that are being said. Silence can speak volumes.
The call to “not bear false witness” reminds us of the ways we are tempted to hedge the truth. We’ve mentioned the impulse to avoid difficult realities and control others by lying. People are also tempted to remain silent because they fear the retaliation of an authoritarian and because they risk shunning or expulsion from the community. This is how “big lies” get traction. People think they can maintain integrity if they just keep their heads down; yet the failure to speak against something we know to be untrue is a type of false witness.
Finally, the command against bearing false witness connects truth-telling with the well-being of our neighbor.
Finally, the command against bearing false witness connects truth-telling with the well-being of our neighbor. One of the historic principles of Presbyterianism is that “Truth is in order to goodness.” This principle does not claim that if you know the truth you will do it. Rather, it suggests that the truth (including the truth found in Jesus’ teaching) is the foundation for meaningful action. The truth means that our personal actions and the actions of the community can correspond to reality. When we deny the truth, these actions cannot fit the reality of the circumstances, including the reality of who are neighbors are and what we owe them.
This is how false witness puts our neighbors at risk. When communities are misled, it creates gaps between communal perception and reality that can lead to injustice. We see this most clearly in courts of law. We also see it when malicious gossip shames people or when ethnic scapegoating leads to violence and bomb threats.
As we face our current political moment, we do well to remember the ninth commandment. We ought not to excuse ourselves by claiming that the other side lies (and so we can as well) or that lying is necessary to win. These justifications are rooted in the lure of power. They are very similar to the temptation the Father of Lies put to Jesus when he took him to a high mountain and promised to give him “all these kingdoms” if he would worship him (Matthew 4:8-10).
Put positively, the ninth commandment encourages us to seek the truth as best we can and bear witness to the truth as best we are able. It reminds us that false witness endangers our neighbor, but the truth will set us free.
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