UNFOUNDED INVALID

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor

Exodus 20:16 King James Version (KJV) 

Are you a false witness? A witness is someone who claims to see something or were at an event and can state what happened. Simply, a person who can prove something is true. Bearing false witness means telling lies, saying and reporting things that are not true or, unfounded. Many people believe that false witnesses are only found in the court of law, testifying lies under oath. These people are generally paid or was promised something for their testimony. Today, false witnesses are found everywhere and can be anyone.

Lies and deceit are found in all levels of government, employment, society and families. To make it less severe, lies are classified as little or white lies, to make it suitable for the circumstance.

The title of this post is Unfounded Invalid. Unfounded means not based on facts or proof. Invalid is a person who needs to be cared for because of injury or illness. There are some many people who have illnesses called gossip and nosiness.

A Gossiper is a person who habitually spreads personal information about other people, adding embellishments. Not only are they spreading people’s business they tend to add untrue or exaggerated details to boost fascination and interest.

Nosiness is cousin to the gossiper. Always wanting to know about other people’s problems and lives. Most people who are nosy do not keep this information to themselves. They, too, amplify details.

I refer to them as having an illness because these acts are truly an unhealthy condition of the mind. Theses unhealthy drive urges these individuals to pass on groundless information, just because they can. They are plagued with a concept they must be the first to pass on juicy, tidbits of information. Without thought, they will hear something and pass it on, without ever checking the facts. Or, they will hear something that sound compelling and exciting and pass it off as their discovery, of course, without checking if it is true or not. They enjoy the concept of being the smartest person in the room, knowing all. They may be receiving some other type of thrill or emotionally charged feeling.

Are you a false witness? Are you:

• Always in someone else’s business, then spreading the news?
• Passing on unfounded information on social media.
• Reposting fake news. Fake news is a deliberate misinformation, fabricated news spread by print or broadcast, but mainly by social media. Individuals who pass on fake news do it for profit and to increases readership.
• Friends with people of previous jobs or relationships and you call them mainly to see what is happening in that situation, so you can pass the information on?
• Addicted to gossip, receiving thrills to hear about the mishaps in people’s lives, and, of course, to eventually tell someone else.
• Telling people’s business covering it with a spiritual reason. For example, telling someone about a friend’s husband having an affair, but state you are only telling so you all can pray for them?
• Revealing people’s personal business (without their permission) to prove a point, or use as an example?

You may not be in a court of law, receiving a monetary gain or a lighter sentence to be a false witness. If you have the disorder of being a gossiper, or have the condition of nosiness and stating false information,  you are a false witness.

One of the things to be learned in this post. Gossip may be exciting when it deals with other people, but when the tables are turned and you are headlining the gossip column; or, your life takes a downward stroke and people are calling you,  not out of concern, but to receive the inside scoop, on your life, to pass on to others, you may rethink being a false witness.

Check yourself.