Fifth Commandment

Most of us skip over the fifth commandment: Thou shall not kill. We think we would never commit that sin — never commit murder. But actually, we could be guilty because there are many ways to kill.

We can kill others with our cruel words. If we spread gossip about others and ruin their reputation, we are killing their good name. It is hard to stop slander, because words spread rapidly and we cannot know how many people have heard the lies and have told others.  Even if something we say is true, it should not be publicized for everyone, since we need to try to protect a person’s good name.

We can also kill others by ignoring them. By isolating those with whom we're not comfortable from our company, they can feel they are not valuable or worthy. This could lead to feelings of worthlessness and self-hatred. Such behavior might make the people feel like they have no value and might even consider taking their own life.

Another way we can kill others is through ridicule and shaming. Words can kill. Those who have low self-esteem could be crushed by criticism of their physical appearance, clothing or other traits. They could feel unloved and not worthwhile and find no desire to live.

Many people do not consider how much words or attitude toward others can destroy. We can tell ourselves that we didn’t really mean what we said or we were only kidding, but other people might take our words seriously, especially if their self-esteem is low. 

May we always practice kindness toward others. Like the Golden Rule says: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.