To be guilty of Calumny is to have intentionally ruined someone’s character by lying about them for personal gain. It is bearing false witness against someone, and it is sinful–as serious as shooting that person in order to kill him.
In addition, the bullet fragments of an intentional lie hit not only the victim but also, the innocent around him.
It all boils down to a certain kind of greed promulgated by vengeance on the part of the one who is lying, that he will do ANYTHING to get back at, to take something from, or ruin the person with whom he has a grievance.
Is this right behavior?
Of course not.
Except, do we even consider Calumny today, especially in politics?
NO. There is an ‘anything goes’ policy as long as our side wins. But if this is our excuse–to win–and if our lie ruins the character of a person, then we should be aware of the consequences. And they are not only spiritual consequences.
In a court of law, just as in the instance of wrongful damage to person or estate, so the calumniator is bound to adequate reparation for the injury perpetrated by the blackening of another’s good name. He is obliged (1) to RETRACT his false statements, even though his own reputation may necessarily suffer as a consequence. (2) He must also make good whatever other losses have been sustained by the innocent party as a result of his libellous utterances, if these losses were foreseen by him.
In the larger picture of a nation which must be built on Truth to survive, newspapers, television networks, radio personalities, movie moguls and movies, and more, twist the Truth to lead others astray. In other words, they frequently Lie in order to persuade the public into the web of their agendas.
How many times has the very life of a country, or an entire people, been intentionally crushed through schemes or philosophies based on lies? Just look at history. Just look at our world today.
Remember THE TEN COMMANDMENTS?? How about this one:
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Ex 20:16).
Translating a World on the Edge 