Gravity of Omission

Omission is defined as a failure to act on something, especially something that one has a moral or legal obligation to do. When a person is aware that another has been misled or believes in something that is a lie, yet fails to communicate the truth, this person is allowing for deception to prevail. The reason why so many people commit the sin of omission in the context of deceit is that, in many cases, allowing for another person to continue believing in a lie can also be beneficial to them. For example, a man who was out drinking with friends goes to work the next day feeling hungover. His boss assumes that the man is actually sick, and suggests that he take a day off in order to avoid infecting others in- the office. The man does not correct the false belief of his boss because it is this false belief that is bringing about a much-desired day-off. Therefore, he is committing the sin of omission by deceiving his boss in a more passive way, for the sake of his personal advantage. Lying by omission is still a lie. It may not feel as deliberate and outright deceptive as regular lies, however, the nature of the act and the consequences it generates are the same.  If you do not want to violate the 9th commandment, do not omit to tell the truth.