An earmark of a good civilization is the acceptance by it's people of a good moral code. A moral code becomes a standard of behaviour that all the citizens agree to uphold. A society enjoys real freedom when the citizens have consensus on a set of absolute values. Jesus tells us that one of the absolute values of the Kingdom of God is our ability to speak truth. It's wonderful living with people who speak the truth in love.
Believable people make a secure community.
They made silly rules so they would be allowed to lie. Listen to what Jesus says to many of those people. This is a wonderful example of good old fashioned legalism. They tried to appear good outwardly but they had no passion for truth inwardly. The overriding issue is a matter of honesty.