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It is my habit, when teaching my ethics students at the local community college to ask them this straightforward question- is it every ethical to tell a lie? The great majority of students affirm that there are circumstances where such is warranted. Rather, however, than giving examples like misleading the enemy in time of war, they tend to excuse \u201clittle white lies.\u201d Rather than reserving lies for saving lives they use them for saving feelings. \u201cIf my friend asks me if I like her new dress, and I didn\u2019t, it would be wrong to tell her.\u201d<\/p>\n
The exercise, however, isn\u2019t so much about truth telling as it is about unintended consequences. \u201cWhat if,\u201d I ask the students, \u201cyour casual lies make your friends doubt you when you truly want to encourage them? You may be evading hurt feelings today but you may be helping to create worse feelings tomorrow.\u201d This is the lesson we\u2019re to learn from the boy who cried wolf.<\/p>\n
What, though, if the issue isn\u2019t two friends discussing sartorial choices, but a government speaking on matters of life and death? The cesspool of misinformation that was the federal government\u2019s response to COVID 19 includes catastrophic financial and human costs from the shutdown, lives lost through destructive protocols and the yet to be toll wrought by the potentially fatal vaccines. It also includes, however, the utter inability of the government to find trust among the governed. <\/p>\n
We are likely never going to know the truth about the sundry objects we recently shot out of the sky. We are likely never going to know the truth about the chemicals released into the Ohio sky. We are likely never going to know the truth about Epstein\u2019s clients and the deadly destruction their perpetrations brought to pass. Because even if the truth does come out, we won\u2019t be able to recognize it as the truth.<\/p>\n
Conspiracies are born when evil men plot in secret to obtain extraordinary power. Conspiracy theories are born when ordinary men lie to maintain ordinary power. Because they both are born of lies it is difficult to tell them apart.<\/p>\n
The Bible, however, isn\u2019t built lie upon lie but line upon line (Isaiah 28). It is not shifting sands but the solid rock. It is true, for its author can tell no lie, and cannot increase His power. It is all already His, and always has been. His Word, His truth command us:<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not say, \u2018A conspiracy,\u2019
\nConcerning all that this people call a conspiracy,
\nNor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.
\nThe Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow;
\nLet Him be your fear,
\nAnd let Him be your dread (Isaiah 8:12, 13).<\/p>\n
Neither lies nor conspiracies have the capacity to undermine the One who is the truth. And He calls us to rest in Him, to fear Him, to be at peace, to hallow Him. That is something we not only can believe in, but must believe in.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It is my habit, when teaching my ethics students at the local community college to ask them this straightforward question- is it every ethical to tell a lie? The great majority of students affirm that there are circumstances where such … Continue reading