Thursday, August 23, 2012

Lying is ok...when?

I am learning that people think it's ok to lie when:
  • the issue being lied about "isn't THAT big a deal"
  • it's not really hurting anyone
  • lying will benefit self
  • tryig to avoid hurting someone's feelings by speaking truth
 I am certain there are other ways people condone justify their lies. We all lie sometimes, intentionally. I don't think that you can honestly say "It was an accident that I lied."

What REALLY concerns me is how complacent "we" have become to accept lying! LYING IS SIN! Lying slaps God in the face. Lying is not loving. Lying is not truth. Even a partial truth partial lie is a COMPLETE lie!

This has been a HOT topic at home. There are "little lies" and there are "big lies"...and I am determined to not allow my children to accept ANY lying as part of their character. Manipulation is lying. Deceit is lying.

Lately, Facebook is the culprit of the lying topic. "Why can't I have a Facebook page? I just want to play a game." The answer is NO. Do I think Facebook is all bad? Obviously not. BUT when accepting Facebook rules and regulations, you are stating that you are older than 13. If you are NOT older than 13, you are not supposed to be using Facebook.

So logic tells me, if I set up a Facebook page for my child who is not 13 (just so he can play a game) than I am telling him that
#1 the rules set before us by administration (authority) are stupid in my opinion, therefore you don't have to abide by them. (would that same rule apply if i thought his teacher's rules were stupid too?)
#2 Lying is acceptable behavior. (but only in WHAT circumstances?!)

I have a HUGE problem with both those statements. As a Bible believer, I am convicted to teach my children that
#1 authority is to be respected regardless of what I think of it. We are to obey that authority, unless it is telling us to do something against God's Word. (Ephesians 6:6, I know this was directly speaking of slave/masters; however, I believe the principle is there.)
#2 Lying is never acceptable. (Proverbs 12:22, or read the story of Annanias and Saphira in Acts 5 in which lying got them both struck dead!)

God doesn't take lying lightly. Why have we come to accept this as the "norm"? Why do we ignore the "little lies" but punish the "big ones"? That is a double standard. So when we do that, we are confusing our children and teaching them how to manipulate a situation to benefit themselves.

Our integrity is a HUGE part of our character. Why are we so willing to sacrifice it for such stupid things!?

Just something to ponder. Thoughts?

1 comment:

Dusty (To the Moon and Back) said...

I completely agree, especially with the FB thing. I had a family member that allowed their child to make a profile when they were only 11 and I wonder if they really think about how even something so "small" as that has an effect on the way non-Christians view us.

Good post!