Why do we lie all the time?

Feb 27, 2019 Letters

---

Dear Editor,

We live in a world where lies and deception have become the order of the day. Lying has invaded the generation of the human race since the beginning of time. People from every religion, race, culture and creed lie daily to look good or to fool people.
Politicians lie all the time, attorneys lie in court to defend criminals all the time, parents lie to children, husbands lie to wives and children teachers lie to students and the long list of pathological liars can fill a million British Museum of Encyclopedias. Lies have destroyed millions of marriages and relationships with good people friends and families. Why do people lie all the time?
This is a question I wish to answer from a theological and philosophical standing point.
Jesus informed us from the following passage of scripture:
John 8:44
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
Jesus spoke of the devil as the Father of lies he referred to him as a murderer from the beginning. Why was that so? The Devil or Satan possessed the mind of Cain to kill his brother Abel then Cain said to God ”Am I my brother’s keeper?” Lying all the time! We can analyze from this discourse that Satan is the one who control the human minds for people to lie. Today we have so many compulsive liars in our society from the Highest Offices to the rogue on the street. If people can confess the truth our prisons will be empty the police won’t have to beat them to speak the truth and lawyers may not have jobs to defend criminals. We have a human conscience when we lie; it makes us feel bad and horrible on the inside.
Mohandas Gandhi had this to say about Truth. ”The word satya (Truth) is derived from Sat which means ‘being.’ Nothing is or exists in reality except Truth. That is why Sat or Truth is perhaps the most important name of God, In fact it is more correct to say that Truth is God than to say God is truth. And where there is Truth, there is also knowledge which is true. Where there is no Truth, there can be no true knowledge. That is why the word Chit or knowledge is associated with the name of God. And where there is true knowledge, there is always bliss (Ananda).”
The philosophy of this great Saint is very profound. Gandhi a trained Attorney at Law refused to defend clients in court by lying for them he ended up doing farming at times and refused jobs of big money where lying is involved.
And Jesus Said: ”I am the way the truth and the life no man comes to the Father but by me.” John 14:6
If we call ourselves followers of Jesus and God Our Father we should speak the truth at all times even if we have to go to jail for it ;we will come out as a repentant sinner. Our courts is a place where truth become lies and lies become truth but we can lie to man to escape from a crime but can we lie to God? Our Parliament is a next home of Judases and compulsive liars…
The number one reason people lie when it just doesn’t matter is because they actually do think it matters. While everyone around them thinks it’s an inconsequential issue, the liar believes it is critically important. Often, people tell lies because they are trying to control a situation and exert influence toward getting the decisions or reactions they want. It may not feel like it to you, but people who tell lie after lie are often worried about losing the respect of those around them.
They want you to like them, be impressed, and value them. They also want you to be like them the liar always move in groups because they need company to defend their wrong doing and they’re worried that the truth might lead you to reject or shame them.
William Shakespeare the greatest of all poets and writers had this to say from his immortal play Hamlet the Prince of Denmark.
This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.”
When we lie, we fool ourselves and try to deceive others. We must speak the truth at all times and I call on our political leaders and all the people of this land to speak the truth and be a people of integrity and morality. If we examine our lives carefully we can be perpetual victims of lies. I close this discourse with a scripture from the book of Revelation.
Revelation 21:8
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
God reserved ”all liars” last on this list of sinners because God hate liars.

Regards,
Rev. Dr. Gideon Cecil

---

---