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<aside> 📅 This page was originally posted on my Blogger version of the blog on November 13, 2015 The content below has a few minor tweaks for clarity, and additional references, and some updated information.
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The ninth commandment is not to bear false witness against people, which is often taken as a command not to lie. John 14:6 tells us that Jesus is "the Truth" with drives home the fact that truthfulness is an important part of righteousness. God's commandment here is about more than just lying, however.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.
It's not hard to conclude that lying is wrong; we know bad things come from lying. The issues that really stem from this commandment are "little white lies" and gossip.
<aside> 👉🏽 There is also the question of lying for a good reason. For instance, would it have been ok to lie during American slavery to help the Underground Railroad? Would it have been ok to lie during Nazi Germany if you were hiding a Jewish family? I didn’t write about this in 2015, but plan to expand the post to include discussion of this as well.
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The phrase "little white lie" is used to describe a lie that had good intentions,[1] like a parent telling their child they sound good singing even though they sound horrible. What's the harm? Well, when the child goes singing in front of their peers and gets laughed at, it's probably going to hurt worse, especially since the child's peers will be more brutal about the situation. We all tell these, sometimes without even thinking; I did so just today, twice.
The first time was due to me not wanting to attend something; instead of simply saying "I don't want to come" I said I had a prior obligation a few hours before the event (which was true) and would drop by if I finished in time. The fact of the matter was that I knew I would be done in time to attend, and I knew I would likely not attend. Some of it was the intention not offend those inviting me, but the other part was laziness. I knew that if I said I didn't want to come, a distinct difference and truth than being unable to attend, questions would arise to why.
Laziness is at the root of the second lie I told today as well. This time it started with me not paying attention to what was being said and inadvertently saying I went to one store when I actually went to another. I could have corrected the person once I realized what was happening, but laziness convinced me otherwise—why bother, it didn't really matter did it? That was the devil's voice in my head. The conversation was brought up later, likely God's way of giving me a chance to tell the truth, but instead of doing the right thing, I gave into laziness again. I didn't want to explain why I didn't say something earlier. I didn't want to explain why I went to the other store. But this behavior reveals much more about me and a deeper problem that God wants us to avoid.