The Wounds of Lying

I have written about lying before; about five months ago, in a fairly humorous way.

I believe I covered it quite comprehensively in general terms but I want to discuss more deeply the impact lying has upon the family and upon the offender. Some of these considerations can only be perspectives that a person may observe about another.

1. Lying makes the liar look stupid. How often the liar thinks that their “story” is foolproof. Yet how many times have we seen THAT backfire. Most people who may be aware of the lie are too polite to directly confront the offender, but how badly has the reputation of the liar been damaged?
2. Lying destroys the credibility of the liar. Whatever is told will always “be taken with a pinch of salt”, in other words, it is just like the fable where the boy cried wolf once too often and when real danger presented itself, the community did not believe him to the detriment of all.
3. Previous acts and statements made by the liar will be relooked at and other lies exposed. The poor liar’s reputation will be further damaged as old crimes will be found which a hearer may have thought to be truthful. No longer will be benefit of the doubt be given to the liar.
4. Restoration of reputation can never really be achieved. The liar will be trapped in a stereotype of a liar. Even when being truthful and sincere, their reputation will stick with them. The poor liar will always be on the run, moving away from their past.
5. People will now look at the family of the liar and wonder about the defects of the parent/(s). Did the parents punish the child for being truthful? Did they allow the child to escape any consequences for lies? Sadly, the lying child has brought dishonour to their family, this may be extremely unfair on the parents.
6. The victims of the liar often are injured in some way or other by the liar. Yet the greatest victim of the liar is the liar themselves. These poor people live in a fantasy world, where the future holds so much promise. Yet they just never seem to get around to it, doing the unpleasant things in order to succeed. They never live in the unpleasant present, they are never happy in the present. They don’t like to think about the past as it is also painful.
7. I was reading in the scriptures (the Bible) the other day and I remembered something about the fate of liars. The Book of Revelations in the last two chapters has some stern words from the Saviour himself. Firstly in chapter 21, the 8th verse.

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.

Then of course in the last chapter of the Book of Revelations, reading from verse 13:

13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

Wow, pretty stern words. But I got to wondering why? Why is a murderer chucked in the same basket as a liar? Yes I know the concept of any sin disqualifying us from the presence of God, yet could one glean more in understanding?
What is so bad about a murderer? We know it is one of the Ten Commandments (just as bearing false witness is also). I also believe that we are put on this world to progress and learn things, both about God and ourselves. Murder stops a life from progressing. If we commit a crime, a “lesser” crime like stealing for instance, it is possible to “fix” things up, to return that which we stole, to “restitute” the injured party back to the stage they were before the crime of theft was committed.

Yet how can a murderer make things right for the person they have killed? Can they restore life? No, they can’t. Obviously and hopefully, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ can help pay the “price” of the crime for the repentant offender, but if unrepentant, the offender is doomed.

So a Murderer kills others.

But a Liar could end up killing themselves?

How we might wonder? Possibly because a liar is unable to honestly repent. They twist their reality into a fantasy and they do not see things in a clear light. Without honest repentance, a person’s progress is halted, we could even say that the liar is already in a state of damnation. Could that be why Christ puts murderers, whoremongers and liars in the same bracket? Because each party damages the foreordained progress of God’s spirit children that have been placed here on earth?

Quite a sobering thought. I reckon I shall have to stop lying, even if it is for fun. A point may come when the convenience of skilful lying could be used by myself in a more serious situation and I could damage my progress.

Remember the “good old days” when a man’s word was his bond? I would like to think that I am like that. How about you?