Note to Readers: Content on this page is identical to content in a post with the same title in Make America Better: Vote for Character in Substack.. Clicking on any of the Blog Contents below will take you to the Substack post.
The benefit of reading the Substack post is that it may be easily shared from there and readers may subscribe to future Substack posts with similar content.
Also see A Lie Told Often Enough Becomes the Truth for more about lies in the context of politics.
………CONTENTS of THIS PAGE ….…..
General Exhortations About Lying
Introduction
Christian Nationalists claim that the bible is a reliable guide for living and politics, but, most of their claims are based on wrong interpretations of bible symbolism. What the bible says about lies and liars, however, is not symbolic. Because bible statements about lies and liars are plainspoken, without subtlety and nuance, Christian Nationalists have no excuse for telling lies and embracing liars. Even people who do not believe in God or otherwise agree with the bible understand the practical application of what the bible says about lying and liars. They know intuitively that such behaviors will destroy any relationship and that there is no room for them in good government.
Despite the bible’s clear language about lies and liars, Christian Nationalists ignore, or reject, these scriptures. Either way, lies and liars are staple features of Christian Nationalism religious doctrines and politics.
Of all of God’s commands about how to relate to one another, scriptures about truthfulness, honesty and integrity may be the easiest to grasp. That is important because truthfulness, honesty and integrity are key features of Godly character. They are also key factors in how people Choosing Friends, Making Alliances and Vote.
Jews and Christians will recognize that most of the statements below are paraphrases of scripture. People who are not familiar with the bible, and even people who do not believe in God, however, will not be handicapped in their ability to recognize that these statements are practical, common sense guidelines for all healthy relationships. They don’t need scripture references to know in their hearts that these statements describe the qualities of both good and bad character. Someone needs to share these statements with Christian Nationalists. Unless they read/hear these truths, they will continue to tell lies that divide America.
Lies and Religion
- Those who consider themselves religious but do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.
- Do not use deception; do not distort the word of God.
- If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless.
- One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.
- The righteous who walks in his integrity— blessed are his children after him.
- Each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. Keep your conscience clear.
- Proverbs 16:13 Righteous lips are the delight of government authorities.
- Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
- Speak the truth to one another; render judgments that are true and make for peace; do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath.
- A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape.
- A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a war club, or a sword, or a sharp arrow.
- The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.
- Isaiah 28:15 For you said, “We have made a covenant with death; we have fashioned an agreement with Sheol. When the overwhelming scourge passes through it will not touch us, because we have made lies our refuge and falsehood our hiding place.”
- Isaiah 30:1 “Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out a plan that is not Mine, who form an alliance, but against My will, heaping up sin upon sin.
- Psalm 12:1-4 Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore; those who are loyal have vanished from the human race. 2 Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts. 3 May the Lord silence all flattering lips and every boastful tongue—4 those who say, “By our tongues we will prevail; our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?” 5“Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan,
- Jeremiah 7:3-10
- do not trust in deceptive words of religious leaders.
- practice justice between a man and his neighbor,
- do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood
- do not trust in deceptive words to no avail.
- do not steal, murder, and commit adultery or swear falsely,
- Do not trust in deceptive words spoken by religious and political leaders.
General Exhortations About Lying
- Do not swear an oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
- Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech.
- Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.
- Better the poor whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse.
- Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.
- Renounce secret and shameful ways.
- Set forth the truth plainly.
- Lying lips are an abomination to the but those who act faithfully are his delight. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
- Have nothing to do with false accusations.
Lies and Relationships
- Speak the truth in love.
- Do not lie to each other.
- A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.
- Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.
- Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit.
- Have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way.
- Take pains to do what is right in the eyes of man.
- Do not tell lies about your neighbor.
- Do not go about spreading slander among your people.
- Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life, health, reputation, finances or general well-being.
- Do not spread false reports. Do not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.
- Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned.
- You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another.
- A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies.
- Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.
- Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.
Conclusions
Since these statements are in the bible, they must be interpreted as laws. Since Christian Nationalists understand that lawbreaking is sin, they must face the reality that telling lies is a sin even though the bible does not say that in so many words.
Whereas there is much in the bible that is open to interpretation, there is nothing in any of these statements that is open to debate. There are no gray areas, no exceptions, and no mitigating circumstances that give license to lie. In particular, God does not make an exception for politics.
Since Christian Nationalists tend to focus on conservative media and religious sources for new information. And since conservative media and religion are among the purveyors of lies, there is little opportunity for Christian Nationalists to hear/read the truth about lies. Thus they have no inclination or incentive to share what the bible says about lies and liars with their followers.
What that all means is that everyone who knows the truth about lies has responsibility to share that truth whenever, wherever and however they can. If they don’t share the truth, Christian Nationalists will never learn the truth and will continue to lie.
One way to begin sharing the truth about lies is to share this post.