• Author: B-6594
• Editor: B-6591
• Newspaper: The Umpire volume 2
• Page Number:
• Date: 11 19 1913
• Tags:
• advice

MORAL ESSAYS By B 6594 TELLING LIES Lying, common though it be, is denounced even by the liar himself. He protests that he is speaking the truth, for he knows that truth is universally respected, while lying is universally condemned. Lying is not only dishonest, but cowardly. The Good Book tells us that the ‘‘Cretians are always liars.' We are not living in Crete but in the United States—the land of the Divine Gospel, and millions of people engaged in business or other avocations are ready to tell a lie in order to gain wealth, popularity, political power, fame, etc. They generally succeed for a while, but, the day of reckoning generally comes where restitution must be made either in this world. or in the next. Dare to be true, nothing can ever need a lie. The most mischievous liars are those who keep on the verge of Truth. They have not the courage to speak out the fact, but go round about it, and tell what is really untrue. A lie which is half the truth is the worst of all lies. A duplicity of life is quite as bad as a verbal falsehood. Actions have as plain a voice as words. The mean man is false to his profession. He evades the truth that he professes to believe. He plays a double dealing. He wants sincerity and veracity. He often tells a lie over and over again until he himself believes it true. The sincere man speaks as he thinks, believes as he pretends to believe, acts as he professes to act, and performs as he promises. Other forms of practical contradiction are common, some are intolerantly liberal; others are ferocious advocates of peace, or intemperate on intemperance. You and I have known pleaders of generosity who were themselves miserably stingy. We have heard and known persons who have been wonderful sticklers for "the Truth''—and yet they have not regarded the truth in buying and selling, or with regard to the reputations of their neighbors, or the incidents of domestic, social or political life. It seems that lying is one of the most common and conventional of vices It prevails everywhere. In society, not at home is the fashionable mode of reply to a visitor. In business or professions, mot in, is the courteous reply, when inquiry is made to see the "boss," proprietor or the head of the concern. So in every phase of secular life and business merchandising you will find the lie preferable to the truth. The only reason is, I sometimes think, that most people suppose lying to be necessary to carry on human affairs that they so tacitly agree to. They think one lie may be considered harmless, another slight, or what many call a "white lie," so precious to many. In these days of enlightened civilization, with exhortations, expositions of characters such as Ananias and Sapphira and others, brought to our hearts and memory, we still go on, and if we are caught in any prevarications, we generally say, ‘we did not mean to lie, it was unintentional." Little lies are common. However tolerated, lying is more or less loathsome to every pure minded man or woman. Lies, may be light and accidental, but they are an ugly soot from the smoke of the pit, and it is better that our hearts should be swept clean of them, without our care as to which is the largest or blackest. Never lie, as "lying lips are abomination to the Lord."