“When the Liar speaks, he makes it up out of his lying nature and fills the world with lies.” (John 8:44 MSG)
Why do we elect leaders who routinely lie about small things and big things? They cheat on their taxes and their spouses. They exaggerate their wealth and their achievements. They rip off their clients, neighbors, and business partners. They accuse others of wrongdoings while never owning up to their own mistakes. Why do we continue to indulge people who are conniving to take advantage of others? Why do we excuse deceptive behavior?
Well, we recognize that everyone lies, sometimes--including us. We have accepted it as ‘normal’ behavior. We hang on to the hope that the liars will be honest with us and save their deceit for others--preferably people whom we don’t care about. When we like someone, we tend to see what we want to see in them. When we encounter data that doesn’t fit our preconceptions, we overlook it as irrelevant information. This self-deception leads us down a dangerous path. We not only become victims of fraud, but also perpetrators of dishonesty.
“A good person hates deceit, but those who are evil cause shame and disgrace.” (Proverbs 13:5 CEV)
No comments:
Post a Comment