Thy Shall Not Bear False Witness (Lie)

The Ten Commandments declares lying is a sin. They didn't have a lying clause attached. Lying can destroy one's reputation such as slander and defamation of character. Lying also ruins relationships, friendships, family, or marriages. Lying destroys trust and sometimes makes disciplinary action worse be it marital, parental, or judicial. The story of Pinocchio is a fairy tale; however, there are physical signs we can observe when someone is lying, especially our children such as nervousness, selective amnesia, restating the incident with inconsistencies/different versions, and the famous repetitive eye movement. We also have the straight face liars, those who can dramatize the entire fable and convince you they're truthful, even with the evidence in your possession from a private investigator. I was asked is it acceptable to lie to someone if they're obese? What if the unattractive friends ask are they beautiful? How do Christians answer truthfully without hurting or offending individuals? We simply suggest to the hideous that although their hearts are beautiful, their physical attributes are somewhat ill-favored. We gently tell our obese loved ones, through the eyes of binoculars, yes they're large, but we don't lie. Besides, they know the truth anyway.

I'm ashamed to admit, I thought some lies were OK. Perhaps someone's breath isn't fresh and they ask you, what do you say? Well, I now say please chew this mint, you really need it (just kidding). If the light company is about to disconnect your services, do you lie and say I just put that check in the mail, or do you step out on faith and ask please give me another day, I'll have the money tomorrow. We also have the habitual liars. These lies are transparent. They'll tell you they've walked on the moon when they're a paraplegic. Their entire life is a lie, from their name to their zero balance income. Lord, help these lying souls. Is it acceptable to lie to maintain privacy and escape embarrassment? If our family member is a prostitute who was exposed, do we lie to protect them or solicit a sell? If your husband gambled away your assets do you inform people if you need their help? There's a cliché that says, "You can't handle the truth," is this a justifiable excuse to lie because we simply don't want to hurt others. Well, God didn't say speak the truth if one can handle it. He said He hates a lying tongue because the devil is a liar and the father of all lies. Lying may seem acceptable in certain predicaments but this can be stressful to inhale someone's body odor when all you have to say is, dear, you have an offensive aroma, and the truth will set your nose and your conscious free, hallelujah.