Well thanks then. I will answer it thru someone else.
Warning, its a long one.
What is Truth?
Lying, economy with the truth, spin, statistics and all that...
Tens of millions of words are spoken, printed and
broadcast daily. They are the chief means of communication for homo sapiens. The Bible statement that there are many voices in the world
(1) is all too true, and this verbal avalanche which descends upon us, whether in the form of advertisements, information, news, entertainment or even government propaganda needs careful assessment. It should all be measured against the truth.
This immediately brings us to one of the greatest questions ever asked What is Truth? It was actually addressed to Jesus by Pontius Pilate when he was examining Him in the Judgement Hall
(2) at His trial.
However careless people may be about truth, it must be admitted that truth is the only foundation on which any trust can be built. A recent survey on this question yielded the following result. 40 years ago over 60% of those interviewed were happy to trust people and institutions. That number has now fallen to 30%. (BBC Radio 4).
How shall we define Truth? For starters it could be said that truth is that which agrees with reality and can be believed. For instance if I hold a pencil in my hand and I announce that I am holding a pencil in my hand, it will be the truth because it agrees with reality.
From a theological stance Truth originates from God Who is known as A God of truth and without iniquity
(3). The ninth of the ten commandments given by God to Moses prohibits falsehood. It states that you shall not bear false witness
(4), and lying is the very antithesis of the truth.
The Bible then goes further to unapologetically identify the Devil as a liar and the father of it
(5). The strange thing about lying, although it is going on all the time, the inveterate liar is always regarded as a despicable person!
In reference to Pilate's question to Jesus What is Truth? Jesus had previously stated that He had come to bear witness to the truth
(11), and a part of that truth is Holy Scripture. because Jesus in His prayer to the Father He said, Thy Word is truth
(7). Seeing that Jesus is known as The Way, The Truth and The Life, we have two highly credible sources of Truth. Jesus and the Bible. He could be regarded as the Bible in person, and the Bible is Jesus in print!
Ultimate issues of course are black and white, but unfortunately contemporary issues are not, we must admit. There are variations of truth, or gray areas as they are sometimes called. Take first
THE DELIBERATE LIE
This is the direct opposite of truth and is universally acknowledged as such. It certainly disagrees with reality, because it flies in the face of the facts, and when discovered stands completely condemned. The teller also loses credibility, and the offence is heightened when committed under oath making it a case of perjury.
Deliberate lies are continually being told in ordinary conversation, business and social contacts, often made easier when the telephone is being used. We're all used to the excuses of the computer breaking down; " the one you dealt with has now left the company" or, "I was at home at the time". etc. etc.
We now look at some of the gray areas, where people become economic with the truth, or only tell part of the story, but the thing is if it does not entirely agree with reality eg what really happened, then it carries a measure of falsehood. Can these 'white lies' ever be justified?
THE MIS-LEADING LIE
This kind of falsehood may be told for very good reasons, sometimes rationalised by suggesting it is the less of two evils. It may be used to safeguard someone from danger or even death. For instance, what if, during the second world war a German Christian decided to shelter a Jew? What would he say if the Gestapo came to his door and asked outright if he was sheltering someone?
There are records in the Bible of mis-leading statements made to save others from danger. In the book of Exodus
(6) we read that the Egyptian Pharaoh issued an edict that all Israeli male children should be killed at birth, but the mid-wives feared God and refused to carry out the order and so let the children live. When enquiries were made as to their reason, the mid-wives came up with the story that the Hebrew women were more lively than the Egyptian women and and so the babies were born before they could get there! It is quite possible of course that this was a valid biological fact, but the mid-wives seized on it for their defence.
There was another occasion when Israel sent spies to reconnoitre the land of Canaan prior to the invasion
(7). A woman by the name of Rahab gave them accommodation, and when she learned of their mission she hid them on the roof of her house. When a search party came to her door enquiring if they were there, she misled them by saying that they had been there but had departed before the city gates were shut for the night. It is interested to note that Rahab was commended in the New Testament
(8) for her help and faith. She was not commended however for the mis-leading statement.
In the New Testament there is a tragic incident recorded in the book of Acts
(9) when two of the early Christians by the name of Ananias and Sapphira deliberately deceived the Apostles concerning how much money they had given to the Church as a result of their sale of property. The lie was regarded so seriously that they both lost their lives under the judgement of God. Comparing the New Testament with the Old Testament it obviously shows a greater sensitivity to falsehood.
There are occasions when honest people are questioned directly, and they may not wish to answer for personal reasons, it should be emphasised about telling the truth that no one is obliged to answer a question unless there is a legal reason for doing so. The only trouble with a silent response is that the questioner may very well draw their own conclusions!
The Bible nowhere encourages or commends falsehood and lying, but in extreme situations one can only say that God knows the heart and the reasons for whatever answer one might give, and if falsehood was involved a sincere repentant heart would surely find ready forgiveness.
WHAT ABOUT THE DIPLOMATIC LIE?
This kind of untruth is often used when telling the straight truth might upset others' feelings, or may be used as an excuse when something has been forgotten etc. And what about those who are suffering from terminal illness? The doctor would be sure to inform the family, but how should the patient be told?
There was the case of an old lady who was in this category, but the problem solved itself. She knew the seriousness of her condition, but would not discuss it with her loved ones because she did not want them to get upset. The family also knew her condition but would not discuss it with her lest she should get upset!
In another case there was a lady whose husband was terminally ill, but he didn't realise it. She was afraid to talk about it, and because of this she suffered from a guilt complex. In her situation she was not telling a lie, but felt that she was living a lie.
People differ as to how much they can be told, but there must come a time when honesty must be served. Doctors do not play games with patients, and will at some point convey the position to the sufferer. This is only fair, because everyone should be given the opportunity to get their houses in order, materially and spiritually.
On the lighter side of the diplomatic mis-leaders, there are ways of dealing with situations evasively. Politicians are notorious mis-leaders. They will not answer a question if they feel that it will somehow incriminate them or their party. so the interviewer is treated to some complicated verbiage which sounds very impressive but skips the real answer. One member of Parliament on the BBC TODAY programme was asked the same question eight times.. still to no avail.
What about diplomacy on the domestic front? When the children ask where babies come from, or who is Santa Claus? What if the lady of the house buys a new dress and asks the family's opinion of it? If the observations are not too positive, however diplomatic they are voiced, the lady will read between the lines and sure enough the dress will be on its way back to the shop the next day. We have a friend who bought a very beautiful striking red blouse. When she asked her son what he thought about it, he said "Mum you look as though you're going to play for Manchester United!" Only a son could say that. Perhaps if the family went shopping with mum, they could make a 'united' choice!
There are times when innocent evasion is acceptable such as occasions when a surprise party is being planned etc.
Some years ago a certain drink was being advertised as a drink that reaches parts that no other drink could reach. It was reported that someone made a complaint (possibly frivolously) to the Advertising Standards Agency that the advertisement was not strictly true. The drink could not reach parts that other drinks couldn't. But the objection was dismissed on the grounds that the public knew that it was just a humorous way of advertising and no one was being deceived.
In journalism and radio work I have conducted seminars for would-be writers. It is not a pleasant thing to inform anyone that they are not up to the grade, but it can be done graciously and honestly. It may result in disappointment; after all they had travelled a long way to come to the seminar and they were very enthusiastic to present their efforts. The last thing they need is heavy criticism. In many cases they showed potential and they needed encouragement to continue in their studies, but others, who, with the best of consideration, would obviously not make it, and to pretend that they had a future would, in the long run be unfair to them. If of course we discovered at a later date that we had made a mistake, well, good for them!
EXAGGERATION AND SPIN
Human nature has a tendency to exaggerate, especially if one wants to make an impression, or persuade people. We all know of individuals who are prone to enlarge the facts. The events or folk they are describing are made much more exciting than they really are, and often not a lot of harm is done and we take most of the things they say with the proverbial pinch of salt. It is sad however when their credibility is called into question.
We have now moved into a new area of big-time exaggeration or spin as it is now known. Some newspapers have their own political agenda and will slant their reports accordingly. Truth be told some of us choose the newspapers that best encourage our prejudices!
Government departments and their spokesmen are coming more and more under pressure about their reports. There is talk about documents being 'sexed up' - whatever that means. One of course can understand any spokesman putting a favourable slant on a report, but when it involves deceit, or a deliberate desire to mislead the public, it is high time that the brakes were applied, because when intrigue is eventually discovered - and discovered it usually is - credibility is destroyed and a backlash often follows. The public is neither nor stupid. You can't fool all the people all the time!
A little lad seemed to have his ethics very simple when he said "If you always tell the truth, you never need remember what you have said". And from a higher authority when the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians at Ephesus he said "Let every man speak truth with his neighbour
(10).