Lying

First childhood lesson: lying is OK.

On one hand we teach that lying is abhorrent in society and yet on the other hand we teach our children that lying is acceptable. I mean by this that some people teach that lying is acceptable by the routine purveying of ‘facts’ that are not true: the tooth fairy, Father Christmas ... etc.

Then the tables are turned when the children start to practice the lies they have been taught were OK. They learn the old lies, expand on them and create new lies for themselves. Then they are reprimanded and told to do better. Do better? Like who? The parents that have been feeding them lies about lies? Mmmm.

Second childhood lesson: lying is not OK: lying is bad.

“I don’t want to know.” The words may not always be said to someone’s face but the actions and the persistent deflection of conversations can bring the truth home that someone may rather you lied to them than tell them the truth they didn’t want to hear spoken.

First adult lesson: lying is OK.

It is my belief that this is a lie.

Lies languish life.

Selfish people like lies because they do not have to look at the truth. Selfish people are not caring people. They are perpetuating lies by refusing to hear the truth. Some people who live by the word of God are as guilty as others who live by the word of the world: they prefer people to lie rather than speak their own truth.

People start to die because they cannot live their lives in a lie. The lies suffocate the very breath of life.

Final adult lesson: lying is not OK: lying is bad.

By then it is too late.

How many headstones will need to say “Here lies someone who died because of lying” before it is clear to all that lying is not OK?