How often do you lie each day?

[Madeline]

I never heard of a "partial" truth or a "white lie" that isn't a lie. That is a manmade philosophy which the bible NEVER teaches. A lie is a lie... and it bothers me how professing Christians desensitize sin to the point where a certain sin doesn't bother Christians as much as it should. If a professing Christian has a problem with lying then they need to repent of that sin and realise that God is Holy and doesn't brush off sin as they think He might. We as Christians need to stop making excuses for sin in our lives and live for the Lord.

Love,
Madeline

[1Timothy115]

I chose 1-10 because I'm sure I could attempt to rationalize some response in a day that was not the truth.

Nothing comes to mind now but I'm sure there is something and I won't give Satan the opportunity to snicker now.

Praise Jesus!

[trc123]

In response to some posts, I would suggest that not telling everything you know is not lying.

[John81]

In response to some posts, I would suggest that not telling everything you know is not lying.

Such would depend upon the situation. If you are not telling everything in order to deceive, then such would be lying. If you are not telling everything just because you don't feel like talking about it all, then most likely such wouldn't involve lying.

We don't have to tell everything in order not to lie.

[trc123]

Such would depend upon the situation. If you are not telling everything in order to deceive, then such would be lying. If you are not telling everything just because you don't feel like talking about it all, then most likely such wouldn't involve lying.

We don't have to tell everything in order not to lie.

Agreed!

[JerryNumbers]

The wife and I was talking to another man and his wife about something, can't remember just what it was. But he said, "If you don't believe me, ask my wife."

I feel sure if I didn't believe him, I would not believe his wife either.

Please remember, according to the world, if your not sworn in, you don't have to tell the truth. It really get me when people think they can lie as long as they have not been sworn in.

[John81]

Most of the world and many professing Christians have a long list of what they believe are justifiable times it's okay to lie.

I've heard a number of professing Christians say it's okay to lie...

in order not to hurt someones feelings...

to protect someone...

to secure their finances...

because the truth would be too painful...

to keep the peace...

so they will have more money...

to keep the government out of their business...

to get or keep a job...

many, many etc.

As our pastor has stated, God doesn't need our help to bring about any of the things we seem to think we need to lie about. Is God unable to protect someone without our lies? Is God unable to provide us a job or protect our jobs without us lying? Can God not bring about peace without us lying?

When we sin "for good reason" (our weak reasoning, NOT Gods), we are in effect saying God can't rightly handle the situation without our sinful help.:eekWow! What incredible egos we must have to think God needs our help!!!

[trc123]

I will again say that just because someone does not tell everything they know that is not necessarily lying. Keeping one's mouth shut used to be a virtue under many circumstances. Example: Military personnel having Top Secret clearance don't go out offering or volunteering everything they know, when asked questions by others wanting to know.

I've noticed several posts in this thread that seem to indicate that the poster believes that if someone doesn't tell everything they know it is always a sin or deceitful.

If my wife asks me if I love her; I will tell her the truth, "yes." But I don't necessarily go on to say, "well right now I don't feel like I love you much because you've really been driving me crazy lately and by the way that hair style is so 50's." I simply give the direct answer to the question, "yes, I love you."

Another example: You are called as a witness during a trial. You are asked a direct question, "Do you have first hand knowledge of Mr. X having stolen the money?" You tell the truth, "No, I do not have first hand knowledge." It is not lying to give this as your testimony, even though you may have heard from others that Mr. X took the money. You were not asked what you heard through others and hearsay is really not a reliable way of ascertaining the facts.

[1Timothy115]

Most of the world and many professing Christians have a long list of what they believe are justifiable times it's okay to lie.

I've heard a number of professing Christians say it's okay to lie...

in order not to hurt someones feelings...

to protect someone...

to secure their finances...

because the truth would be too painful...

to keep the peace...

so they will have more money...

to keep the government out of their business...

to get or keep a job...

many, many etc.

As our pastor has stated, God doesn't need our help to bring about any of the things we seem to think we need to lie about. Is God unable to protect someone without our lies? Is God unable to provide us a job or protect our jobs without us lying? Can God not bring about peace without us lying?

When we sin "for good reason" (our weak reasoning, NOT Gods), we are in effect saying God can't rightly handle the situation without our sinful help.:eekWow! What incredible egos we must have to think God needs our help!!!

Wow! Gives some perspective for Christ's burden on the cross. This is just one sin.

1 John 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

[Crushmaster]

Most of the world and many professing Christians have a long list of what they believe are justifiable times it's okay to lie.

I've heard a number of professing Christians say it's okay to lie...

in order not to hurt someones feelings...

to protect someone...

to secure their finances...

because the truth would be too painful...

to keep the peace...

so they will have more money...

to keep the government out of their business...

to get or keep a job...

many, many etc.

As our pastor has stated, God doesn't need our help to bring about any of the things we seem to think we need to lie about. Is God unable to protect someone without our lies? Is God unable to provide us a job or protect our jobs without us lying? Can God not bring about peace without us lying?

When we sin "for good reason" (our weak reasoning, NOT Gods), we are in effect saying God can't rightly handle the situation without our sinful help.:eekWow! What incredible egos we must have to think God needs our help!!!

Morality is not circumstantial.

Lying is always, always wrong.

I was reading a book recently (fiction), in which the author didn't seem to think so. I suppose I could be wrong, though; maybe he did.
EDIT: It appears the characters' views may have changed later on in the book. I never finished the book (I found it to be boring), so I can't say for sure.
God bless,
Crushmaster.

[pep_3000]

The poll is flawed because it presumes that a person can't go a day without lying.

It is possible to go an entire day without telling a lie. While things like someone asking how you are and you reply "fine" when you really are not likely catches many of us many days, there are yet days when we don't even fall in such areas.

Myself, I selected 1-10 for today we went shopping and my wife asked me if I wanted something she saw me looking at and I told her "no" because I knew she hadn't budgeted for it, I didn't need it right then, and had I said, "yes, but...", she would have tried to talk me into buying it and if I did we would have spent too much money and if I didn't my wife would have felt bad about it.

That said, if the option to choose 0-10 were given, I would have chosen that.

Does anyone else believe a person can't go a day without telling a lie?

Not to pick on you, but that story you told is a perfect example of a "white lie." (I define a "white lie" as a lie told to make other people feel better or to make life easier)

No, I do not believe that it is possible to go a day with out telling a lie. One of the things that no one has mentioned is rationalizations (lies we tell to ourselves to make us feel better). I think every person does this.

[John81]

When I was younger I would lie to myself all too often. This mostly took the form of my telling myself I was more capable than I was. Not only was this a lie, much of the time this also extended into the area of pride.

TRC, I agree with your most previous post. Unless one is purposefully being deceitful by not sharing everythng they know, there is no lie involved. In the two examples you gave, such wouldn't be a matter of lying.

One of the problems we have today is the teaching of situational ethics in the school system for decades now. This has not only infected non-Christians but Christians as well. God says His commands are for all time, in all situations, but the schools teach there are no absolutes. We know have generations here in America who believe that under various situations it's okay, even best, to lie.

[John81]

Not to pick on you, but that story you told is a perfect example of a "white lie." (I define a "white lie" as a lie told to make other people feel better or to make life easier)

No, I do not believe that it is possible to go a day with out telling a lie. One of the things that no one has mentioned is rationalizations (lies we tell to ourselves to make us feel better). I think every person does this.

No picking felt at all:icon_mrgreen: You are right, that's an example of what many call a "white lie". That's why I mentioned that, because while many wouldn't really consider that a lie, I do see it as a lie and so does God. That's why I chose the "1-10" answer for that day because I knew I had told at least one lie that day.

[trc123]

When I was younger I would lie to myself all too often. This mostly took the form of my telling myself I was more capable than I was. Not only was this a lie, much of the time this also extended into the area of pride.

TRC, I agree with your most previous post. Unless one is purposefully being deceitful by not sharing everythng they know, there is no lie involved. In the two examples you gave, such wouldn't be a matter of lying.

One of the problems we have today is the teaching of situational ethics in the school system for decades now. This has not only infected non-Christians but Christians as well. God says His commands are for all time, in all situations, but the schools teach there are no absolutes. We know have generations here in America who believe that under various situations it's okay, even best, to lie.

Agreed.

[HappyChristian]

I will again say that just because someone does not tell everything they know that is not necessarily lying. Keeping one's mouth shut used to be a virtue under many circumstances. Example: Military personnel having Top Secret clearance don't go out offering or volunteering everything they know, when asked questions by others wanting to know.

I've noticed several posts in this thread that seem to indicate that the poster believes that if someone doesn't tell everything they know it is always a sin or deceitful.

If my wife asks me if I love her; I will tell her the truth, "yes." But I don't necessarily go on to say, "well right now I don't feel like I love you much because you've really been driving me crazy lately and by the way that hair style is so 50's." I simply give the direct answer to the question, "yes, I love you."

Another example: You are called as a witness during a trial. You are asked a direct question, "Do you have first hand knowledge of Mr. X having stolen the money?" You tell the truth, "No, I do not have first hand knowledge." It is not lying to give this as your testimony, even though you may have heard from others that Mr. X took the money. You were not asked what you heard through others and hearsay is really not a reliable way of ascertaining the facts.

Good Post!

Just to stir the pot...why, if all lying is wrong, did God bless Rahab - to the point that she was included in the lineage of Christ? She flat out lied to the men seeking the spies. And Jael was celebrated for killing Sisera, after telling him she would warn him if someone came...fully intending to kill him....?