A lying tongue is not only something God hates, it is also something that is an abomination to Him.
But, it seems we have decided homosexuality is more of an abomination to God than a lie is. Man has taken it upon themselves to determine a hierarchy of what is an abomination to God and this is turning off a lot of people looking at the actions of Christians and Christianity as a whole
The RNC kicked off it's convention with TS Isaac dampening the turnout but not the spirit of the "Yes I Did Build It Theme."
Just over a month ago I called into AFR (American Family Radio Station) and I made a general comment that a Politician or Lawyer should not be in either professions because they have to lie. The host was quick to ask me "So, you are saying all politicians and lawyers are liars?"
Of course I had to retract and say most of them are liars and have to pander to their audience for votes or lie to get a known criminal off because they are bound by law to provide them with a good defense leaving it to a jury to make the final decision.
After each night of the RNC broadcast, pundits quickly pointed out the lies that were told and the audience's indifference to the lie. After both conventions are finished, the American public will be be bombarded by lies while each candidate touts their Christian beliefs. This lead me to question what does the Bible have to say about lying.
Prov 6:16-19
16 There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: 17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, 19 A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.
So, if a lying tongue is something that is an abomination to our LORD, then would it not behoove us to understand what constitutes a lie?
Let us first give a definition as to what a lie is according to Webster’s dictionary: To make a statement that one knows is false, especially with the intent to deceive. To give a false impression or action or false statement, especially with the intent to deceive. To make a false statement in order to evade the truth. The invention of a false story or excuse in order to deceive.
Even with clear cut definitions of what lying is; people still choose to LIE. When are you “lying”? When you make, or purposely convey, a statement that you believe to be false, a statement intended to deceive someone to gain, or not lose, some advantage, and which must in fact be false. You can also lie by naming (“the job creators,” “death panels”) or by purposely evoking a false framing of a situation.
If accused of lying, you have excuses available: an understandable mistake, a white lie (harmless, technically false, intended to help), an uncharitable interpretation (not what I meant), a disagreement about word meaning (what is a “lobbyist”?), a misstatement (an innocent mistake in word choice), a social lie (What a pleasure to be here in Iowa in midwinter!), a technically true statement that indirectly entails a lie, a false statement you believed to be true at the time, a rhetorical statement (an innocent exaggeration, understatements, metaphor, etc.), an alternative framing, and so on. These can be either honest, or lying to get out of a lie.
In politics, politicians are willing to throw the lie out there and then retract it the next day. But the lie has been eaten up and beginning to be spread to others hungry for the lie.
Politicians lie to protect or advance what they see as a moral endeavor, like invading Iraq or cutting off 'welfare queens.'All politics is moral. Politicians advocate positions that they claim are right, not wrong or morally neutral. Like anyone else, a politician may lie to protect his or her own skin. But more often politicians lie to protect or advance what they see as a moral endeavor (e.g., the invasion of Iraq, Reagan’s war on nonexistent “welfare queens,” Johnson on the Tonkin Gulf). In the conservative moral system, the highest value is protecting and extending the moral system itself. When conservative icons or ideas themselves are threatened, it is not uncommon for conservative politicians to lie in their defense (Reagan never raised taxes; there’s no evidence for global warming; “government takeover”).
Voters tolerate lies they see as serving a moral purpose, or as having a reasonable excuse. They give more latitude to politicians they identify with.
One thing I found interesting is that the liar has to be 'All In' in their decision to lie:
Make peace with your decision to lie. Good lying means you've already crossed any moral or ethical hurdles, and justified to yourself that the lie in question is now a necessity. A poor liar often trips up through continuing to struggle with the morality or faith issues behind the decision to lie. Regardless of the reasons, if you want to lie successfully, you need to reach a place of internal equilibrium where the lie is adequately justified in your own mind. http://www.wikihow.com/Lie
lie (li) noun A false statement deliberately presented as being true; a falsehood. Something meant to deceive or give a wrong impression.
Verb lied, ly•ing (li ing), lies
verb, intransitive To present false information with the intention of deceiving. To convey a false image or impression: Appearances often lie.
verb, transitive To cause to be in a specific condition or affect in a specific way by telling falsehoods: You have lied yourself into trouble.(1) de•ceive de•ceive (di-sev) verb de•ceived, de•ceiv•ing, de•ceives
verb, transitive To cause to believe what is not true; mislead. Archaic. To catch by guile; ensnare.
verb, intransitive To practice deceit.
So now you are prepared to receive what the Bible has to say about lying and liars and I hope you take this to heart as you choose your candidate for President in 2012. People have said the position on abortion and homosexuality are the two issues to consider for a Christian. But, I also pay attention to the LIES the candidate tells and what is behind the reason he is lying.
Col 3:9-10
9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him
Lev 19:12
12'And you shall not swear falsely by My name, so as to profane the name of your God; I am the LORD.
Prov 25:18
18 Like a club and a sword and a sharp arrow Is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.
Zech 8:17
17'Also let none of you devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love perjury; for all these are what I hate,' declares the LORD. "
Prov 14:5
5 A faithful witness will not lie, But a false witness speaks lies.
1 Kings 22:16
16 Then the king said to him, "How many times must I adjure you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?"
Prov 19:5
5 A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who tells lies will not escape.
Deut 19:17-19
17 then both the men who have the dispute shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who will be in office in those days. 18 And the judges shall investigate thoroughly; and if the witness is a false witness and he has accused his brother falsely, 19 then you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you.
Rev 21:8
8 "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
Prov 19:9
9 A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who tells lies will perish.
Prov 24:28
28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, And do not deceive with your lips.
Ps 58:3
3 The wicked are estranged from the womb; These who speak lies go astray from birth.
James 3:14
14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.
Ex 23:1
1 "You shall not bear a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.
Prov 12:19
19 Truthful lips will be established forever, But a lying tongue is only for a moment.
Prov 6:16-19
16 There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: 17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, 19 A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.
"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour" (Exodus 20:16, the eighth Commandment).
"…true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23-24).
Leviticus 6:1-4, "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour…or hath deceived his neighbour…and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein: Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty,"
Leviticus 19:11, "Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another."
Job 11:3,5, "Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed? But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee;"
Job 13:4, "But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value."
Job 24:25, "...who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?"
Psalms 24:4-5, "He…who hath not…sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD,"
Psalms 31:6, "I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD."
Psalms 31:18, "Let the lying lips be put to silence;"
Psalms 40:4, "Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies."
Psalms 52:2-4, "Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue."
Psalms 58:3, "The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies."
Psalms 59:12, "For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak."
Psalms 62:3-4, "… ye shall be slain all of you…they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly."
Psalms 63:11, "...the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped."
Psalms 101:7, "He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight."
Psalms 109:2, "For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue."
Psalms 119:29, "Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously."
Psalms 119:69, "The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart."
Psalms 119:163, "I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love."
Psalms 120:2, "Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue."
Proverbs 6:16-19, "These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren."
Proverbs 8:7, "For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips."
Proverbs 10:18, "He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool."
Proverbs 12:19, "The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment."
Proverbs 12:22, "Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight."
Proverbs 13:5, "A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame."
Proverbs 14:5, "A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies."
Proverbs 14:25, "A true witness delivereth souls: but a deceitful witness speaketh lies."
Proverbs 17:4, "A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue."
Proverbs 17:7, "Excellent speech becometh not a fool: much less do lying lips a prince."
Proverbs 19:5, "A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape."
Proverbs 19:9, "A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish."
Proverbs 19:22, "The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar."
Proverbs 21:6, "The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death."
Proverbs 26:28, "A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin."
Proverbs 29:12, "If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked."
Proverbs 30:6, "Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar."
Proverbs 30:8, "Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:"
Isaiah 28:15,17, "Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement;…for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:…the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place."
Isaiah 30:9, "That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:"
Isaiah 32:7, "The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right."
Isaiah 44:24-25, "…I am the LORD…That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad;"
Isaiah 59:2-4, "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For…your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness...they trust in vanity, and speak lies; "
Isaiah 59:12-13, "For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them; In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood."
Isaiah 63:8, "For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour."
Jeremiah 7:4, "Trust ye not in lying words,"
Jeremiah 7:8-9, "Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. Will ye…swear falsely…and walk after other gods…?"
Jeremiah 9:3, "And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD."
Jeremiah 9:5, "And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity."
Jeremiah 14:14, "Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart."
Jeremiah 15:18, "Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail?"
Jeremiah 16:19, "...Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit."
Jeremiah 23:14, "I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies:"
Jeremiah 23:26, "How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart;"
Jeremiah 23:32, "Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD."
Jeremiah 27:10, "For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish."
Jeremiah 29:23, "Because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the LORD."
Ezekiel 13:8, "Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord GOD."
Ezekiel 13:19, "And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies?"
Ezekiel 13:22-23, "Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life: Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations: for I will deliver my people out of your hand: and ye shall know that I am the LORD."
Ezekiel 22:28, "And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken."
Ezekiel 24:12, "She hath wearied herself with lies, and her great scum went not forth out of her: her scum shall be in the fire."
Daniel 11:27, "…and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper:"
Hosea 4:2, "By swearing, and lying…they break out and blood toucheth blood."
Hosea 7:3, "They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies."
Hosea 10:13, "Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men."
Jonah 2:8, "They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy."
Micah 6:12-13, "…the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee, in making thee desolate because of thy sins."
Nahum 3:1, "Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies"
Zephaniah 3:13, "The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth:"
Zechariah 8:16, "These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour;"
Zechariah 13:3, "...Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the LORD: "
Malachi 2:6, "The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips:"
Matthew 15:19, "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts…false witness…These are the things which defile a man: "
John 8:44, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."
Acts 5:3, "...why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, "
Acts 26:25, "But he [Paul] said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness."
Romans 1:24-25, "…through the lusts of their own hearts…Who changed the truth of God into a lie,"
Romans 9:1, "I say the truth in Christ, I lie not,"
2 Corinthians 11:31, "The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not."
Galatians 1:20, "Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not."
Ephesians 4:25, "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another."
Colossians 3:9, "Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;"
1 Timothy 1:9-10, "…the law is not made for a righteous man, but…for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;"
1 Timothy 2:7, "Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not)"
1 Timothy 4:2, "Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;"
James 3:14, "But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth."
Titus 1:2, "...God…cannot lie, "
Hebrews 6:18, "...in which it was impossible for God to lie, "
1 John 1:6, "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:"
1 John 2:4, "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."
1 John 2:21, "I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth."
1 John 2:22, "Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son."
1 John 2:27, "But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him."
1 John 4:20, "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?"
Revelation 2:2, "…thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:"
Revelation 3:9, "Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which…do lie;"
Revelation 21:8, "…and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone:"
Revelation 21:27, "And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."
Revelation 22:14-15, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are…whosoever loveth and maketh a lie."
Judgment
In the New Testament books, there is an example of two people lying, Ananias and his wife Sapphira. Both of their lives were taken away by the Lord for lying. We should take to heart this example and understand how much God hates lying.
Acts 5:1-11, "But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things."
Lies and the Conservatives Who Love Them
George Lakoff, a professor of linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley, is the author of, most recently, "The Political Mind: A Cognitive Scientist's Guide to Your Brain and Its Politics."
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/01/22/why-politicians-get-away-with-lying/why-conservatives-lie-about-iraq-and-global-warming
http://ecclesia.org/truth/lying.html