The Art of Lying

Its possible to make people feel and believe practically anything if presented in the light intended. It’s called “The Art of Lying.” There are books written describing it. In Proverbs, we read one of the seven deadly sins God hates is a lying tongue, and he who breathes lies will perish. Revelation 21:8 says without repentance all liars who knowingly deceive and twist truth will blaze in hell.

All it takes is for someone to believe the lie presented, and with a false validity, it becomes true. In a shameless and systematic way, lies can be carefully built around a few shards of fact. Lies don’t have to be plausible to be effective. The more often a lie is presented, the more it is likely to be believed. To put it simply, liars have no respect for others, and they do not care who they hurt or destroy.

One may classify liars as sociopathic, narcissistic, pathological, compulsive, habitual or “white liars”, but the end result is they all are liars, meant to deceive. Most good liars stay calm, controlled and present themselves as authentic, without conscience and reason. Professional liars are natural performers, experienced, confident, know how to control their emotions, good at deflection and avoiding questioning.

Lying and disinformation have been a force from the beginning of time, and today, it is a powerful political tool. It’s no secret; leaders of today can act to be honest, but lie when distorting the truth. Remember the promises never kept? The one who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be deceived. Deception is a driving force in today’s politics around the world. Lies can reshape reality, such as sinister plots undermining a nation’s sovereignty by the influx of illegal immigrants and by replacing long standing established values and laws.

Today, we see a battle being waged between lies and truth, between good and evil. Stalin and Hitler demonstrated tactical and opportunistic lying on a grand scale. Lies can be used to allow unlimited control on people’s lives. So the battle goes on… “Feed your own propaganda and see that no other feeds them his.” It is well known that false information can influence one’s thinking even after they come to realize the information is false.

Social media is the “perfect storm” for spreading lies; however, TV and radio commentators and journalists also find their place. We as citizens should stay educated to the issues that matter as a nation, including doing our homework and fact checking, researching multiple sources to facilitate a more informed vote.

Should we care if politicians lie? A functional democracy depends upon the truth of basic facts. If truth is realized as unattainable, anything is possible. There must be a mutual trust between the government and the people. However, there are so many people in this nation who do not take the time to seek out the truth and there is a great price being paid for not doing so.

So, between both parties, do you trust their views on important issues such as health care, drug addiction, education, federal deficit, climate change, economic inequality, racism, illegal immigration, terrorism, abortion or military readiness? We as citizens of this nation, no matter what party you may be affiliated, should not accept lying politicians, and the media must start holding them accountable. However, have you noticed people who are brutally honest and take a stand against a lying government can find themselves a social outcast? Wouldn’t it be a breath of fresh air if how politicians dealt with truth would affect voters at the ballot box? Unfortunately, I feel there are some dark days “lying” ahead for America.

Throughout the world, the pot continues to boil with lies and deception. When foreign weapons fall upon our homeland, will we be once again one nation, undivided? As a nation, would we find enough soldiers with the same passion as in wars past? As wicked as our nation has become, will God hear our prayers?

We need a great awaking in this nation as to the possible perils if we do not change. I am an old man who can see the end of the road, but it’s our children’s future that is in question. As people of this nation could we become conquered, enslaved and exiled to another foreign power? It has happened more than once in history.

Remember Solomon’s Israel which became corrupt? How the mighty nation ended up divided between the northern and southern tribes? After a rebellion, the monarchy became divided and was ruled for centuries by evil kings, marked by constant war, treason and murder, culminating in a catastrophic defeat by the nation of Assyria. The Assyrians destroyed all sense of national identity, and carried off the population, dispersing them across its empire as slaves. You can read about it in 1 & 2 Kings in the Old Testament.

The great Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, and philosopher, Cicero wrote: "The evil was not in bread and circuses, per se, but in the willingness of the people to sell their rights as free men for full bellies and the excitement of games, which would serve to distract them from the other human hungers, which bread and circuses can never appease."