LIES

 (ROY DIANON)

If one lies to a farmer about matter dealing with the manufacture of objects with dimensions of less than 100 nanometers and the way individual molecules and atoms at the molecular level is being arranged for a specific applications, he might not recognize the lie. In the same way, if one lies to a Nanotech scientist about a matter concerning agriculture, he might not recognize the lie. Why? Because not one or the other is thoroughly informed or familiar through study or experience in the particular subject being addressed. On a given day, it is with big possibilities of success that most human beings will either tell a lie or belied by another person.

One of the widely liked verses in the Bible (John 8:32), “the truth shall make you free,” But for many, telling a lie holds the key to money, fame, revenge or power, and these prove all too tempting. One of its kind lie in history is a Trojan horse. It is a kind of a lie by the Greeks to the Trojans, using a wooden horse as a peace offering, with a hollow belly in which men could hide. At night time, as the Trojans slept, they move out quietly, and slaughter the Trojans without mercy. The story of Pinocchio, give an account that by the time he tells a lie, his wooden nose lengthens. One of the controversial lies committed by people that proudly speak and declare they are Christians, is in the life of a couple named Ananias and Sapphira who lies about the amount of money they received from the proceed of the land they promised to give.

           

One of the common lies of the century and be part of the cause, why Libyan Leader Muammar Gaddafi regime fall, is the waves of disinformation being addressed by the mainstream media. The mainstream media were reporting things that Gaddafi gave his troops Viagra to rape women, bombed civilians, and that Libyan troops gunned down civilians. These claims have never been verified in any way to prove to be true. But the mainstream media continued circulating this war propaganda against Muammar Gaddafi? This lie was purposely planned to gain approval, from Western countries, for waging war of aggression against the Libyan Government.

For reasons given, armed revolt begins on February 23, 2011 by disaffected members of the Libyan military and political establishment provided the opportunity for the Western leaders to use deception in giving a false and misleading account about the image of Muammar Gaddafi as a wildly disordered madman who was about to slaughter, the Libyan civilians all together. To drive support for their “intervention,” a massive media propaganda campaign was conducted against Gaddafi. That Gaddafi hired Sub-Saharan African mercenaries to murder his own people during the uprising. As a result of these pure propaganda and lies, Mr. Muammar Gaddafi, although remains at large; has a million-dollar reward on his head, excluding the so many losses brought about by this war where lives were lost, infrastructure was destroyed, and most of all, we could not place our confidence to our world leaders anymore without fear and doubt.

One of the exceptional lie of our time is a piece of Nazi propaganda which sought to eliminate Jews from the face of the Earth. To accomplish this, Adolf Hitler and his minister of propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, launched a massive campaign to convince the German people that the Jews were their enemies. Having control over the press, they spread lies blaming Jews for all of Germany's problems, including the loss of World War I. One shameful lie dating back to the Middle Ages claimed that Jews engaged in the ritual killings of Christian children and used their blood in the unleavened bread eaten at Passover.

Using Jews as the scapegoat, Hitler and his cronies orchestrated what they called "the big lie." This theory states that no matter how big the lie is, people will believe it if you repeat it as much as necessary. Everyone tells small lies, but few have the guts to tell lies that bring out a very intense feeling of surprise.  This theory helps us understand the so many lies throughout history. Although not quite often we ask, “Who is telling a lie” the lie that deserve shameful mentions, can be simply explained in the life of a couple named Ananias and Sapphira who sold their property to support the common cause but kept back part of the price to break up their promise. What is wrong with keeping back part of their property price when in the first place they are the sole owner of the said property?

In Acts 5, we read of Ananias and Sapphira, who owned a piece of property. They sold it for a certain amount of money and brought some of the proceeds to the apostles. The problem: They lied. Ananias and his wife misrepresented the amount they gave as the full amount from the sale of the land. It is good to see husband and wife joining together in their decision, but to be a partner of the evil conspiracy is to be like Adam and Eve who eat the forbidden fruit. Adam and Eve conspiracy is disobedient which until now we consistently follow. For Ananias and Sapphira, it is their wrong motives in giving, from a desire to make a proud display of giving in public, not for the Lord, but for human praise. This is in conformity with our serious mistake in life typically caused by the pride of life. It is man’s inseparable weaknesses, if we will not allow God to be the master of our soul.

The weight of the problem of Ananias and Sapphira was not keeping back part of their property price. They might have kept it all, had they pleased. But rather it is on the effort they exerted to show their contribution. For the purpose that they might not seem to be behind from other people’s doing or group’s doing. That in so doing they might be much admired and will reasonably in the position to be elevated in the church organization. Which perhaps they would think, shortly they will excel in popularity and be recognized as a bighearted giver, a very common problem in the church interpersonal relationship environment or even in the society we do belong.

What drive them to tell a lie? But when the money was received for the total price of the property, their hearts were divided. Their heart and mind is puzzled, marked by extreme desire to acquire of what money can buy. Putting them in a position of confusion whether to give their promise or not. Until they decided to retain part of the price, to justify that it seems reasonable and valid reasons that the total price of the land was too much to part for the common cause anyway. If they should leave themselves nothing to take to, what should they do in a time of need? But if we put this reason into one’s personal experience, it is a defense of some failure to keep the promise or to make less serious than it appears the failure to keep the promise.

What is worth mentioning here, their lie represents a Biblical example of divine power exerted because immediately they fell down, and died instantly after denying the lie they committed.  Sapphira has still enough time to make right with their commitment. But instead of admitting the misdeeds they have committed that would have saved her, she persisted in the lie they have arranged with his husband. On account of this, she passes away the way his husband breathes his last breath, and was buried in the same tomb with his husband. Their untimely death is by reason of lacking fear from God. Good enough this kind of case does not happen in our time anymore, if by any chance, almost everybody will suffer the same.

Today we remain alive and not ashamed of the so many lies we committed in life. The very moment we reach the level of accountability, we are accountable to God for all the deeds we do in life. If our lies we committed will be written in full from the very start we reaches the level of accountability, and put this into writing, connect it word for word, it will possibly reaches in distance up to the moon. Despite anything to the contrary, God is so gracious that He understands so much the lies we committed. But everything has its own limit, and we do not know God’s limit on the lies we committed and ought to commit someday. God Bless.