Among the most remarkable sections of the long email sent to participants in advance of this weekend’s The Response event suggesting thoughts for contemplation and preparation was this section on lying:
Jesus tells us that all lies come from the devil (John 8:44). Lies come in many variations. Oftentimes people use truth to perpetrate lies. For instance, when only part of the truth is told to make the hearer believe something other than what is actually true, it is a deception, a lie. Satan used this method in his temptations of Jesus.
Lying in all its forms is the work of the enemy and in opposition to the Lord. Jesus is truth incarnate. He in no way agrees with falsehood. Therefore, when we speak words that are dishonest or deceptive, we are no longer operating by the Spirit of the Lord, but rather by the influence of the enemy. We must ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us times when we have been dishonest or deceptive and in turn repent of this sin. In some cases it will be necessary to confess the lie to individuals who have been wronged by it. Deal with this sin in the way the Holy Spirit leads you.
I literally do not know where to start. If Religious Right groups and leaders were really opposed to lying, they would have almost nothing to say about same-sex marriage, hate crimes laws, threats to religious liberty, U.S. History, or any of the other topics on which they routinely spread outrageous and damaging falsehoods.
