November 18, 2014
Acting
In the advice column “Ask
Marilyn,” columnist Marilyn vos Savant differentiated between lying and acting.
“Say you’re a soldier and an enemy asks you for information that would aid the
opposition. Should a person of high moral character tell him the truth? Of
course not.” Personally, I’ve never understood liars, but I’m now wondering if some
people I’ve heard tell lies have convinced themselves that in certain
circumstances they are simply actors playing a part. “The LORD detests lying
lips, but he delights in men who are truthful” (Proverbs 12:22 NIV).
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Gail;
-----Among an insightful friend’s many sayings is, “Everything is relative.” We Christians don’t like that idea too much. It seems to erode the clarity of Scriptures. Yet the Bible is not black and white clear. Certainly it is full of clarities. But those emerge from concepts undefined and build into concepts undiscovered. For example, either follow Christ or perish in hell. But what is it to follow? Have you seen anyone completely follow Christ? I’ve seen people claim to completely follow. They willingly and consciously do things neither thoughtful nor kind. I guess the ruder truth is they sin, too. But Christ didn’t. Yet they completely follow Him? Yah. They do, because the concept is relative. Their desires and ambitions are consciously and willfully pointed towards His objectives, but performance bears inaccuracies, and lack of knowledge misidentifies objectives. We err.
-----So, God is true and all men are false. That doesn’t mean everyone is devoid of any truth, although, if you got technical about every last detail, every truth any man knows would be eventually falsified by his own inability to get a certain level of detail right. Again, I guess, everything is relative. Then all people who ever were, are, or will be , save one, lie. I was surprised a couple years ago when I went to study the psychology of deceit to find how little has been researched and written about the matter. The two books I did pick were far from the analytical examination of the topic I had anticipated. But one thing both affirmed most assuredly, and maybe is the reason little study has been given the phenomenon, is that every psychologist recognizes and admits everyone lies. Everyone. Save one. And He’ll be back to show us.
-----It isn’t that all people go around plotting to dodge reality. Thoughts strike us as simplicities. But they’re not. Layer upon layer upon layer upon layer of mental fabric enter into the construction of even a simple thought. Take for instance, “Sally ran.” Although you immediately picture a girl propelling herself fast on her feet, it first took the mental fabric of what an “S” is to know how it fits with “a” and the rest of the letters to form “Sally”. You instantly even knew Sally from many decades ago, probably second grade or so. More layers. But when the next sentence reads, “Her campaign was against Obamacare,” your first impression was exposed as a momentary lie. Wait a minute! Don’t lies take intention? Where was the intention in mistaking Sally for Sally? There was no intention there, but there was in knowing more than you really knew about the two words of my sentence. By intent of human nature to know more you read beyond what was written. The only barrier you have against such is the honesty of not knowing what you really don’t know. That honesty was breached. Your mental fabric supplied layers I didn't write. That's the lie. And everyone knows by innumerable layers of tattered, stained, errant, and frequently misapplied mental fabric. Everyone lies. Save one.
-----I like Marilyn. Come on, Marilyn. You’ve got more character than that! When the Nazi knocks on your door inquiring about supposed Jews hiding in your basement, freakin’ lie to the fool! And do a great job of acting while you’re at it! Of course lying is wrong. But the only one who is completely right is in heaven. The rest of us have to make our wrong count for right. Everything is relative. “Be not righteous overmuch, and do not make yourself overwise; why should you destroy yourself? Be not wicked overmuch, neither be a fool; why should you die before your time? It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand; for he who fears God shall come forth from them all.” (Eccl 7:16-18)
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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