Truth and Lies

Lying has descriptive categories, based on comparative distance from truth, or effectiveness of influence. There are “white” lies, though I don’t remember “black” lies ever existing. There are “bold faced” lies, though I don’t remember any “shy faced” lies being spoken about. Legal descriptive terms might include commission, omission, and influence.

I think truth is either true or not true. A “half-truth” is half something else.

Paul had in his mind regarding truth that it is part of our power to protect ourselves, stating that it is a “belt” in our armor. So, if lies have various values and weights, but truth is either true or not true, any variation from truth is exposing us to danger, if Paul’s idea about its value in protecting us in warfare is truth.

“Don’t you realize that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is eliminated? But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a man. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies. These are the things that defile a man, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”

(Matthew 15:17-20 HCSB ©®)