The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1962-03-09
Why Be Truthful?
Lesson for March II, 1862


Is the Christian religion some
thing so special and different
that a Christian cannot under
stand it at all, or is there some
point of contact, something
which doesn't call for a special
revelation before a man can see
it?
| Probably the Ten Command
ments appeal to more "nonre-
ligious" rsons than some
other parts Of Christianity. One
of them We have for considera-
ton this week. as we have had
other S recently: Thou shalt not
bear false witness. DR.. = turning
it around as we can and must
Thou shalt be truthful. Who can
not understand this? Who wants
a liar for a friend? Who wants
to do business with a man who
can't be trusted? Who wants to
marry a person whose word
means nothing?
Nothing That Is not True
The main difference between
the ordinary understanding Of
truth and the Christian under
standing Of it, is in the very
thorough-going understanding of
what truth means. which high
grade Christians have. We shall
look at only a few points. First.
we believe that truth is not
truth when it is mixed with
falsehood. It's like passing a
glass of mixed water and car
bolic acid to a visitor and tell
ing him. Have glass Of
water" It is water. true
enough: but not all Of it. The
word water" is a true word
for half of what is in the glass.
!! a fatally false word for the rest
of it. Perhaps the most danger
Gus form of untruth is a mixture
of truth and falsehood; for the
part-truth makes people think
the whole thing is truth. They
will take the lie-and-truth much
more easily than lie alone.
Not Everything That Is True
| Second. while it is not ever
right to tell a lie (unlesS, some
would say. there is no other way
to save a life), it is not by any
means always right to tell all
the truth. At a funeral. if some
kind words are being said about
the deceased. it would be the
eight Of mgraciouSness to
dredge up all the sins and fail
ings on his record. If you have
to write a recommendation it is
only right to be perfectly truth
feel in giving your opirion Of the
applicant for the job. To recon-
mend a person however kind
your motive> about whom you
have some serious doubt. is no
real help to any one. On the
other hand if you know Of some
discreditable incident which has
nothing whatever to do with Mr..
KS fitness for this particular
job. it is hardly right to tell it
just because it happens to be
the truth.
Not Just Because It's True
If it's true. then tell it. is a
poor rule. That's what is wrong
with gossip even when the Cos
sip is factually true. Truth can
be told with bad intentions. with
malice and resentment. There
is an eleventh commandment
alongside the famous ten: Thou
shalt love thy neighbor as thy
self. rs it true?" is by all
means one question to ask about
anything you want to say. If it
isn't true. don't by any means
tell it. But if it is true, there
are other tests: Is it kind? Is
| it helpful? Is it the kind of
thing you would want others to
say and spread around about
yourself?
In the Image Of God
The Christian motive for
truthfulness Is unique. Not that
other motives are wrong. It is
good to tell the truth because
people depend on you if you do.
1t is good to tell the truth for
its own sake. It is good to tell
the truth because that way you
never get caught in a network
Of lies it is hard to wriggle out
of. Yes. yes. But the high
Christian reason for being truth
full is that we are sons and
daughters OF the God Of truth.
Two things we should always re.
member. One is that when God
forgives sins, he remembers
them no more" and when we
forgive others, We should do the
same. never dragging out Of the
past what we claim to have for.
given. The other thing is that
we simply cannot deceive God.
We can put on false front for
other people. but never for God
The God Of truth knows the
whole truth about us.
Erased on outlines copyright.
ed by the Division Of Christian
Education. National Council Of
the Churches nf Chvisf - thc