The Liar

God can't stomach liars;

He loves the company of those who keep their word.

Proverbs 12:22

lie (li) vi.  lied, lying.  1.  to make a statement that one knows

is false, especially with intent to deceive; to make such statements

habitually; 2. to give a false impression; deceive one 

Every human being on earth has been lied to at one time or other in their existence, just as we all have been lied about.  What is it about a lie that is so devastating?  Is it the sudden feeling of betrayal?  The loss of trust?  The helplessness we feel when others are told a falsehood about us or someone we love?

The other side of the coin is:  Why do human beings lie in the first place?  -to get out of a sticky situation?  -to throw down a smoke screen to cover up their activities?  -as a convenience to avoid embarrassment?  -as a habit they have no clue how to break?  Psychologists believe that lying is based in fear:  fear of harm, fear of punishment, fear of loss, fear of conflict, or fear of rejection.

There are lots and lots of ways to lie.  Webster's New World Dictionary has a fascinating little paragraph under the heading of "synonym" that says:

lie is the simple, direct word meaning to make a deliberate

false statement.  prevaricate strictly means to quibble or confuse

the issue in order to evade the truth, but it is loosely used as a

formal or affected substitute for lie; equivocate implies the 

deliberate use of ambiguity in order to deceive or mislead; fabricate 

suggests the invention of a false story, excuse, etc., intended to 

deceive and is, hence, sometimes used as a somewhat softer 

equivalent for lie;  fib implies the telling of a falsehood about 

something unimportant and is sometimes a euphemism for lie.

Why does God hate lying?  Perhaps it is because a lie not only hurts the person who utters it, but also all those who are in the pathway of that deceit.  Lying is a form of bondage, wrapping chain after chain around the human heart, sapping one's strength and eating away at one's soul.