Why Christians lie

[bobhikes]

I think Christians lie because they are taught to do so by their pastors and religious leaders. The only thing that matters, it seems, are the beliefs held by a particular tradition.

These beliefs are engrained in the Christian, made infalliable by circular reasoning, and then solidified by the warning from the pastor that one's faith absolutely depends on the veracity of these claims.

Unfortunately for the dishonest Chrisitan, nothing is infalliable, and in fact honest reasoning requires the subject to be falliable so one can change one's mind if one is wrong. So, to defend these precious doctrines to oneself and others, the Christian must lie. And we see Christians lie about Greek and Hebrew to support various doctrines; lie about science to support creationism; lie about the faith of others fir simple disagreement; lie about the nature of other religions --- it is truly limitless.

When did it become OK for Christians to practice such open hatred for the truth, and hypocritically claim to be the bearers of it?

It is abundantly obvious that it doesn't have to be this way. Honesty will strengthen faith. If one's only desire is for the truth of the matter, especially if it challenges one's faith, so much the better for intellect and faith.

Really we are not calling all christians liars it certainly reads that way.

I would say that most christians I know would not even call others liars let alone there own kind.

I believe it is christian to judge not lest ye be judged. I am done with this thread there is no point to it.

 

[Alceste]

I think Christians lie because they are taught to do so by their pastors and religious leaders. The only thing that matters, it seems, are the beliefs held by a particular tradition.

These beliefs are engrained in the Christian, made infalliable by circular reasoning, and then solidified by the warning from the pastor that one's faith absolutely depends on the veracity of these claims.

Unfortunately for the dishonest Chrisitan, nothing is infalliable, and in fact honest reasoning requires the subject to be falliable so one can change one's mind if one is wrong. So, to defend these precious doctrines to oneself and others, the Christian must lie. And we see Christians lie about Greek and Hebrew to support various doctrines; lie about science to support creationism; lie about the faith of others fir simple disagreement; lie about the nature of other religions --- it is truly limitless.

When did it become OK for Christians to practice such open hatred for the truth, and hypocritically claim to be the bearers of it?

It is abundantly obvious that it doesn't have to be this way. Honesty will strengthen faith. If one's only desire is for the truth of the matter, especially if it challenges one's faith, so much the better for intellect and faith.

I blame the PR effort in the US that has combined social conservatism, free market libertarianism, right wing politics and religious belief.

Schlafly and the Moral Majority and all that bollox.

The blatant misinformation Christians have been recruited into propagating on the topics of birth control, the environment, the sciences, academia in general, history, and whatever else they're into these days is designed by and for the Republican party. Pervasive, willful popular ignorance is the only way they can maintain their power to use the government exclusively to serve to America's richest 0.01% at the expense of everybody else.

People get to vote, after all.

 

[Alceste]

It's like having a pair of blinders on and telling yourself everyone should be seeing the same thing. I don't think they mean to lie, at least not consciously.

I don't think so either. I think they have been taught that lies are the truth and the truth is a pack of lies. Their ability to reason and question authority has been undermined by a requirement to either maintain a ludicrous amount of faith in every little spit-flecked nugget of BS that comes out the mouths of believers of note (who are almost always aligned with the Republican Party) or be ostracized from their community, and from God.

 

[Looncall]

The thread is that christians lie. I am saying they are using faith not lying and that faith is valid.

Case in point. I believe in evolution but see that it has flaw's. These flaws give credence to creationism. A scientist or priest that quotes creationism is not a liar.

He is if he makes statements that are contrary to reality.

For example, it is patently clear that there never was a world-wide flood. One of those would have left traces, and those are not found. Yet, religious types continually state that there was such a flood. They are liars.

(By the way, what's with the grocer's apostrophe?)

 

[Thesavorofpan]

I definately agree that laziness is part of it.

But being serious now and I think just might be adding more justifacation to your statement. They want their 'doctrine' to be true so they alter the facts too make it look like how they want Jesus to be like. And so they make half truths or completely false statements. But the do this over and over not just to convince other people, but themselves too.

 

[Penumbra]

I think Christians lie because they are taught to do so by their pastors and religious leaders. The only thing that matters, it seems, are the beliefs held by a particular tradition.

These beliefs are engrained in the Christian, made infalliable by circular reasoning, and then solidified by the warning from the pastor that one's faith absolutely depends on the veracity of these claims.

Unfortunately for the dishonest Chrisitan, nothing is infalliable, and in fact honest reasoning requires the subject to be falliable so one can change one's mind if one is wrong. So, to defend these precious doctrines to oneself and others, the Christian must lie. And we see Christians lie about Greek and Hebrew to support various doctrines; lie about science to support creationism; lie about the faith of others fir simple disagreement; lie about the nature of other religions --- it is truly limitless.

When did it become OK for Christians to practice such open hatred for the truth, and hypocritically claim to be the bearers of it?

I think that some of them are lying, but that others are unaware of how incorrect they are.

Good post though.

It is abundantly obvious that it doesn't have to be this way. Honesty will strengthen faith. If one's only desire is for the truth of the matter, especially if it challenges one's faith, so much the better for intellect and faith.

That's what my priest told me years ago when I was questioning religion, and then shortly afterward I left religion for atheism.

I definitely don't think honesty will strengthen faith. With intellect, faith in the religious sense is no longer necessary.