Deception

Those living among Muslims quickly learn that when one asks a question, the response is based on what the person thinks the questioner wants to hear. Why is this?

For many Muslims, honor is more important than truth. Parents teach children that it’s more important to speak and act to preserve honor than to be honest. Simple transparent honesty in speech is unknown. This means that people are always trying to guess what people really mean, since everyone does only the expected thing in public, regardless of what they really think or do in private.

The Quran calls Allah “the best of deceivers” (Quran 3:54). With the Islamic doctrine of taqiyya (dissimulation), found in the Quran (16:106), Muhammad instructs Muslims to deceive their enemies if speaking the truth might hurt themselves. Muhammad also told Muslims to pretend to befriend non-Muslims only when it can help them attain their objectives (Quran 3:28).

Lying almost destroyed me. Just before graduation, I was kicked out of the University of Engineering in Lahore for cheating. While working for a construction crew, I pretended to have an MBA in order to get a promotion. As a manager, I demanded and took bribes and was fired after a big scandal. My wife was so ashamed that she took our children and left.

After that I couldn’t find decent work and ended up living in a slum. When I was destitute, Isa visited me in a dream. He said: “If you speak the truth, I will bless you.” Within a year I was baptized, part of a house church, and learning to be truthful.

The manager of the store where I worked as a clerk began to trust me and gave me increasing responsibilities. Later, I humbly went to my wife, and she came back with the children. The branch store that I manage is thriving. I will be a grandfather next month, and now people trust me!

I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one come to the Father except through me. John 14:6

You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another.Leviticus 19:11

You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, Exodus 23:1-2

An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but the righteous escapes from trouble.

Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit.

Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.

Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy.

Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight. Proverbs 12:13,17,19,20,22

Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.Psalm 51:6

O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent.He who does these things shall never be moved.Psalm 15:1-5

For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.Psalm 33:4-5

Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace.Psalm 37:37

Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.Proverbs 23:23

Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God…. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.Colossians 1:10,13-14

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true).Ephesians 5:6-9

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.Philippians 2:3-4