Political lies

I am liking my American Government class by Prof. Jack Goodyear. I think his is one of the beneficial classes in DBU...and there are not many I have come across in this place called United States...

Anyways, one reason why I am enjoying this class is the quality of discussion on the online discussion board. Here's this week's question which I totally enjoyed answering. Have fun!

Question: Political philosophers such as Plato and Edmund Burke believe that political leaders are often forced to lie to protect the public. Do you agree with this? Does a Christian politician have a right to lie if revealing the truth might cause harm? Why or why not?

> If a politician has come to a place where he has to lie to protect the public, then I say that he has been lying all the while to protect himself. I think it is important to lead well, and lead with honesty and integrity. If I, as a politician, am truthful, honest and integrous from the beginning, then I should have no problem being honest with the public about the latest tragedy or impending disaster. Of course, this is a matter of tact and how the issue is presented.

I have to agree with some of the posts already about how there is a difference between outright lying and revealing only certain portions of the truth so as not to arouse unrest from the public. In the end, the whole truth must be presented, and the public will be thankful that they were not misled. Nevertheless, in order to come to this relationship between the politician and the public, there must already be a bond of trust and sincerity between them. In this, the timing in the revealing of details is definitely crucial. A good politician/leader is one who understands any given situation, accurately gauges the right timing, and with tact and wisdom, presents it in a way that unifies the public to respond favourably. This is what I call leadership.

As for Christian politicians, the answer is all the more clear: “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.” In other words, no lying. No disputes necessary. Period.

In the style of King Solomon’s proverbs and wise sayings, I’d like to say it this way: Better is impending harm from telling the truth than artificial peace from a telling a lie.