Liar, Liar Pants on Fire

Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices.
Colossians 3:9

Remember the good ol' days when people lied. I mean that there was a time when a lie was called a lie and it was considered a bad thing, even a sinful thing for which the liar was expected to express regret or even sorrow. Maybe they would repent and take responsibility. When I was a kid we used to shame others or be shamed with "liar, liar, pants on fire!" It was mean, but sometimes accurate.

No one lies anymore, or at least not that they want to admit. The top television anchor in the United States, Brian Williams, lied recently. He told what has been dubbed the "chopper whopper," saying that in 2003 while in Iraq doing coverage of the war he had been in a helicopter hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. He has described the experience in some detail in different settings, except that it wasn't true. Another helicopter in the convoy was hit, but Williams wasn't in immediate danger. For some reason he publicly embellished the experience and military personnel who were there called him on it.

Now Williams has been suspended for six months from a job that pays him $10 million a year. Some are saying though that his credibility is severely compromised and his career may be in jeopardy. Williams has apologized for "conflating the two aircraft" and misrepresenting his situation.

I think of a Canadian MP, Brad Butt, who a year ago in parliament claimed that he had seen people stealing voter cards in apartment buildings. Later he retracted that contention, saying that he "misspoke." No, Mr. Butt lied, although he is still a member of parliament and was not suspended or punished in any way. Perhaps the ethical bar is lower because we expect politicians to lie.

Who knows, maybe lying will make a comeback someday. I won't hold my breath.

Comments?