All day long, lies bombard me. “Your call is important to us.” “Our technicians are busy helping other customers. Someone will be with you shortly.” “Lose thirty pounds in two weeks or your money back—guaranteed.” I spend hours on the phone listening to such nonsense, and I read junk mail filled with similar drivel. There is simply no other word to describe it but hogwash. Webster’s New World College Dictionary defines “hogwash” as “nonsense.” Liars dominate American culture, and they make lies appear as truths. Liars are in government, businesses, corporations, and educational institutions. Even private citizens try to convince us to believe their falsehoods. Lies come forth from them as spontaneous expressions of experience and insight. They speak “great things” and thereby attempt to bind us to them.

TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE

In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Polonius eloquently advises Laertes, “This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”1 In Jeremiah 17:9, we read, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt; who can understand it?” I have read these lines many times before, but I did not grasp the totality of the message they convey until the moment was right, and then they came to mind. I am acquainted with several individuals who are selfish, irresponsible, and not true to themselves. Their irresponsible demands are a burden and an irritation. Every time they do not have their way, they pout and create a disturbance that shames and humiliates others. In addition, they have no remorse for their misconduct, falsely accuse others of wrongdoing, and vindictively damage others’ reputations. In addition to deceiving themselves, they deceive others. They choose to accuse their adversaries of lying rather than admit that they are liars. They deny that there is any possibility that they are wrong. They do all this in order to cover up negative character traits and neglect of responsibility. They give a false account of events that have caused conflict, and people believe them. They believe that they are righteous. Needless to say, such individuals try men’s souls.

ANGEL OF LIGHT

I have said a great deal about how to know Jesus, but I have said nothing that will help you identify Satan, the enemy of our souls. I never saw him in a red leotard with horns on his brow, or in bodily form. I have seen his sinister apparition in humans, animals (mad dogs), drug users, alcoholics, religious impostors, adulterers, fornicators, drunks, sexual perverts, murderers, and the like. Satan masquerades as an angel of light, and his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Only Satan would plan the extermination of millions. Hitler and Stalin were pawns in the hands of the devil. In recent times, Saddam Hussein, Idi Amin (the “Butcher of Uganda”), and Slobodan Milosevic were evil and did evil. Many Christians believe that there is a devil, but some conveniently forget it or fail to remember their propensity for evil. Some are rarely truthful to themselves, and from time to time, they lie to others. There are nominal Christians who masquerade as angels of light. Their cruel self-righteous words, thoughts, and deeds cause irreparable harm to their families and to other innocent victims. At times, the devil is their prime mover, and a great deal of the time, it is their propensity to sin.

ANALYZING HOGWASH

When I began working on this chapter, I assumed that there were no written analyses of the topic. Then I discovered a book called On Bullshit,2 written by Harry G. Frankfurt, a professor of philosophy at Princeton University. He confirmed my opinion that falsehoods permeate every aspect of American culture. Professor Frankfurt identified two types of liars: the bullshitter (hereafter refered to as “hogwasher” and the deceiver. According to Professor Frankfurt, the hogwasher lacks concern for truth. He may not intend to deceive, but since he pays no attention to truth, he misrepresents his intentions. The hogwasher is a greater enemy of the truth than the deceiver is. Furthermore, the hogwasher’s focus is not on the facts. He selects them or makes them up to suit his purpose. These individuals speak with presumed authority on subjects about which they have little, if any, knowledge.3 On the other hand, a deceiver starts with a truth and then fabricates subtle and believable lies under the guise of that truth. A liar is devious, two-faced, and untrustworthy.4 Based on the professor’s account, I conclude that President Bush and his administration did not willfully make statements they knew were untrue; therefore, they do not fit the definition of deceivers. They negligently made statements to serve their purposes. The director of the CIA, without reliable evidence, told President Bush that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. The president allegedly relied on the director’s assurances and sent American troops into Iraq. Then Secretary of State Colin Powell told the United Nations that there was reliable evidence that Iraq was supporting al-Qaeda. Congress, the cabinet, several governmental agencies, and many U.S. citizens supported the president’s decision. The president changed his battle cry from “War on terrorism” to “Free Iraq.” I also conclude that President Clinton, in the Lewinsky matter, fits the definition of a deceiver. He wanted the Lewinsky scandal behind him, so he covered it up with a lie that he did not have sex with “that woman.” He wanted Americans to believe something he knew to be false.

HOGWASH: THE AMERICAN WAY

Business

In order to survive in competitive America, individuals and institutions incorporate false rhetoric into their advertisements. Public relations firms are masters of twisting the truth. They prepare brochures, ads, and other marketing material that is loaded with untruths, and then they charge their clients—even nonprofit corporations, churches, universities, professionals, pharmaceutical companies, and manufacturers—substantial fees for their services. Job applicants commonly exaggerate their work experience and skills. For example, they may claim the title of president yet have limited experience in management. Many employment consultants encourage this practice.

Politics

Clever people can cover up a lie by mixing it with an ounce of truth. In political circles, this is “spin.” According to news commentator Chris Matthews, a person admits that she or he has a problem, thereby establishing credibility. She or he uses that enhanced credibility to define the problem in a way that keeps the political damage to a minimum.5 In my opinion, dirty ads and smear tactics are now the standard for political campaigns. Rather than attempt to distinguish them, I feel safe in identifying them as hogwash. Neither party provides positive solutions for problems. Instead, they spend an exorbitant amount of money conducting dishonest hogwash campaigns. Come Inauguration Day, the president-elect has no shame about the brainless promises he made. He is ill qualified for the office that he obtained by questionable means.

Social Life

Most Americans have opinions about everything that pertains to their country’s affairs. Whenever a person’s opportunities to speak about some topic exceed his knowledge of relevant facts, hogwash is the natural result. Most people speak extensively about topics of which they are, at least to some degree, ignorant.

THE LIE DEFINED

Webster’s New World College Dictionary lists the following synonyms for the verb “lie”: falsify, prevaricate, fib, equivocate, fabricate, deceive, mislead, misinform, misrepresent, exaggerate, distort, misstate, misspeak, concoct, forswear, dupe, pervert, slant, twist, overstate, embellish, overdraw, bear false witness, say one thing and mean another, dissimulate, dissemble, perjure oneself, delude, malign, invent, manufacture, make up, trump up, palter, beguile, tell a white lie, stretch the truth, spin a long yarn. Most of us frequently engage in one or more of the acts included in the definition of “lie.” We do not give much thought to spinning a long yarn, telling a white lie, or exaggerating. Sometimes I exaggerate in order to be humorous or to emphasize a point. If we intend to deceive people when we say one thing and mean another, we are liars. When we do not know the subject under discussion and give the impression that our statements have merit, then we are deceitful. In short, we are treading on dangerous ground. Jesus identifies an underlying cause for individuals to reject the truth, to believe a lie, and to teach others to believe a lie. A lie is an impersonation of the truth. It is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Jesus described the devil as a liar and the father of lies: “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).

DECEIT IS A SERIOUS MATTER

Lies caused the fall of Adam, the crucifixion of Jesus, the extermination of millions, the decline of civilizations, and the torment and suffering of individuals from the beginning of recorded history. Maybe this line of reasoning is not obvious, but lies are the underlying cause of the deaths of American sons and daughters in Iraq, the impeachment of President Clinton, the mishandling of emergency relief to New Orleans, and a multitude of serious disagreements between people and the government and one another.

THE FIRST LIE

In the book of Genesis, God told Adam that he would surely die if he ate fruit from the tree of knowledge. Satan told Adam that he would not die if he ate that fruit. Unfortunately, Adam believed the lie. Many of our ancestors have exercised their free will and opted to believe the first lie ever told to humankind: that they can be like God.

THE ULTIMATE LIE

When Satan entered into Judas, he accused Jesus falsely and conspired with the chief priests about how they might put Jesus to death. Death followed a false accusation. Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss. Although Jesus foresaw his betrayal, I imagine that he suffered agony when Judas drew near to betray him. Judas was a murderer and a liar, just like Satan. Most of us can relate to what Jesus suffered. Christians often make false accusations about fellow believers, with no apparent thought for the consequences. Friends or family members may betray us with feigned love. Someone may have swindled you into believing a lie, and you may have passed on that lie to others unwittingly.

EVERYONE LIES SOMETIMES

People lie for a number of reasons. Some lie out of pride or jealousy. In Matthew 27:17–18, we read that the Pharisees handed Jesus over to Pilate out of envy. Others lie because they want to gain an advantage over another person. Those who take credit for something they do not deserve are lying. People who hate tell lies out of revenge. People lie to cover up shortcomings. They make commitments or promises and do not keep them. They blame others and shift responsibility from themselves. Many lie because they are afraid to take responsibility for their words and actions. For instance, Nixon, Clinton, G. W. Bush, and members of Congress told lies rather than admit criminal acts and suffer the consequences. Deceit is rampant and will ultimately cause the fall of American culture. Private citizens do not have a way or the means to prosecute the accused; consequently, they suffer the loss of sons and daughters in a needless and costly war.

COMBATING FALSEHOOD

Hogwash requires a listener. If you refuse to listen, the hogwasher will not be successful in his con game. We should not accept lying and deception as the norm. When honest citizens or religious icons consort with elected representatives and fail to protest against lying and blatant immorality in public office, they become accomplices. Religious institutions become irrelevant when the members do not protest against leaders engaged in unethical and ruthless grasps for power and control. Individuals have the responsibility to protest against the moral corruption of educational institutions that allow students to engage in substance abuse, sexual assaults, cheating on examinations, and unjustifiably demanding higher grades.

OUR RESPONSIBILITY

We must test whether any proposition is true or false; however, degenerates are not reliable enough to perform such a test. Each of us has a false self and a true self, a carnal self and a spiritual self. Continuous internal warfare occurs in our souls between the flesh and the spirit. We cannot always distinguish whose voice we hear. Sometimes we choose to believe a lie; other times, we are blind to the truth. Not only must we be aware of this duality, we must be on guard, so that we may distinguish between the carnal mind and the spiritual mind. Fortunately, with practice, this is not difficult. But you cannot know the truth about spiritual matters until you receive the embodiment of truth: Jesus. In addition, you cannot know God until you experience Jesus. It is the function of the Holy Spirit to bear witness to your spirit about spiritual truth. Our battle with Satan, the father of lies, creates anxiety, frustration, and anger. His lies are the primary cause of the imminent decline of America and the spiritual death of many. Nevertheless, Jesus Christ, the embodiment of truth, is able to free us, if we allow him.