The Sin of Pretending
In 2008, a man was killed in a car crash in New Zealand. The autopsy revealed he’d been driving without wearing a seatbelt, having installed a fake belt which went over one shoulder so that it appeared to any passing motorist or police car that he was actually wearing a real one. He was pretending to comply with the law, but according to the coroner his subterfuge cost him his life.
sin’s sting
In June 1972, five men were caught in the burglary of a political party’s headquarters. Investigations revealed that the break-in was part of a high-level campaign of political espionage and sabotage.
a private problem
Pastor. Husband. Father. Sex addict.
seller beware
Every buyer is also a seller. If I buy apples from you, then you’re selling your apples and “buying” my money, while I am “selling” my money to buy your apples. For every time you make a purchase, you must give up something to make the transaction. If you have nothing to sell, there’s nothing you can buy.
stop fooling yourself
According to a newspaper report, the police ticketed a New Zealander man 32 times over a 5-year period. Why? For not wearing a seatbelt.
Though his violations were costing him money, he refused to buckle up. So he resorted to deception—fashioning a strap that would hang over his shoulder and make it appear he was wearing a seatbelt. He got away…
tweaked
One Web-based company creates and sells personalized lies. For a few hundred dollars, this company helps job-seekers create phony references for résumés, and then provides telephone operators to verify the bogus information. While most of us would never dream of lying so brazenly, statistics show that approximately 30 percent of job-seekers exaggerate or embellish aspects of their résumés. This makes…
the truth
The innocence of our 8-year-old son recently took a serious hit. He has begun to pay more attention to television commercials. As he’s viewed the ads, he has slowly begun to realize that not everything they claim is true. Toys are never as exhilarating as the commercials portray. Tennis shoes never provide the excitement and cool-factor the advertising suggests. Recently,…
pseudo praise
When Hitler sought to placate Austrian minister Kurt von Schuschnigg by complimenting and praising him publicly, a disgusted Winston Churchill muttered, “When a snake wants to eat his victims, he first covers them in saliva.”
The Bible calls Hitler’s use of insincere praise flattery—words said and actions done to gain favor with others and advantage over them. Though some write…
