Editorial: It's time to talk about honesty

The headlines these days paint a rather dismal scene of our understanding of honesty. Lying, cheating, and stealing in high places (and all the rest of the places) are taking a high toll on our lives. We are locking doors as we’ve never locked them before. New security measures are costing billions.George Barna in his book “Real Teens” claims that 66 percent of teens agree that “to get by these days, sometimes you have to bend the rules for your own benefit.” Fifty-nine percent agree that “the way things are these days, lying is sometimes necessary.”

There will be any number of explanations of “how we got here,” but for starters, if you examine closely, you won’t find many places where basic principles of honesty are taught. It’s understandable to be concerned about “establishment” issues in public schools; but if it’s not permissible to have “Thou shalt not steal” on the wall, where is the moral code or compass to take its place?

If I’m the typical young person in the U.S. where do I find out that it’s harmful to me and everyone else when I tell a lie, cheat on my examination, or steal someone else’s Nikes?

It’s a question for which we’d better find an answer and rather quickly. In the church we’ve shied away from “moralizing,” assuming that everyone can figure out moral issues on their own without any “commandments” as such. The cost of that is becoming oppressive.

In whatever ways we can find, by sermon and example, we will need to teach honesty: What does the Bible say about honesty? How can we practice a lifestyle of truth and integrity? What are the dire consequences of being dishonest?