Truth and Honesty on Trial

A Christian Perspective
Just this last week a colleague e-mailed me
an honesty survey that NBC had taken in
1995. This little electronic tool allowed the
individual, to take the test and compare
themselves against the national averages of
December 1995 when 1009 respondents
had answered the questions. The averages
of 3 years ago were appalling. The
categories that follow are rated on answers
to 15 questions. The results were:
1. Most Honest = 16%
with 14 to 15 honest answers.
2. Reasonably Honest = 36%
with 11 to 13 honest answers.
3. Honest when Convenient = 31%
with 8 to 10 honest answers.
4. Dishonest = 11%
with 6 to 7 honest answers.
5. Congenital Cheater = 6%
with 0 to 5 honest answers.
The discouraging fact, about this survey, is
that 48% of us believe that we ought to be
honest only when it is convenient. Nearly
half of us will sacrifice the truth when it suits
us. Yet if honesty isnt one of the most
important qualities we hold dear in our
culture, what is left?
When my son was ten years old I explained
honesty to him in this manner: What if you
could only trust your vision half the time.
You would never sit down without first
touching the chair because it might not be
there. Crossing the street would become a
deadly affair because cars may or may not
be there. Life would become chaos.
In a similar manner, when I lie, I generate
untrue information for other people to
operate on. Obviously, people cease
trusting me when they realize the
information I give out is only true when it
suites me. After I have lied, it takes a long
time to rebuild my reputation, as a trusted
source, once again. Andy, who is thirteen
now, understands these things.
Today, we are facing the near certainty that
our president will be impeached. If he is, it
will be because he perjured himself and
possibly encouraged others to do so.

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Some are saying he is being tried because

he committed adultery. Actually most dont
even want to use that word. In fact, if he is
impeached, it will be because he lied under
oath.
Now congress is forced to struggle with
these issues which represent the core
values of our society. We can not afford to
have these issues trivialized or politicized. If
a person kills another, in cold blood, he
should be found guilty of murder, no matter
how popular that person is. If a person
steals he should be found guilty of theft and
pay the penalty. If an individual cheats, with
respect to the accepted rules, he should be
disciplined and even removed from the
team. When a person lies he should be
removed, from any position of trust, because
he is not trustworthy. When these basic
values are no longer honored we face the
real risk of anarchy becoming the norm.
If President Clinton committed perjury, or
lied in formal proceedings, and or
encouraged others to do so, he
demonstrates that truth is only necessary
when he sees fit. By attacking the
prosecution, instead of mounting a credible
defense, he appears to be using his
enormous popularity as a cover for his
alleged wrongdoing. To the keen observer, it
appears, he has no defense but to confuse
the issues.
If he is guilty, and congress acquiesces to
the polls, they will be telling the people
several things:
Popularity is more important than truth.
The president is above the law.
Truth is not a critical quality in running
the government.
If congress continues running the
government under these conditions, what
will take the place of truth. Which tyranny
will it be? Will it always be popularity? Then
the majority is the tyrant. Will deception be
the tyranny of choice? Then nothing will be
known for sure. If brute power becomes the
tyrant, then fascism will rule. What will
become of our nation if even a pretense at

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truth is no longer honored?

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What happens at the federal government

level is only the tip of the iceberg. Once
people really understand, that in certain
circumstances, government doesnt
seriously care about truth, they will realize
that anything goes.
Congress must realize that in fact Truth and
Honesty are on trial in their halls today.
What they do is integrated into the fabric of
our society. This is just the economics of
daily living. Examples: When abortion was
illegal few people did it because of social
and economic cost. When it was legalized
the social cost was gone and actual prices
went down. What happened? The number
of abortions performed skyrocketed and
death to the unborn became a norm. When
divorce was made cheap and legal, with little
social cost, what happened? We have
millions of families today without fathers or
mothers, and, as a result, all sorts of societal
problems. When AIDS was politicized,
instead of being treated as a serious
medical epidemic (like other STDs were),
tens of thousands of people died. On each
of these occasions politicians acted out of
expedience instead of for the good of the
nation. Each time serious consequences
have been dealt to our nation.
Men and women of congress, I urge you to
act upon principle at this moment in history.
If you dont, we will become a nation without
honor. The decisions of congress today will
most certainly dictate the norms of average
America in a few short years. Today, if only
50% of Americans believe honesty is an
important virtue, in our country, where will
we be if congress caves in?
Today, Honesty and Truth are on trial in
congress. If President Clinton lied, he
should be impeached. The alternative is
chaos!
12-9-98
Mark B. Nemzek
2716 Boone Ave. N
New Hope, Mn. 55427
612-593-1241
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