Vanishing Credibility

“Trust is a social good, like air and water. Once it becomes polluted, the process is hard to reverse.” That is what Sissela Bok, an ethics teacher, said about the effect of casual lying, which she feels has become a part of today’s way of life, both privately and in many professions. Another psychologist estimates that the average American tells a staggering 200 lies a day, and there is no reason to believe that things are much better elsewhere.

“There’s been too much lying,” says Professor Al Gini at a discussion series held at Loyola University in Chicago on the subject of lying. “We’re breaking down the barriers between truth and non-truth,” he adds. Indeed, surveys show that 69 percent of the people believe that the country’s leaders have consistently lied to them. Other statistics quoted by the professor are: “Only 42 percent have confidence in doctors, 17 percent trust lawyers, 13 percent believe what corporations say and seven percent think advertising is truthful.” All of this leads to serious breakdowns in government, corporations and the family.

How obvious it is that mankind in general is under the influence of the one whom Jesus Christ called “the father of the lie”!​—John 8:44; 14:30.