Definition Essay: The Defintion Of Lying

Lying often times is overlooked, many think that lying is bad, however, you can ask God for forgiveness and then everything is forgotten about. While God does forgive our sins that does not mean that lying is right. In Proverbs 19:9 it goes as far as to say, “A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish.” In order to understand this we need to know what is meant by lying, as well as when it is accepted. God commands us to speak truth from our lips, and in most situations lying is dishonoring to God, however there are instances in which it is justified. The defintion of lying according to Dictionary.com is, “A false statement made with deliberate intent to decieve; an intentional untruth; a falsehood.” This definition states that in all situations that you are intentionally deceiving another person and not telling the truth that is considered lying. However, this definition does not include the misleading or deceiving in the situation of a novel or movie, a magician, or a game against an opponent. In these situations the deceiving is not meant to hurt the other person, instead it is for the purpose of entertainment. A more accurate definition of lying would be: Intentionally …show more content…
Saying, “I caught a 3 foot fish” would be much more impressive than saying, “I caught a 3 inch fish.” Again, saying, “I am a world traveler” would be much better than saying, “I have traveled out of the United States five times.” Exaggerating is a form of lying because you are intentionally trying to deceive others by only telling them the half-truth. It doesn’t seem like a problem because you are still telling part of the truth, however it is still deceiving others. Proverbs 12:22 says, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight.” The Lord is delighted by those who speak the truth, and even exaggerating about a story isn’t speaking the full