Honesty Chapter 9

Fifth Cardinal Virtue The fifth cardinal virtue is honesty. Honesty is the ability to seek and uphold the truth. Honesty is the foundation of any lasting relationship. Honest people not only avoid lies, they are truthful. Honesty takes years to cultivate. (John 8:32) ◦ (examine the honesty of your relationships) ◦ (Why be honest?)

Personal Honesty Honesty begins with personal honesty. ◦ What is the process of being honest with yourself? ◦ Does turning to another person help your honesty? ◦ everyone engages with self-deception in some areas. (When was the last time you rationalized something to fool yourself?)

Advantages vs. Disadvantages Deception and honesty both have advantages and disadvantages. Honesty helps both long-term and short-term. Obscuring the real meaning of something is a form of deception. Class Discussion: 1. What are the advantages and Disadvantages of being honest 2. How does cheating in school relate to honesty? 3. Does being honest sometimes have a high price?

white lie A “white lie” is an untruth that doesn’t seem to hurt anyone and that makes things run more smoothly. The problem with a “white lie” is that it ultimately destroys trust. A “white lie” means that you don’t get the truth from someone you trust. A pattern of “white lies” is a problem one wants to avoid. (Lies beget lies) It is not good to become a person who lies a lot.

It is usually best to speak the truth, although every situation doesn’t require the whole truth. In other words, things can be left unsaid. (How would you communicate a divorce to the children in the family?)

Also, remember that some people have no right to information. ◦ (Frenchmen who hid the location of Jews withheld that knowledge from Nazi officials because the Nazi’s had no right to that knowledge) This doesn’t mean actual lying but giving evasive answers. In the end, telling the truth has to be mingled with kindness. Psalm 85:11 says “kindness and truth shall meet”. What does that mean?