Do Not Lie
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
– Exodus 20:16
Do not steal.
Do not lie.
Do not deceive one another.
– Leviticus 19:11
It happened again today. Another Facebook friend copied and shared “information” that was completely false.
It sounded good to people who want to believe the worst of President Biden and his administration. But it just wasn’t true. It was designed to make good people angry about the federal response to something horrific that happened to people in the path of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.
Let’s be clear here: FEMA, the military and many, many volunteers have been in these areas from the beginning. Keep in mind that the catastrophes are wide-spread. There is much ground to cover especially in Western North Carolina where so many mountain roads are washed away.
My cousin who lives just outside of Asheville asked for everyone to share her message. She’s a Republican and absolutely not a Biden fan. But she said that FEMA had been on the ground from the beginning, making sure the homeless had somewhere to live, making sure food, medicine and other supplies were delivered to people who were stranded up the mountain near her home. She said night had fallen but she could still hear the whirl of helicopter blades as the work continued.
As for the $750 everyone throws out, that is just the beginning. It’s for basics. There will be more money to come. Do victims need to fill out paperwork? Absolutely! Otherwise anyone could come in, claim to be a victim, and get money intended for true storm victims.
No. Migrants aren’t receiving money intended for storm victims. It’s a separate fund. Money designated for victims of natural disasters can only be used for that purpose.
FEMA cannot come in and take your home. That’s been a big rumor. People in some cases have refused to evacuate because they’re afraid FEMA will steal their home. It’s a lie. Mother Nature may take your home, but FEMA won’t.
I could go on and on about the misinformation – lies – that have been told recently. As Christians, we have a responsibility to check the accuracy of information before we share it as fact.
Lies have become a daily part of the political landscape. It’s wrong. But what’s worse is that we not only allow those lies, we share them. We make excuses for the lies and the people spewing the falsehoods.
Look at your Bible. What does it say? Don’t lie. Don’t bear false witness against another. Are you sharing false information? Are you voting for a candidate that does that too? Shame on you. Lies don’t become truth just because you want your candidate to win.
