Do We Still Care About the Truth?
Being dishonest has a cost.
The image I’ve posted above is used to make a point that goes something like this:
“Just in case anyone needs a reminder of what gas prices were under President Trump, here it is! Look how much better off we were under Trump than Biden! You’ve got photo proof of whose economy was better - don’t let anyone convince you otherwise!”
Now, this article is not going to be an analysis of which President's national economic plan is better. This is a reminder of how important it is to be entirely truthful when we discuss matters with other people - whether those subjects are religious or not.
Not Telling the Whole Truth.
Does anybody remember what happened in 2020?
COVID-19.
For a while, beginning in late March/early April, not many people were doing a lot of driving or traveling. Many workers started working from home, and we didn’t go to many places anymore.
There was a massive, sudden drop in the demand for oil. How did this rapid decrease in the demand for oil affect gas prices?
The following national gas price averages came from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. These gas prices are the national average, so gas may have been more or less expensive depending on where you lived.
January 6, 2020 = $2.49
February 3, 2020 = $2.35
March 2, 2020 = $2.32
April 6, 2020 = $1.80
May 4, 2020 = $1.68
From the beginning of March 2020 to the beginning of April 2020, gas prices dropped $.52 because COVID restrictions eliminated a large chunk of the demand for gas.
The Law of Supply and Demand states, “If the supply of a good or service outstrips the demand for it, prices will fall.” This is precisely what happened to gas prices in 2020 - the oil and gas supply greatly exceeded the demand, and the price of oil and gas plummeted.
Now, why did I go through all that?
Because COVID-19 significantly impacted the gas prices in November 2020. The message behind the picture posted above does not tell the whole truth. It acts like President Trump’s economic policies were the sole reason gas prices were so low - when that’s just not true.
The Cost of Not Telling the Whole Truth.
There is a real cost to not telling the whole truth - or trying to manipulate the truth - to support our viewpoint.
You will eventually be exposed as a dishonest person.
Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out. (Proverbs 10:9)
The person who tells the truth has nothing to be concerned about. But the person who is dishonest and walks a “crooked” path will eventually be found out and exposed for what they truly are.
You become a person no one can trust.
A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies. (Proverbs 14:5)
A faithful - or trustworthy - witness doesn’t lie but speaks what is true. A false witness is someone who keeps breathing out lies. They are witnesses that can’t be trusted because they aren’t truthful.
You demonstrate you don’t really care about the truth.
Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit. (Proverbs 12:17)
The one who is concerned about the evidence or the facts is the one who speaks what is true - whether the evidence supports his case or not. The truth is what matters.
But the false witness deceives. Their “evidence” is not honest - it’s manipulative and deceptive. The evidence - the truth - isn’t really what they care about.
I understand that many of us would like the economic situation in our country to improve. Many of us are also dissatisfied with the direction of our nation’s leadership and would like to see a change.
But the truth cannot be sacrificed, ignored, or manipulated to bring about the desired change.
If we are dishonest, such as claiming that the low gas prices in 2020 were the sole product of President Trump’s superior economic plan, then we lose credibility among the people we interact with daily.
As Christians, we are responsible for taking the gospel of Christ to the people of this world (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16).
If we are people who can’t be trusted in the little things - like the message behind the image I shared - then why would the people of this world trust us in the big things, like the good news of Jesus Christ?
We must care about the truth in all things - not just in religious matters but in every aspect of life.
Maybe part of the reason Christians in the United States have difficulty reaching the lost in this country is because we’ve become people who can’t be trusted to tell the truth.
Well, the Bible does say that a day would come when a loaf of bread would cost an arm and a leg (my paraphrase). Great article, Jameson.
This is a great reminder. There is tremendous fallacy in pointing to November 2020 gas prices in this manner.
That said, if one wanted to get closer to the truth and still make a point that the previous economy was better, one would need only to look at those prices pre-Covid — about $2.40/gallon (approximately) from January to March before the Covid restrictions started tanking (pun intended) gas prices.
Compare that with yesterday’s national average of $3.84/gallon, and I think it is still valid to say that the previous administration’s economy was far superior.
A difference of $1.44/gallon is still significant.
I would point to this administration’s tight restrictions on our nation’s oil and gas industry as the reason why.