Tuesday, October 05, 2004

why lying is not as sinful as doing drugs.

I just had my first interview at a local Christian high school to be hired as one of their substitute teachers and while everything went well, I wanted to share something the dean of students shared with me. After asking about my background and past, she proceeded to talk about how Christian kids are just as normal as regular kids and that it's not like teaching here is somehow easier than teaching in a public school setting. I agreed, and said I wasn't applying here b/c I thought the kids would be "easier to handle," and said that was good. She then began to talk about her students and how most of them don't get into big problems like drugs or "stuff like that," (which I highly doubt--I wanted to say, "but you just said.." but didn't) and I smiled as if I was glad that none of those types of kids attended here. She told though that while her own past was "Christian-based," in that she was raised in the Church and all that, her testimony still mattered even though she never went through these "extreme bad times" like "doing drugs," or getting all "wild and crazy in my youth." I nodded in agreement even though I couldn't help but feel like she was sending me mixed messages. Then she started talking about teaching and things to do if the teacher leaves no lesson plan. She began to say, "One thing I like to do is tell the kids their teacher is offering anyone extra credit (Of course, I'm lying...they didn't really say that---I'm just telling them that to get them involved in the classroom) and create some educational game for them to play. They usually get really into it if they think they're going to get extra credit for it."

Now, I'm not joking. The Dean of STudents here actually told me that, speaking of lying as if it was this excusable action only reserved for Christian people in certain Christian education settings. I'm not sure if that's the best way to begin teaching or not, but I know one thing: if you asked this woman the question, "which is worse in God's eyes, 'lying or doing drugs' she'd be the first to say, "They're the same in God's eyes!!!" Yet, I can't help but not believe that for one minute. She thinks deep down that doing drugs is much worse and that, really is unfortunate. Perhaps this job will give me a chance to lie my head off?

Only at a Christian school I tell you. Only at a Christian school. Good day friend.

9 comments:

Wesley English said...

Sadly, this is so typical of Christian instituions. I've been lucky so far with Christianity Today. I am extremely impressed!

Speaking of sins being equal, I don't beleive all sins are equal. Jesus definitly had more stern words for some sins and less harsh for others. I think they'll all the same in the sense that they seperate us from God, but consequences differ and some sins can bring us further away in our relationship with God. And some have profound impact on others. Ok, now I'm blabbing!

Chalupa said...

man....gotta watch out for christian schools. that's where i started using naughty words and one certain hand gesture.

just made tons of enchiladas. too bad you aren't here to eat some.

Neville said...

wes, i agree with you that consequences to different sins are much different--however, as far as the way jesus responded to many...i think for the most part he was more forgiving of people who were prostitutes than he was for guys who used words to twist and squeeze truth out of the picture (i.e., 'pharisees and sadducees' mainly) but whatever. it's still seems just a tad bit hypocritical. and chalupa, i wish i was there to eat them, although the diet i'm currently on might prevent that from happening. count them calories.

Chalupa said...

Dude - did I ever tell you about the time in High School when I found a wad of money in the hallway after practice and went to the office to turn it in and the principal got mad that I bothered her and told me to keep it and not tell anybody? I insisted on turning it in and she got really pissy cause she didn't want to deal with me at the time.

Wesley English said...

Ah, yes, when it comes to forgiveness it's all the same. However, unrepentant sin is another issue. Jesus had the hardest words against the sin of leading children into sin. "And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck." (Mark 9:42) Those are some pretty harsh words. Harsher than telling a falsehood, for instance. He hates both, but one he uses very vivid, harsh language. Still, he forgives both just the same. The difference between the pharisee's "smaller" sins and the prostitute's sins was that the the prosititute asked for forgiveness. The pharisees didn't.

I don't know, just my thoughts! I miss discussions of this nature.

Neville said...

Wesley...last comment i promise. You mentioned the verse about leading children into sin...how so very appropriate! On top of falsehood, couldn't this dean of students be guilty of that too? These are children of the Christian school system...but I think God was still talking about them. Couldn't lying to them and deceiving them deliberatly on what constitutes truth be the same as "causing them sin?" (or if not the same, very similiar?). Just a thought on your wonderful thought.

Wesley English said...

Sounds right to me. Her influence is dangerous and she's setting a bad example. Not to mention causing them to take part of the deception.

Neville said...

Okay I lied. My last comment wasn't the last comment. Just wanted to say that I'm just as sinful as this dean of students i'm sure and hopefully this post wasn't taken as a, "oh my gosh, how could this woman sin!?' rebuttle. I sin too a lot so who am I to judge? I just felt like I was talking down about her more than I should've and realized that yes, even her (just as even me) deserve grace. Thank God I'm not the one dispensing grace to the world.

Wesley English said...

Amen. I think I would find it rather hard to dispense grace to some people God dispenses grace to...