Lies have always been powerful tools, shaping societies and worldviews, often with devastating consequences. In our modern world, where misinformation spreads faster than ever before, the influence of lies—whether grand or subtle—continues to wreak havoc on truth and reality. From historical examples to contemporary issues, we are living in a society of lies, crafted and upheld by mythomaniacs—those who compulsively lie and create false narratives for their own benefit or agenda. Charles Spurgeon said it well. “He that perverts truth shall soon be incapable of knowing the truth from the false. If you persist in wearing glasses that distort everything will be distorted to you.”
The Bigger the Better
One of the most infamous proponents of lying as a political weapon was Adolf Hitler, who in his 1925 manifesto Mein Kampf outlined the concept of the “big lie”—a falsehood so enormous that people would believe it simply because they couldn’t imagine anyone having the audacity to distort the truth so completely. Hitler’s chief propagandist, Joseph Goebbels, famously echoed this strategy: “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” According to Goebbels, the state could maintain this lie as long as it shielded its people from the political, economic, and military consequences of the deception. In this way, truth became the state’s greatest enemy. This strategy of relentless deceit didn’t just die with the fall of the Third Reich. Today, we see echoes of this technique across various aspects of modern society, from the scientific sphere to personal identity politics.
The Myth of Human Origins
Since Charles Darwin’s publication of On the Origin of Species in 1859, many aspects of the theory of evolution have remained unproven, despite over 100 years of scientific exploration. Yet, the tenets of evolution persist because the alternative—acknowledging a divine creator—seems unthinkable to many. Acknowledging a creator would suggest the existence of God, something that would undermine the very foundation of secular modernism. Thus, the narrative of human origin through natural selection has become a myth that many are unwilling to challenge, despite the lack of concrete evidence. It is a myth that perpetuates because questioning it would lead to uncomfortable questions about the purpose and origin of life itself. Further, if man is a mere animal, the lies will have no morality. But if there is a God, then there is a standard of right and wrong and those who use lies to there end are corrupt and immoral.
Abortion: Myths That Destroy Lives
Abortion is another area where myth and reality collide with tragic consequences. The narrative often used to justify abortion—that a fetus is merely “tissue” and not a human life—has allowed millions of lives to be terminated without moral reflection. The idea that “it’s my body, my choice” ignores the biological reality that no pregnant woman has two hearts, two sets of lungs, or two brains. Yet, acknowledging the fetus as a baby and
recognizing abortion as murder would be too shocking for many to accept. Instead, society clings to euphemisms like “reproductive rights” to obscure the reality of the situation. In truth, no one is taking away a woman’s right to have children; the issue lies in the moral weight of ending an innocent life.
The Transgender Debate: Living in Illusion
Transgender ideology represents yet another form of societal myth-making. The idea that a person can change their biological sex through identity alone has become widely accepted, even though it flies in the face of biological science. Gender, which is determined by chromosomes—XX for females and XY for males—cannot be changed. Yet, those who push this narrative assert that gender is fluid and subjective. Figures like Bruce Jenner (now Caitlyn Jenner), who claimed to be “a female trapped in a male’s body,” are celebrated for their courage in “being their true selves.” However, this celebration of illusion over reality distorts the truth and leaves many trapped in confusion, believing in a reality that biology does not support. Transgenderism is not just an issue of illusions, it is primarily a rebellion against the order of God. The shaking of the fist to heaven to say, “I will not submit to your design. I will choose my own design and not submit control to God.”
Friedrich Nietzsche famously said that “truths are illusions that we have forgotten are illusions.” In a society that rejects absolutes, the line between illusion and reality blurs, and what begins as a harmless illusion can devolve into dangerous delusion. An illusion can remain abstract, but a delusion defines someone’s entire perception of reality.
Take, for example, vanity sizing in fashion. Women’s clothing sizes have become distorted, with what was once a size 8 now labeled as a 2 or even a 0. This artificial inflation of self-esteem through clothing sizes allows people to feel thinner, perpetuating a false sense of reality. Meanwhile, men’s clothing sizes remain based on actual measurements—32 inches is 32 inches. This disconnect between perceived reality and actual reality exemplifies how society lies to itself in subtle, seemingly harmless ways.
Participation Trophies: Another Lie
The myth that “everyone is a winner” is perpetuated through participation trophies and a reluctance to let children experience failure. In an attempt to protect self-esteem, society tells children that they are always succeeding, even when they are not. This leaves them unprepared for the realities of adult life, where failure is a natural part of growth. When their illusions of success are shattered in the workplace, many are left disillusioned and unable to cope.
Islam: The Religion of Peace?
Another pervasive myth is that Islam is a “religion of peace.” While there are peaceful adherents to Islam, Muhammad himself taught that “war is deceit,” and many aspects of Islamic law permit, even encourage, deception to advance the faith. In Islamic teaching, there are four laws of deception, and one of the 99 names of Allah is “Al-Makr,” which translates to “The Great Deceiver.” The Bible, in contrast, attributes deceit to Satan, revealing a stark difference in how truth and deception are treated within different belief systems.
Abortion: That Body is not Human
When we boil it down, the same person today who tells us that the baby inside the mother is not really human, are the same people who spouted the same arguments like: The Black slave is not really human, or the Jew is not really a human. If they are not human, there is no moral crime to kill them, just like killing an animal is not a moral crime. Killing the unwanted then is justified. We certainly don’t want mothers to struggle with the guilt of murdering their babies. The Lie is not only immoral, it is a danger to the unfortunate persons who are classified with the lie that they are not human.
Isn’t it odd, that the same people have the ability to see the crime and wickedness of lynching black slaves and the gassing and disposing of the Jews in the Nazi ovens, but willingly choose not to see their immorality of supporting abortion.
Returning to Truth
At the heart of many of these societal lies is a fundamental rejection of biblical truth. The Bible warns against bearing false witness—lying is condemned in the Ninth Commandment, and Scripture consistently calls for the pursuit of truth. Romans 3:13 warns that “their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues, they have used deceit.” Yet society willingly embraces lies, often because the truth is too inconvenient to accept. Ultimately, these lies—whether about human origins, abortion, identity, or morality—can only lead to further confusion and moral decay. The antidote to this society of lies is found in the truth of God. Only by turning back to the ultimate source of truth can we escape the delusions that now dominate so many aspects of modern life. As Jesus said, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).