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Deception is only one of many hurtful misdeeds, but I don't think it ranks up there with murder, rape, and other physical abuses. Deception is basically lying to someone by your words or actions, and causing them harm. But is it forgivable?

Remember the Biblical story of the prostitute everyone wanted to stone at Jesus' feet? He replied, "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone." Everyone slunk away. . .Whether an individual believes in the Bible or anything Jewish or Christian, the statement carries a powerful moral meaning. We are too quick to hold others to the fire when they've hurt us, and quicker still to

justify and minimize our own infractions with explanations, blame projection, and becoming defensive. Wrong as this may seem, it tends to be the way of human nature. We have to be taught as young children, right and wrong, good and bad, how to share, how to care, how to say we're sorry when we hurt someone. If it was ingrained in us to be good to one another from birth, teaching wouldn't be necessary.

Man has a fallen nature, and thinks most of what he does is right for him. Even if he knows it's wrong, very few will voluntarily tell on himself, even if his conscience is bothering him.

Then we have others that have no conscience.

Usually when someone does something wrong that they meant to do, they only become panicky if they think they are about to be caught. First thoughts are how are they going to protect themselves from discovery. Why? To avoid punishment and possible shame. Sounds pretty selfish doesn't it? Let us not be naive, for this is the world in which we live, and have created for ourselves since the beginning of humanity. Morals, laws and values (that had to be carved in stone and given to Moses) literally had to be thrown at humanity, not once but twice.

Even if a person wants to poke fun at God and religion, nothing changes. From a spiritual or physical aspect, people still needed to be taught morals and values. Laws have been set to keep the population in some sort of order, least everyone who gets angry about something someone has done to them, seeks revenge.

I have just described a sad state for humanity, haven't I? The media with reports of today's crimes will back me up. So what are we to do? The experts are generally saying to be unforgiving eats at the soul, and that we become slaves to our past hurts. We run around having pity parties, believing we've been scarred for life.

Self help professionals advocate forgiveness. A

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