{"id":2932,"date":"2012-07-30T05:47:41","date_gmt":"2012-07-30T09:47:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/?p=2932"},"modified":"2012-08-04T21:13:12","modified_gmt":"2012-08-05T01:13:12","slug":"a-search-for-honesty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/07\/a-search-for-honesty.html","title":{"rendered":"A search for honesty"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Working with people with special needs, I\u2019ve discovered that your IQ doesn\u2019t determine your honesty quotient. \u00a0Yes, they are the most wonderful people I\u2019ve ever had the privilege with which to work. \u00a0However, cheating is as systematic in a special needs population as people with normal IQ\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Dan Ariely, a psychology and behavioral economics professor at Duke University, has studied the subject of cheating for years. \u00a0He has found that nearly everyone cheats a small amount almost every day. \u00a0Yet, he believes there is good news. \u00a0His research finds that simply reciting the 10 commandments drastically cuts and may actually eliminate cheating. \u00a0Even people who claim to be atheists will not cheat after the 10-commandment reminder.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Each of us who follow Christ find that the pull of our Adamic nature is stronger than we would have ever imagined. \u00a0Paul graphically speaks of this great battle in Romans 7:21-23. \u00a0He wrote, \u201cSo I have learned this rule: When I want to do good, evil is there with me.\u00a0\u00a0In my mind, I am happy with God\u2019s law. \u00a0But I see another law working in my body, which makes war against the law that my mind accepts. That other law working in my body is the law of sin, and it makes me its prisoner\u201d (NCV)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Last year, I was audited by the IRS. \u00a0The audit was triggered by the gas stove I purchased that I thought would qualify under the IRS rules but did not. \u00a0For years I\u2019ve done my own taxes. \u00a0Because my husband had just died, I knew that I needed help to go through this experience. \u00a0I hired a CPA to handle the audit. \u00a0To my great embarrassment, he found multiple \u201cmistakes.\u201d \u00a0As a result, I\u2019ll probably never do my own taxes again.<\/p>\n

For years, we struggled at Special Gathering which is chapel ministry within the mentally challenged community with a young man who stole pencils. \u00a0We use borrowed facilities and there were often pencils are in containers on desks. \u00a0Now this was a man who came from an extremely wealthy family. \u00a0He had no need for the pencils he skillfully slipped into his book bag.<\/p>\n

Each of us must accept that we are susceptible to the \u201ccheating effect.\u201d \u00a0Therefore, we should take steps to combat that great struggle. \u00a0I\u2019m delighted that Paul doesn\u2019t end his debate in Romans 7 but Romans 8:1-2 follows. \u00a0Again, Paul writes, \u201cSo now, those who are in Christ Jesus are not judged guilty.\u00a0\u00a0Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit that brings life made you\u00a0free from the law that brings sin and death.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Working with people with special needs, I\u2019ve discovered that your IQ doesn\u2019t determine your honesty quotient. \u00a0Yes, they are the most wonderful people I\u2019ve ever had the privilege with which to work. \u00a0However, cheating is as systematic in a special needs population as people with normal IQ\u2019s. Dan Ariely, a psychology and behavioral economics professor…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":387,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,5,20,3,40,186,49,16,8,4],"tags":[690,449,21,688,696,7,699,715,701,694,689,6,700],"class_list":["post-2932","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-autism-spectrum","category-christianity","category-church","category-developmental-disabilities","category-faith","category-hope","category-inspiration","category-intellectual-disability","category-mentally-challenged-community","category-simple-truths","tag-autism-spectrum","tag-cheating","tag-christian","tag-christianity","tag-church","tag-developmental-disabilities-2","tag-faith","tag-hope","tag-inspiration","tag-intellectual-disability","tag-mentally-challenged-community","tag-simple-scriptural-truths","tag-spirituality"],"yoast_head":"\nA search for honesty - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/07\/a-search-for-honesty.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A search for honesty - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Working with people with special needs, I\u2019ve discovered that your IQ doesn\u2019t determine your honesty quotient. \u00a0Yes, they are the most wonderful people I\u2019ve ever had the privilege with which to work. \u00a0However, cheating is as systematic in a special needs population as people with normal IQ\u2019s. Dan Ariely, a psychology and behavioral economics professor…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/07\/a-search-for-honesty.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2012-07-30T09:47:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2012-08-05T01:13:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/specialgathering.files.wordpress.com\/2012\/08\/special-needs.jpg?w=116&h=155\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Linda G. Howard\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A search for honesty - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/07\/a-search-for-honesty.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A search for honesty - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith","og_description":"Working with people with special needs, I\u2019ve discovered that your IQ doesn\u2019t determine your honesty quotient. \u00a0Yes, they are the most wonderful people I\u2019ve ever had the privilege with which to work. \u00a0However, cheating is as systematic in a special needs population as people with normal IQ\u2019s. 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Howard","description":"Linda G. Howard is the best-selling and award-winning author of four books, including MOTHERS ARE PEOPLE, TOO and THE SECRET LIFE OF A HOUSEWIFE. Currently, she serves as area director of The Special Gathering, a ministry within the mentally challenged community. Additionally, she is the co-publisher and editor of CONNECTING POINT, the ministry newsletter. Her husband is a retired aerospace technologist who worked for NASA. 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