Religion and lies

Distortions and truths in the history of christianity

Abstract

The article examines the relationship between truth and falsehood in the history of Christianity, arguing that the official "truth" was often constructed through the violent suppression of dissenting narratives and the dogmatic imposition of power. Lying was instrumentalized as a tool of power, from the condemnation of heresies like Arianism in the early councils, through slander to incriminate opponents, to the distortion of the historical Jesus into an imperial Christ. The tension between the religious power project and the search for Jesus's original message persists, currently exemplified by the conflict between Liberation Theology, which emphasizes social justice, and Dominion Theology, which advocates for a fundamentalist theocratic project. The text concludes that falsehood is a structural tension in Christianity, between Jesus's liberating message and its institutionalization into power structures.