Expert: Todd Tyszka - 3/21/2008

Question
Hello, I am an eighth grade student in Maryland.  I have a huge problem at school.  My freinds stole a unit test and used it to cheat off of.  I had already taken the test so I had no reason to use it.  Our math teacher suspected something so she gave us all a peice of paper and told us to rite down anything we know of anyone cheating.  I wrote all of their names down, and now they're being question by the coordinator.  They suspected it was me, because I hadn't told anyone what I had written down but I lied to them and said I wrote nothing about them.  It took them a while to believe me, but they finally did.  Now they're trying to figure out who told if it wasn't me because only a small group of people know that a test was stolen, and they think its this one girl called Brittany.  They want to beat Brittany up because they think she told on them, and I don't know what to do.  I feel even worse because one of my friends was like I know Jeffrey he would never snitch and I feel so bad because they shouldn't be trusting me because I actually did snitch.  I wish I never wrote anything down because now their gonna get in big trobule and I don't want Brittany to get beat up because she really didn't do anything.  Their my really good freinds and I don't want to loose their trust, or risk getting beat up or never talked to again but I don't want somebody else to be hated for something I did.  The answer may seem obvious, to fess up to them but its way harder then that because their going to get mad at me for snitching then lying to them by not telling them I did.  If I tell them now they'll probably hate me for the rest of the year.  What should I do?

Answer
Jeffrey, thanks for the question and I'm proud of you that you would want a Biblical answer. I hope that you are a Christian and if you aren't, let me know and I can tell you how to be so you can go to heaven. I'm sure you know that cheating and lying is wrong and it leads to problems and consequences like this. You however were put in a difficult position by your math teacher. The Bible clearly teaches that we must always be honest. For example, Proverbs 12:17 says, "A truthful witness gives honest testimony, but a false witness tells lies." This is what you were when you told the teacher the truth. A few verses later in the Bible, Proverbs 12:22 says, "The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful." You later lied to your friends and that displeased God.

I recommend you explain the whole situation to your math teacher and the coordinator, and perhaps they will let it go and not do anything. Otherwise, your friends will find out (either from you or the teacher or the coordinator) and you will need to apologize for lying and Brittany won't get beat up and will appreciate your honesty, even though it's late.

Lastly, I want to encourage you to follow the verse in the Bible which says "Bad company corrupts good character" (1 Corinthians 15:33). As a Christian, you need to take a stand against lying and cheating. This will sometimes cost you friends but those are not the friends you want to have. If you take a stand, you will gain the respect of others and most importantly, you will please God.

Todd Tyszka