According the Associated Press out of London, England, fantastic fibbers gathered at a remote pub in northwestern England on a recent Thursday in November to compete for the title of world’s biggest liar.

The contest was held at the Bridge Inn in the town of Santon Bridge. Contestants had five minutes to impress the judges with a whopping but convincing lie.

Politicians and lawyers are barred from participating as they are considered to have an unfair advantage. The competition was founded in honor of 19th-century Bridge Inn landlord Will Tirson, who was renowned for his tall tales.

The event is sponsored by a local brewery which brewed its special World’s Biggest Liar ale to mark the event.

Glen Boylan, a local man, won last year’s contest. Apparently there has been some controversy over outsiders competing in the contest although it is hard to keep outsiders from competing if they are going to call it the World’s Biggest Liar contest.

Speaking of lying, what if someone were to tell you, “You can never trust anything I say,” could you trust what they just said?

This contest reminds me of the annual philosophy contest that is held up in the small town of New York Mills, MN. I guess some small towns will do anything to get famous. I love the fact that politicians and lawyers are excluded because they have a clear advantage over all other competitors.

When we study the sin of lying in Confirmation classes I tell the students that lying is the sin that often happens after another sin has been committed. We do something that is wrong and then we lie to try to cover it up. I also give them examples of telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

In John 8:44 Jesus calls the devil the father of lies. He has nothing to do with the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies he speaks out of his own character. Indeed, through one of the devil’s lies to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden sin and death were brought into the world.

John writes in the first chapter of his first epistle, “If we say we have no sin we decieve ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Thanks be to God!