Polygraph: Getting Hooked to God

Thou shall NOT lie. Well most of the time.

Taking a polygraph is nerve racking. It’s like getting hooked to God. Every thought and intent of the heart is exposed for someone else to see, evaluate - judge. Last week I had a two hour conversation with one of our polygraph examiners about an applicant who tried to beat the polygraph. There are actually websites that teach people to cheat. They don’t work that well. You can put a tack in your shoe and step on it, think about something that gives you pleasure each time a question is asked, tighten your sphincter muscle on every question or breathe deeply through out the test to stress the heart, jack up the blood pressure and disturb your breathing pattern. It does not work. The truth gets out.

A burglar went in for a polygraph to clear himself as a suspect. Jackson sat in the hardwood, straight backed chair in a room with one window of muted light. He could see the blood pressure cup that made it look like a doctor’s office. Next to it was a camera to record the exam and every move. Wires went from the computer to the alligator clip that was to be hooked to his fingers. Two breathing tubes lay on the seat waiting to be put around his chest and upper stomach. Just incase he tried to breath into his stomach instead of his chest. Subtle but tricky.

Jackson sat in the chair realizing he was doomed to confession. He studied how to defeat the machine prior to going in but was not confident. The examiner went through the questions ahead of time with the suspect and locked him into a story. Then came the pressure in the BP cup, tightening on his arm like a hungry python. What was his blood pressure and respiration rate? One question after another Jackson was discovered to be a liar. The last question this examiner asked was the catch all. “Is there anything I have not asked that you are afraid I will ask in this exam?” The burglar said, “No.” He lied. It was obvious as panic set in.

The questioning became intense. Have you committed a robbery? No. Have you committed a rape? No. Child molest? No. Crime of violence? NO…he lied again. The examiner is now vectoring in on what Jackson is desperately trying to hide. He should have torn off the pressure cup and bolted out of the room. It was too late. Detectives watching via close circuit television immediately jump on the computer to check his history. Did you hit someone with a bat? No. Stab someone with a knife? No. Did you shoot someone? No. He lied again. His pulse was thumping so powerfully in his neck the examiner did not need the blood pressure cup. Did you murder someone? Yes. He broke down and told the truth.

He and a friend called the local drug dealer to buy some methamphetamine. They did not have the money, so they decided to rip him off. The plan was to “order up” an eight ball of meth, when the unsuspecting dealer came to deliver it, Jackson was to hide in the bushes and hit the man with a baseball bat. Knock him out and take the dope. Typical of a tweeker plan it will always go bad. The problem was Jackson overslept. He woke up late and ran to the robbery. When he got there his companion was holding the dealer at gun point. He decided not to wait for Jackson. He could only stall so long. Jackson panicked and ran down the hill, Louisville slugger in hand. He wound up for the home run, let out a blood curdling scream and sung for the fence, a home run like the Yankees in the World Series.

The doper ducked and Jackson missed. The follow through caught the arm of his friend holding the chrome plated .357 magnum. The impact caused trigger pull. the gun to discharge. The round hit the now bent over drug dealer in the head. He fell to the ground. Dead. The two would be robbers ran off. There the truth is out. Not only is Jackson a bad liar, a dumb crook (guilty people should never take a polygraph) and horrible robber, he was soon to be convicted murderer.

So, how honest are you? Do you try to hide stuff from friends and family, God, yourself? Each of us wants God’s blessing but truth too often gets in the way. Not overt lying but the lack of candor. Psalms 66 talks about this topic. David promises to go to the temple with sacrifice, religious ritual to please God. Then he says, “If I had cherished sin in my heart the Lord would not have listened.” God did hear his prayers. Truth. God can handle the truth. He just asks for honest, candor and laying it all on the table, even the stuff in the darkest corners of our heart.