Every first day of April, the internet becomes more unreliable than usual as people post falsehoods in the name of humor. Sites that normally traffic in the truth choose to pull a fast one on their readers. At the end of the prank, the reader is supposed to realize that they’ve been duped, and a good laugh is to be had by all.

While satire has its place, satire is best presented as satire up front. In contrast, most April Fools pranks hide their nature until the last possible second, if then. Many times the only indication that a piece of writing is possibly false is the date next to the byline.

This practice is, simply put, a sin against the eighth commandment. To deploy an April Fool’s prank is to bear false witness. Period. The fact that the end (humor) is good does not justify telling a lie. From the moment that the victim of the prank begins to read, until he finally realizes that it’s likely an April Fool’s joke, he is being lied to.

Jesus calls Himself the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Do you wish to sin against the Truth just so some might get a few chuckles?

If you have pulled an April Fool’s prank, confess it as soon as you are able.

• lies
• truth
• satire