Going Undercover

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TheCatholicGeek

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Hello,

I was wondering if you think it is Morally Justifiable to tell a lie to expose a bigger lie.

Take for example the following situations

A interrogator who is with an accused terrorist.

A journalist going undercover.

A cop going undercover in a Gang.
 
TheCatholicGeek said:
Hello,

I was wondering if you think it is Morally Justifiable to tell a lie to expose a bigger lie.

Take for example the following situations

A interrogator who is with an accused terrorist.

A journalist going undercover.

A cop going undercover in a Gang.
Click to expand...
This is perhaps my favorite repeat question… I always get a lot of flak for my opinion on it but here it is again.

I do not believe that lying is a sin when the person being lied to has no moral or legal right to know. In other words, is it a sin to lie and tell a mother that her son just died? Yes. Is it a sin to lie to an armed burglar who broke into your home and is demanding to know what room your child is hiding in? No. The difference… the mother has a legitimate right to know the truth concerning her son… the burglar has no right whatever to know the whereabouts of your child. So, to answer your question in the above scenarios:

A interrogator who is with an accused terrorist - Justifiable

A journalist going undercover - It depends on the situation

A cop going undercover in a Gang - Justifiable
 
I can’t imagine anyone thinking it is a sin to lie to an armed burgular wanting to know which room your child is in.
 
TheCatholicGeek said:
Hello,

I was wondering if you think it is Morally Justifiable to tell a lie to expose a bigger lie.

Take for example the following situations

A interrogator who is with an accused terrorist.

A journalist going undercover.

A cop going undercover in a Gang.
Click to expand...
Tietjen gave a good answer and the right answer.
But … there is always the situation of putting a real lie into the bait. If you put an exaggerated lie you may distort the situation.
If you offer 100 million dollars (I am exaggerating) for someone to do something wrong, like stealing something, few people would resist. It does not demonstrate that few people are not thieves.
 
chris62 said:
I can’t imagine anyone thinking it is a sin to lie to an armed burgular wanting to know which room your child is in.
Click to expand...
Neither can I but there are some who will say that ALL lying is a sin, regardless of the circumstances. To those who do believe this, please help me understand John 7:8 - 10.
 
Whenever I hear this question I always think of this quote I read in a book.
“It is bad when you hide the truth from someone who has a right to it, and in a normal world, where people try to obey God, everyone has a right to the truth. But when you know that the other person is going to use the truth to rob, maim, kill, etc. do you think he still has a right to it?”
👍
 
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