Is it ever OK to lie?

[RB2]

Confession:
I’d lie to save a life with good chance of success. (Nazi Germany stuff)
Coincident, that lie would help to keep someone from being complicit towards a murder.

Frankly speaking I lie for a lot less good reason frequently.
I lie to myself. I lie to protect my personal business.
So I would certainly do it for great good but mindful of a mean in life and a path towards
eliminating all sin from my life. I’m no saint, yet!

 

[Cristiano]

So you are justifying immoral behaviors by saying that there are only two options. That is quite of a week straw man to me.

What about if it is about something beyond medical assistance. What about because someone is trying to stop the slaughter of innocent children and elderly? So you are saying that it is moral for me break the civil law and damage property to destroy the source of death of innocent people?

No legal or ethical system makes your presumption that all values of our equal worth, that all acts have equal benefits or damage. We don’t apply the same severity of punishment to theft as we do to murder, and we don’t apply the same punishment for theft among different thieves if for instance the motivation behind the theft was starvation and the object of the theft was food.

I am not clear of what your answer to my question is. Can you please try again?

 

[sehrwunderbar]

It is never ok to lie. Just because the Nazis would end up maybe finding and killing the Jews and myself for hiding them is not a justification for lying. We cannot know the mind of God, it is far better to die a little early for telling the truth than spending an eternity in hell for a little lie.

As far as “white lies” go, they are still lies. I think that if you really respected/loved the other person you would tell them the truth if the dress makes them look bad or whatever. If my husband told me that I looked fine and then I went out in an outfit that was a little see-through or something I’d be very upset with him for lying to me.

Also, with the how are you question you can always say something that is true as a response like life is good, because it is even if someone is having a bad day. I find that people that are always complimenting others just to do it and are lying about what they truly think make me cringe. I would never ask their opinion because I wouldn’t know if they are just trying to please me or not. I do not say something if I do not mean it, if someone’s new hair cut is nice yes I will tell them, but I would never tell them it is nice if it isn’t. Why lie over such a little thing?

A person that canot be trusted in little everyday things might be be able to be trusted in much larger situations.

 

[Doc_Keele]

I worry about the moral thinking of people who seriously believe that one shouldn’t lie to save the life of someone. The people that saved Jews by smuggling them out of Germany no doubt had to lie at some stage.

 

[peary]

Is it ever ok to lie? Does everyone have the right to truth? My friends think that some people do not (i.e. Nazi soldiers and abortion clinic workers). I was taught everyone has the right to truth.

The best bet is to consult the 8th commandment: You will not bear false witness against another.

 

[Mike_Dye]

I don’t know if it has been addressed earlier but not everyone is entitled to the truth. Legitimate authority is. Sinful Authority is not legitimate ie. The aforementioned Nazis looking for Jews. They have no legitimate right to that information.
On a lighter note, If all lies are a sin please pray for most mothers. how many thousand of times have they said things like, “Oh My Dear, I couldn’t eat another bite, You go ahead and have the last piece of pie”. I think God smiles at some lies:thumbsup:

 

[peary]

You know, to lie is not a difficult thing to understand. When it involves false witnessing against another, or if you include an innocent party in your lie, it is wrong and sinful. Not telling the truth (making a story up) is also wrong; i.e., if you tell your employer that you are sick and you go on a shopping spree instead - this is also wrong because it is deception for a personal gain. This is all covered under the 8th commandment, as far as I can tell.

 

[Cristiano]

I don’t know if it has been addressed earlier but not everyone is entitled to the truth. Legitimate authority is. Sinful Authority is not legitimate ie. The aforementioned Nazis looking for Jews. They have no legitimate right to that information.
On a lighter note, If all lies are a sin please pray for most mothers. how many thousand of times have they said things like, “Oh My Dear, I couldn’t eat another bite, You go ahead and have the last piece of pie”. I think God smiles at some lies:thumbsup:

Everybody is entitled to the truth. However, you stated that not everybody has a legitimate right to specific information and you are correct. This is a subtle but, to me, important difference. The other difference is that among two evils we have to choose the least one. Sometimes because of our fallen nature and not well formed conscience we do not see other option but two evils.

 

[peary]

So questions like, “Does this outfit make my butt look big?” and “You really think I’m a total nerd, don’t you?” should always be answered with total honesty?

Unless you’re married, then you have to face the consequences

If a person is stupid enough to ask those questions about himself or herself, then they deserve an honest answer! People set themselves up for it, so why not? They certainly aren’t looking for honesty more than they are pity, it seems. That’s part of our ‘victim’ social mentality. But, there is the old maxim - say what you mean, mean what you say, but don’t say it mean…

It’s like telling a woman that she has a profile that would make time stand still instead of saying that she has a face that would stop a clock. You’re saying the same thing, but in a nicer sort of way.

 

[DrewMcCullough]

There are a number of ways to answer those tricky questions other than with a simple affirmative or negative (or non-response). Get creative – if your wife asks if you think she’s fat, laugh as if to say “what a silly question!” (because it is) and ask her what she thinks it means to be fat, but sincerely and not as an obvious escape from an even more obvious (and catastrophic) answer. If she plays that game and gives criteria that she herself satisfies, there’s no real need for further discussion.

Her night may still be ruined, but at least you won’t have to sleep on the couch.