Is it wrong to paraphrase when telling a story, or to switch words around to make it sound better?

[specifics]

If I’m telling an anecdote and I want to cut out some unnecessary words my friend said so the story will flow better, is that wrong? What if I don’t tell his actual words, but paraphrase? Different words, but same meaning. Is this lying?

 

[Della]

No, it’s not lying. Lying is “meaning to deceive/tell an untruth.” Since you are making the same point/trying to get across the same concept(s), you are not lying, only editing, your friend’s story.

 

[Orionthehunter]

If I’m telling an anecdote and I want to cut out some unnecessary words my friend said so the story will flow better, is that wrong? What if I don’t tell his actual words, but paraphrase? Different words, but same meaning. Is this lying?

To lie, one has to have the intent to decieve. If the point of the story is to make a moral point and the extreme details are a distraction, you can do as you describe. However, this places on you (the storyteller) the obligation to make sure that the paraphrasing or summation doesn’t change the fundamental facts.

Let me give you an example: Recently, I told a story to my daughter (in college) about something of which I was involved. I didn’t say that the person who did the misdeed was my roommate (who my daughter knows) but “someone on my floor” because my point was not to change her opinion of my roommmate but to stress how it is important to have honest, forthright conversations between roommates as failure to do so can damage the relationship.

 

[Newbie2]

Saints Mark, Luke, Matthew and John did it in their gospels.

 

[BobP123]

Saints Mark, Luke, Matthew and John did it in their gospels.

As did the ICEL in creating the English Mass. They definitely lied when presenting us with Christ’s words of Consecration and everyone seems to defend them.

To me the real sin is when you get people to believe your lies.

 

[MH84]

If I’m telling an anecdote and I want to cut out some unnecessary words my friend said so the story will flow better, is that wrong? What if I don’t tell his actual words, but paraphrase? Different words, but same meaning. Is this lying?

I know how you feel; it can be hard to tell a good story and be honest about it at the same time, at least without correcting yourself every second sentence. I think a lot of people exagerate and make stuff up to get a funny story across.

You may be being a scrupulous toward the issue becaause you don’t seem to want to be misguiding someone. If it helps tell the person that you may paraphrase some points/sentences.

 

[rwoehmke]

Unless you are in front of a judge and jury, in my opinion when one is telling a story as a parable, one can change or make up any story they want to get the point across. Consider that most of the parables in the Gospels are just that; stories to teach a lesson. A good story teller, only the scrupulous would call one a liar, are a national treasure, particularly if they are Irish.

 

[Pat_the_Cat]

I am a born story-teller, I embellish and exagerate the non-important points to make a story interesting/funny but the main points, the important points are always the same. If you look at the gospels you will see many inconsistancies, but you need not look at the details, it’s the point that they were trying to make that matters.

for example; after Jesus was flogged, they took him and mocked him and crowned him with thorns-

"They stripped him and put a **scarlet **robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said."Mt 27:28-29

"They put a **purple **robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” "Mk 15: 17-18

So was the robe scarlet? Or Purple? It couldn’t be both! Did the gospel writers lie? or did they get it wrong?

the truth is; they were writing to different people, in different parts of the world, who had different customs etc. In some parts of the world Scarlet was the colour that Royalty wore, in other places Purple was the colour that Royalty wore. Both of the Gospel writers wanted to make the Important point; that Jesus was dressed in the colours of Royalty and mocked. What colour the robe actually was was not that important, or at least not as impotant as the fact he was dressed in the colours of royalty.

Get my point? As long as you are conveying the important point accuratly, I don’t think it’s sinful to make these points into an interesting story. But after all I’m Irish! :kissme: