Is this lie a sin?

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Angel7

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A teacher for the car club at school had asked me to film the car show next week.
Reluctantly I siad yes, but wasn’t up to it.
Now Im really not up to it and want to tell him I dont want to go
but I don’t want to seem mean about it
If he asks why, can I say a lie?
A lie is only a sin if the other person has the right to know the truth, right?
Does my teacher have to know why I dont want to do it?
 
Angel7 said:
A teacher for the car club at school had asked me to film the car show next week.
Reluctantly I siad yes, but wasn’t up to it.
Now Im really not up to it and want to tell him I dont want to go
but I don’t want to seem mean about it
If he asks why, can I say a lie?
A lie is only a sin if the other person has the right to know the truth, right?
Does my teacher have to know why I dont want to do it?
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It is always best not to lie. Just tell your teacher that you would prefer not to go and see if they can find another to film the car show. However, since you already committed if your teacher cannot find a replacement then you should go.
 
Angel7 said:
A lie is only a sin if the other person has the right to know the truth, right?
Click to expand...
What makes you believe this is true?

I don’t understand why you wouldn’t just tell him the truth.
 
Angel7 said:
A teacher for the car club at school had asked me to film the car show next week.
Reluctantly I siad yes, but wasn’t up to it.
Now Im really not up to it and want to tell him I dont want to go
but I don’t want to seem mean about it
If he asks why, can I say a lie?
A lie is only a sin if the other person has the right to know the truth, right?
Does my teacher have to know why I dont want to do it?
Click to expand...
No you cannot lie in this case…

Your post does not demonstrate that the teacher has no right to the truth.
Plus, you already committed to doing it and failure to carry out your commitment without just cause is an uncharitable act. So to renege you had best have a very good reason and the teacher certainly has a right to know what that reason is(illness etc.).

If you had not committed in the first place, it would have been better. Now you have committed to perform the task, it is your Christian duty to carry it out if you are physically able to.

Peace
James
 
Irishmom2 said:
What makes you believe this is true?

I don’t understand why you wouldn’t just tell him the truth.
Click to expand...
Not being obliged to tell someone the truth on the grounds they have no right to know, is to cover such cases as ‘You are hiding children in a cupboard who have run from an axe-murdere- do you have to tell the axe-murderer that you know where they are when he asks?’
 
Angel7 said:
A teacher for the car club at school had asked me to film the car show next week.
Reluctantly I siad yes, but wasn’t up to it.
Now Im really not up to it and want to tell him I dont want to go
but I don’t want to seem mean about it
If he asks why, can I say a lie?
A lie is only a sin if the other person has the right to know the truth, right?
Does my teacher have to know why I dont want to do it?
Click to expand...
It is always a sin to lie. What you are thinking of is mental reservations. You can choose not to tell this person your real reason for skipping the car show if he or she does not have a right to know it, but you can’t make up a false reason.
 
You said that you would go, so you should go. Don’t lie about it. At best you can be honest and say that you really don’t feel like filming.
 
Et_Cetera said:
You said that you would go, so you should go. Don’t lie about it. At best you can be honest and say that you really don’t feel like filming.
Click to expand...
Or better yet, he can just keep silent about it and offer it up joyfully.

As St Therese advises…Do small things with great Love.

Peace
James
 
Angel7 said:
A teacher for the car club at school had asked me to film the car show next week.
Reluctantly I siad yes, but wasn’t up to it.
Now Im really not up to it and want to tell him I dont want to go
but I don’t want to seem mean about it
If he asks why, can I say a lie?
A lie is only a sin if the other person has the right to know the truth, right?
Does my teacher have to know why I dont want to do it?
Click to expand...
The question here is, do you have a moral obligation to keep your teacher in the dark? If the answer is no, then it would be best to consider that lie a sin.

The issue about people not having a right to certain knowledge is to do with situations like the nazis going around and knocking on doors, asking for jews. You’re hiding five jews, and you therefore have a moral right to keep them from knowing. Therefore, it is right to lie to them in this instance.

But from what you’ve said here, I can’t think of a reason why that would apply to your situation.
 
My Catechism says all lies are sin and we cannot tell a lie to save our own life.

I never wanted my parents to know I was going to confession on Saturday nights because they think you only go to confession when you’ve done something very wrong. I didn’t lie to them, but when they’d ask where I was going I’d tell them I was going to meet with someone. Not a lie.
 
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