Lying in Storytelling

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_AnnoDomini

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Hello again everybody! I have a bit of a dilemma and I was wondering if some of you could give me some insight. Here’s some quick background information:
I hate lying. Like, much more than most people, I think. When I was eight, I swore an oath to God that I would never lie, and while that was a stupid decision on eight-year-old me’s part, I’ve taken it seriously since. Of course, I’m not perfect, and I slip up sometimes here and there, but I still strive to be the most honest person I can be, and it’s something I’m pretty proud of.
Here’s the problem: I’m writing a story, and one of the major plot twists is that a major character has been lying about his identity and allegiance and has been living under a false persona since long before the start of the story. In order to set up the plot twist, though, I would have to tell the first part of the story in such a way that the reader is deceived along with the protagonists.
Normally, I don’t believe that doing this would be a sin, because it’s not like I’m directly lying to the readers and saying “yeah, this guy’s a good guy.” However, because of the oath I took, I feel as though I may be lying, albeit indirectly.
Do you think my fears are justified, or am I just being overly scrupulous?
 
Given your posting history, you seem to be struggling with scrupulosity. You should seek help offline with a priest and a counselor, and do not ask these questions on here. It will only make your condition worse.

Others would be well advised not to reply.

You are in my prayers.

-Fr ACEGC
 
Thank you very much for your advice, I’ll seek help from more irl sources. Thank you very much!
 
Are you writing fiction? Then, the entire story is untrue. And as long as readers will know it’s fiction, they’ll know not to take any of it as gospel. It’s not really lying, because you aren’t claiming that any part of it is true. It’s fiction. Right?
 
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