Is Lying Ever Justified?

[First Echelon]

Lying is only wrong when you do it to deceive.

Everyone has a right to know the truth and everyone has a responsibility for their actions.

There is no time when lying is acceptable because it places one human above another.

 

[Routerider]

Lying is only wrong when you do it to deceive.

Everyone has a right to know the truth and everyone has a responsibility for their actions.

There is no time when lying is acceptable because it places one human above another.

Let's say a woman comes pounding on your door asking you if she can take refuge in your home for a bit. She was obviously physically abused by her husband...a few minutes later a man comes knocking on your door asking you if you've seen his wife. The mans wife is hiding in your kitchen out of view...what do you say to this fellow?

 

[First Echelon]

I say to this man that he does not belong here.

I tell him that although his wife is here, she does not wish to see him and I will stop him any way that I can.

Lying is never justified.

Remember, everyone is on the same playing field.

 

[PhantomLlama]

I say to this man that he does not belong here.

I tell him that although his wife is here, she does not wish to see him and I will stop him any way that I can.

Lying is never justified.

Remember, everyone is on the same playing field.

What if the man is very much larger and stronger than you, and looks like he is willing and able to beat you up to get to his wife if he thinks she is in there?

 

[First Echelon]

It matters little what this man is willing to do, I would protect the woman.

Isn't that what law enforcement is for?

 

[Salsa_1960]

What if you had been a Christian harboring a Jewish family in Germany during World War II and the Nazis came to your home asking if you had any Jews in your home? Would you lie about this or would you give the family over to the Nazis for them to take to a concentration camp to be tortured and killed?

This is not a silly argument. This is recent history.

BTW, the Nazis didn't only kill the Jews. They killed many gypsys. They also killed many Germans who had illnesses that they felt would "genetically pollute" the "Arian race." A person with epilepsy, for instance, would be killed for fear that they might pass on such an "unacceptable illness" and weaken the "Third Reich."

If not a Jewish family, then would you harbor a Christian with such an illness, even to the point of lying, or would you turn them over to the authorities?

 

[Havoc]

Won't help either of you much if he kills both of you before the police get there.

Why not simply tell him she's not there?

What about camouflage and deception that soldiers use in wartime. Armies use deception all the time, it's lying to the enemy. Should a Christian soldier refuse to participate in the deception?

 

[PhantomLlama]

It matters little what this man is willing to do, I would protect the woman.

Isn't that what law enforcement is for?

Why not protect her by lying and saying she is not there?

If the man intends to murder his wife, the choices are basically:
1. Tell the truth and the man who proceeds to kill his wife.
2. Lie and save the womans life.

In one you are verging on being guilty of murder. In the other all you did was give a psychopath misleading information in order to protect an innocent person.

The Nazi/Jews example is good too.

 

[Blissman]

As I recall, in the Bible it says that you may break any commandment if the sole pupose is to save a human life.