Christians and lying
Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2017 9:38 pm
Hello everyone, this is my first post on these boards. I enjoy listening to The Narrow Path while at work; I listen to mp3's, so I am usually about a week behind the current day's episode. I apologize if this issue has been addressed further on the air in the last week.
I want to talk about the ethics of a Christian lying. Steve had some thought provoking calls on the issue. One possible scenario where it was thought it might be okay for a Christian to lie is if the lie were to protect innocent people. For example, if someone in WW2 were hiding Jews in their basement, and they lied to the Nazis who were searching for them, to save their lives. I think this may be an extreme example; there are other more common, everyday things.
What kept coming to my mind was, "white lies" told to be diplomatic and to not hurt people's feelings. For example, if someone invites me over to dinner at their house, and the food is bad, I am certainly not going to say so. I will tell them it was delicious. I couldn't imagine telling a gracious host that the food that was prepared for me tasted bad. The point of the lie is not to deceive, but to show thanks and respect for a gracious host. The good of the situation is not whether the food tasted good, it is that a person was caring and thoughtful to cook for you, and that love should be returned. Another example is, if someone gave me a Christmas present, and it looked like something I had no interest in whatsoever. I would thank the person and tell them it is a great gift. Again, the point is not to be a gift critic, but to be gracious that someone was thoughtful enough to buy you a present.
Telling someone their food is delicious or that their gift is wonderful is not in any way an attempt to deceive, mislead, or harm anyone. In Matthew 12, Jesus went against the letter of the law to heal on the Sabbath. And while these white lies may technically be lies, isn't it better to acknowledge and respect gracious acts of hospitality with kindness in return? How Christian would it be, if at the family Christmas dinner, you told your Mother that her present was junk and the ham was dry? Maybe that's the truth, but I can't imagine ever speaking it. The right thing would be to be to praise both, because the important thing is thankfulness and fellowship, not the quality of the material things.
Maybe I am way off here, and I'm willing to be corrected. I'd like to see what other Christians think!
I want to talk about the ethics of a Christian lying. Steve had some thought provoking calls on the issue. One possible scenario where it was thought it might be okay for a Christian to lie is if the lie were to protect innocent people. For example, if someone in WW2 were hiding Jews in their basement, and they lied to the Nazis who were searching for them, to save their lives. I think this may be an extreme example; there are other more common, everyday things.
What kept coming to my mind was, "white lies" told to be diplomatic and to not hurt people's feelings. For example, if someone invites me over to dinner at their house, and the food is bad, I am certainly not going to say so. I will tell them it was delicious. I couldn't imagine telling a gracious host that the food that was prepared for me tasted bad. The point of the lie is not to deceive, but to show thanks and respect for a gracious host. The good of the situation is not whether the food tasted good, it is that a person was caring and thoughtful to cook for you, and that love should be returned. Another example is, if someone gave me a Christmas present, and it looked like something I had no interest in whatsoever. I would thank the person and tell them it is a great gift. Again, the point is not to be a gift critic, but to be gracious that someone was thoughtful enough to buy you a present.
Telling someone their food is delicious or that their gift is wonderful is not in any way an attempt to deceive, mislead, or harm anyone. In Matthew 12, Jesus went against the letter of the law to heal on the Sabbath. And while these white lies may technically be lies, isn't it better to acknowledge and respect gracious acts of hospitality with kindness in return? How Christian would it be, if at the family Christmas dinner, you told your Mother that her present was junk and the ham was dry? Maybe that's the truth, but I can't imagine ever speaking it. The right thing would be to be to praise both, because the important thing is thankfulness and fellowship, not the quality of the material things.
Maybe I am way off here, and I'm willing to be corrected. I'd like to see what other Christians think!