Have you heard of the saying that if you lied you are a sinner . . . ?

Question

and you will go to hell.? What if you had to lie to save someone's life?

Answer 1

Good question

Answer 2

May I recommend the book Christian Ethics: Options & Issues; By: Norman L. Geisler; ISBN: 0801038324

It is available for under $17.00 at CBD or Amazon.

Norman Geisler shows why variable absolutism is the best ethics system for Christians, and why it is the functional system of most people, whether they know it is or not.

Variable absolutism says that the Ten Commandments are absolutes, but that the first ones are more important than the later ones.

For example in your suggested idea about lying. Lying is wrong, but you have to lie to save someone's life? I am counselling an abused woman in my pastor's study, when I hear the front door of the church slam open; it's the husband, "I'm gonna blow that woman's head off! Where is she? I'll kill her."

After sending the woman out the back door, I confront the husband, who is demanding that I tell him where she is. Do I tell him where she is?

No.

Why? Because he is not ENTITLED to that information. Why is he not entitled to that information? Because not lying is only the ninth commandment, but not killing is the sixth commandment. #6 is more important than #9. Is #9 a commandment from God? Yes. Is #6 a commandment from God? Which would God rather be obeyed, if only one can be obeyed? #6, obviously.

Aside from that, the husband is not entitled to the information about his wife's location. And, at that point, I would not know her exact location, and I could honestly say "She is not here. I don't know her exact location."

Read Geisler's book. He explains it far better than I could.

Answer 3

I remember the story of I believe, Corrie ten Boom. She was a Christian and hid people during the holocaust. When the Nazi soldiers would come to her door and ask her if she had either seen Jews or if there were any in the house, she would say, "NO". she said after they left, she would ask God to forgive her for lying.

She knew it was wrong to lie, but she knew she couldn't live with herself if she just let the Jewish people die. She said that "she just asked God to forgive her" and moved on knowing that He understood and did forgive her.

Answer 4

Well, if this is true, I might as well turn up the heat and get used to hell, 'cause that's where I'm going. See ya there!

Answer 5

Sin is sin. God loves people. God hates sin. With a repentant heart, ask God to forgive you and he will.

Answer 6

Those self-righteous preachers are hypocrites.


>>>>

Answer 7

And what if God made a rock to crush the universe, dude? Thanks for the two points...