Is it ever ok to lie?

Question

What if the truth were to cause more hurt or damage to more people than a lie?

hobo: You're not a fool in my book. I asked and you answered; nowt wrong with that.

Answer 1

Imagine you are living in Germany in 1941. You have a house with a subcellar hidden under the main cellar. You have allowed your neighbors, a Jewish family of 5, included an infant, to hide in your subcellar. One day, some soldiers knock on your door and ask if you know where you neighbors might be.

Would it be wrong to lie?

Answer 2

Ah, the Casablanca Conundrum.
At the end of the movie, Rick lies to save Ilsa the pain of knowing how great his love for her is. Nobility clothed in an honourable lie. Others here have made equally compelling arguments - if you are engaged in a struggle for your life or your liberty, a lie might be justified to ensure that the values you believe in live on in you - the example of a Resistance worker being discovered by the Nazis was cogent.

The answer to this essentially depends on the reasons we give for the importance of telling the truth. If you think that you are damning yourself and your soul when you tell a lie, then there might appear to be no instances where lying is OK. The majority of the world though deals with a more flexible reality, where lying is not desirable, but is acceptable to a) spare people pain, b) protect people and their interests (within the confines of the law), or even c) to give or maintain hope, where a stark truth might be dispiriting.

Answer 3

I think not.

When you lie you are making an illusion which has no substance. Any truth is better than a lie, because at least a truth is real and can be worked with it.

A lie, even if it sounds better than the truth, only creates confusion, delusion, depression and death.

It saddens me to see that most of the answerer's of this question say its alright. Little wonder the world is in the state it is in.

Answer 4

I don't believe in lying. When you get found out your credibility goes to heck. But your can be sensitive about the issue and say something like "That is not my business." Or" ask the question to the one you are inquiring about." You might ignore the question and change the subject. Or you could say "I just can't say." I believe honesty is the best policy if you are caught red handed. But don't go around blabbing things which will hurt other people--gossip. Jesus said that it is what comes out of someones mouth that is an offense. Then you can say " I would prefer not to talking about those things," and change the subject. In a court of law it is an entirely difference thing. You can go to jail for purgery (lying). Incidently, there are a lot of things my grown children told me about what they did as kids that I would have preferred to not know.

Answer 5

No it is not ok to lie ever. I tell the truth at all times, no matter what. Lying just digs the hole you are in a little deeper, and then you have to continue to lie to cover the original lie. No it is never ok to lie. Speak the truth always. There are ways of speaking truth as not to offend some people. I live by the truth only.

Answer 6

this is one of life's most difficult questions . on one hand you get respect and piece of mind for telling the truth and life at times can be hurt full . but i have been hurt by finding out a lie . yes the mater in hand was painful anyway but dragging it out and believing a lie for so long. made the mater more pain full . we all have to pay the consequence's of our behaviour my advice is to face your fear and deal with the consequence's . its never as bad as we think tell the person it concerns the most first that way you will have there respect . that you trust them and then if you decide then you may keep this secerte together . hope this helps . x

Answer 7

We need to be tackful if the truth should be more damaging than a lie. We need to not speak "half-truths".

God’s View of Lying

The tendency of humans to lie was noted back in Bible times. Said the psalmist: “Untruth they keep speaking one to the other; with a smooth lip they keep speaking even with a double heart.” Self-interest lurked behind their lies. They said: “With our tongue we shall prevail. Our [lying] lips are with us. Who will be a master to us?” Note, though, how God felt about their lying ways: “Jehovah will cut off all smooth lips, the tongue speaking great things.”—Psalm 12:2-4.

Yes, “a false tongue” was and is one of the things that “Jehovah does hate.” (Proverbs 6:16, 17) After all, it is Satan the Devil himself who is “the father of the lie.” (John 8:44) Interestingly, though, the Bible makes no distinction between lies and ‘white lies.’ It simply says, “No lie originates with the truth.” (1 John 2:21) That is why a “devious person is a detestable thing to Jehovah, but His intimacy is with the upright ones.” (Proverbs 3:32) Yes, Jehovah simply will not have a close relationship with someone who is dishonest.

The God-fearing youth thus cannot view any kind of lying as acceptable. As a youngster named Tyrone puts it: “It is like a true-or-false test. Something is either right or wrong.”

Lying—Why It Is Harmful

Why, though, is lying so wrong? Might not a lie save you from getting punished? Perhaps. But what happens if the lie is exposed? Then it has merely postponed punishment. Young André also observes: “It makes you mad when someone tells you something and you find out later that it was a lie.” Yes, lying stirs up anger and resentment. And when the ones lied to are your parents—a serious dose of discipline can result.

No wonder the Bible says: “The getting of treasures by a false tongue is an exhalation driven away.” (Proverbs 21:6) In other words, any advantages a lie may bring are as short lived as vapor.

Lying and Your Conscience

Lying also harms the liar himself. Michelle (mentioned at the outset) managed to convince her parents that it was her brother who had broken the knickknack. However, she later felt compelled to confess her wrongdoing to them. Michelle explains: “I felt really bad most of the time. My parents had put trust in me, and I let them down.”

Answer 8

The deciding factor is: Would knowing the truth alter the decision a person makes or just how they feel? If you know a person would make totally different decisions (important decisions..not just wearing the pants that make their butt look big), it's not fair not to give them accurate information. If it would simply hurt their feelings...there's no point. If we get the short end of the stick via the truth...well that's just our date with destiny.

Answer 9

It's ok to lie. I told the truth about a situation to try and absolve my guilt, I wanted to 'bear all and cleanse myself' but all I did was break his heart. I learnt a huge lesson that day; it's ok to lie if it stops the other person/s from being hurt. Apparently, women lie like this quite often whereas the lies men tell are usually to make themselves feel better not to make other people feel better!

Answer 10

Yes it is OK to lie. It depends on the circumstance.

I recommend reading "The Art of Lying." It's a book written by Japanese psychologists. Great read.