Is lying sometimes the right thing to do?

Answer 1

To give false witness is never "the right thing to do".

Answer 2

No lying is not the right thing to do, but if you wish not to say the truth then you can say something that is left to interpretation.
I do however think that in some instances, when it is not hurting but creating a good effect it might be ok. Like say that 2 people do not like each other for some reason. A third person is trying to break this animocity
. Then he might go and tell person A how person B really liked him and the same for person B. That way, it helps dissolve the hate that exists between them
EDIT: its funny how people who lie forget what they say. I have caught people lying because they have forgotten what they had previously told me.

Answer 3

Yes. Lie through your teeth. Lie Proudly...if you or someone else is being threatened, and the threatener is demanding information from you.

The most often used hypothetical example of the morality of lying is this: You're hiding Jews from the Nazis during WWII. Nazi troops bang on your door and ask if you know where some Jews might be hiding in the neighborhood. What do you do?

Lie Proudly!

In the matter of vices and virtues, context and timing are everything.

Answer 4

I noticed your question was under elections. Lying is okay to save a close friend's feelings or something like that. However, lying to voters to get more votes is the reason politicians are despised by many people.

Answer 5

I believe in certain instances it is the lesser of two evils to lie. I know that sometimes I've failed to reveal everything to someone when I feel that the truth would be too difficult for that person to handle or when it would cause more problems than good. But the truth, say, in terms of revealing the truth about H, is vitally important. And of course it isn't easy, but necessary.

Answer 6

Never. If you tell one lie you have to come up with one to cover it and it starts a never ending chain of lying. As old fashioned as it sounds, honesty is the best policy. Lying is an addiction.

Answer 7

Never in the long run. Once you lie, you soon find out you have to lie again to back up the first lie and then still another to back up the second lie. It's a chain reaction of lies.


On second thought, it's always a good thing to lie to the IRS.

Answer 8

It may never be morally the right thing to do but may sometimes be necessary to avoid hurting someone (Hence , The little white lie) .It can`t be done when there are grave consequences to all.

Answer 9

All lying does is make a totally unacceptable thing appear acceptable to those that have to hear it. It is just exactly what is needed so that more lies can be added.

Answer 10

Yes. If you are a Liberal on the far left, it is the only way you can get elected.
You have to lie and make everyone believe you are a REAL American who believes in Limited Government.

Answer 11

All people lie. The emporer of evil that is ruling our country lies almost every time he opens his mouth (especially when he tells his beast of a wife and daughters they are pretty). His horse faced secretary of state lies. His VP tells the truth - because he's pure evil and just says he'd like to exterminate the arabs and jews and mexicans and blacks for that matter.

But everyone lies - so they are in good company.