Is it OK to lie?

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The majority of people lack self-awareness, so is it lying if they are unaware they are lying?
 
Good thread Willie. The way I see it is... if I feel like more good will come from this lie than bad (hiding jews, smuggling Bibles...ect ) then I'm willing to face the consequences that they bring. If God chooses to chastise me then I'll say "woe is me" and take my punishment and if not then awesome. I think some things are worth lying for. And I don't mean petty things.
 
Willie-T said:
A scenario:
An angry mob comes up to you, saying: "We are going to burn out that preacher of yours, do you know where he lives?"

You are very familiar with his house, but do you answer the howling mob with his address?
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I give them the address to the local police department.
 
Willie-T said:
I wish Jerry all the best as they head up Whitney Rd. to burn your place down.
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Thanks for the heads up Willie. I will be waiting for them. I firmly believe in defending your family by any means possible. Oh wait, this probably belongs in another thread.
 
gerty said:
i think the bible is pretty clear on the matter of lieing.
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Is it? ....... I could be wrong, but I think the Bible speaks against "liars", (people who live that lifestyle) but I don't recall it condemning the telling of a lie as so many people in the Bible did for the good of others. Just like the book is against drunkards and a habit of drinking obsessively, but I don't remember condemnation of any specific incidences of getting drunk.
 
Pipp said:
Good thread Willie. The way I see it is... if I feel like more good will come from this lie than bad (hiding jews, smuggling Bibles...ect ) then I'm willing to face the consequences that they bring. If God chooses to chastise me then I'll say "woe is me" and take my punishment and if not then awesome. I think some things are worth lying for. And I don't mean petty things.
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I see it pretty much the way you seem to. And I can't find even one case of God coming down on any of those people who told lies for the good of God's people.
 
Lafftur said:
Well, we know God cannot lie (probably because whatever He says becomes true) and we know that we cannot get away with lying to God because He knows everything. So, hmmmm........

It's absolutely impossible to lie to God. So, we can only lie to each other. However, if the Spirit of Truth dwells in us, there's no way we can lie and feel good about it.

I think this is a trick question. I'm going with my gut and it says, "No - it is NOT okay to lie." :)
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I direct you to Huckleberry's post right after that one of yours.... #99.

And, no, it is not a "trick" question. It is a "real" question.... the kind many of us avoid even asking ourselves.
 
Willie-T said:
A scenario:
An angry mob comes up to you, saying: "We are going to burn out that preacher of yours, do you know where he lives?"

You are very familiar with his house, but do you answer the howling mob with his address?
Click to expand...

Wonder what Joseph would have said? He was the victim of so many lies...

I think the right response would be, I know where he lives but I will not tell you.

If you think about it; if the police wants to arrest you for believing in Christ, will it be ok to deny Him? Maybe He gives you three chances to tell them the truth....
 
I can only speak for me an no one else, yes, in my lifetime I have lied, white lies and when people guessing about a party or such and then some real lies when I was trying to avoid trouble or just a lie because I don't know why I did it. Overall in my lifetime I really have tried to tell the truth. I have never been a habitual liar.

There won't be any liars in Heaven. There will be forgiven liars in Heaven. We won't ever lie in Heaven.

I think the name of your thread should have been Is it o.k. to lie if it is for a good reason/cause? As the justification coming through the thread for lying is protection of ones feelings or life. As I don't believe that even you think it is o.k. to lie in reality.
 
John the Baptist..... thirty years in the desert eating locus and honey, for a six month ministry..... ended and beheaded because he told the truth......

Wonder about his reply to Mr Willie's thread?
 
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GandalfTheWhite said:
Wonder what Joseph would have said? He was the victim of so many lies...

I think the right response would be, I know where he lives but I will not tell you.

If you think about it; if the police wants to arrest you for believing in Christ, will it be ok to deny Him? Maybe He gives you three chances to tell them the truth....
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I don't know how Joseph would have answered that specific question, but I do know he was pretty deceitful with his own brothers, years later.............. but, perhaps you tend to distinguish between "lies", just as I do.... and Joseph did.
 
Then our own Saviour, beaten into such a state that He was not recognisable as a human..... because He was telling the truth.....

I get why you are asking this question but.....
 
Willie-T said:
I don't know how Joseph would have answered that specific question, but I do know he was pretty deceitful with his own brothers, years later.............. but, perhaps you tend to distinguish between "lies", just as I do.... and Joseph did.
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I understand your point but Joseph never lied to his brothers... it was a test to see if they have changed.

Do you think it was wrong that God allowed Job to be tested or was He being deceitful?
 
JesusLives said:
I can only speak for me an no one else, yes, in my lifetime I have lied, white lies and when people guessing about a party or such and then some real lies when I was trying to avoid trouble or just a lie because I don't know why I did it. Overall in my lifetime I really have tried to tell the truth. I have never been a habitual liar.

There won't be any liars in Heaven. There will be forgiven liars in Heaven. We won't ever lie in Heaven.

I think the name of your thread should have been Is it o.k. to lie if it is for a good reason/cause? As the justification coming through the thread for lying is protection of ones feelings or life. As I don't believe that even you think it is o.k. to lie in reality.
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I have a friend who was in a mental institution. Should I come right out and announce that to strangers simply because it is true (knowing it is pretty common for people to react differently to a person when they learn that) or should I, in actuality, lie by omission if ever asked about it? A lie, is a lie, no matter how you try to describe it differently, according to some of what I am hearing here.
 
Is it? ....... I could be wrong, but I think the Bible speaks against "liars", (people who live that lifestyle) but I don't recall it condemning the telling of a lie as so many people in the Bible did for the good of others. Just like the book is against drunkards and a habit of drinking obsessively, but I don't remember condemnation of any specific incidences of getting drunk.

i gather from this that its ok to lie if its for the good of others? and, the bible is against obsessive drinking, but its ok to get drunk?
 
GandalfTheWhite said:
Then our own Saviour, beaten into such a state that He was not recognisable as a human..... because He was telling the truth.....

I get why you are asking this question but.....
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Maybe not. Perhaps I am attempting to make it plain to new posters, which of us they might not be able to trust with certain information.
 
No one was saying telling the truth was wrong.... just that there were times in the Bible that God seemed to turn a blind eye to...like the instance with Rahab. She was rewarded for lying to the guards...she and her family were spared. God did not condemn or punish her. She contributed to the work of the Lord. I think that's more what this threads about and not about justifying being a liar.
 
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gerty said:
Is it? ....... I could be wrong, but I think the Bible speaks against "liars", (people who live that lifestyle) but I don't recall it condemning the telling of a lie as so many people in the Bible did for the good of others. Just like the book is against drunkards and a habit of drinking obsessively, but I don't remember condemnation of any specific incidences of getting drunk.

i gather from this that its ok to lie if its for the good of others? and, the bible is against obsessive drinking, but its ok to get drunk?
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Since you seem to want to be silly, you tell me........ where were the normally righteous people who did happen to get drunk condemned for it?
 
Pipp said:
No one was saying telling the truth was wrong.... just that there were times in the Bible that God seemed to turn a blind eye to...like the instance with Rahab. She was rewarded for lying to the guards...she and her family were spared. God did not condemn or punish her. She contributed to the work of the Lord. I think that's more what this threads about and not about justifying being a liar.
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Though rare here, it is good to see rational, thinking people posting. Thank you for pointing out what I thought should be obvious to most people.
 
I just read Matthew Henry's Commentary on Acts 3:22-26.

It answers the question on if it is okay to lie. It answers much more than that, too.
Here is a powerful address to warn the Jews of the dreadful consequences of their unbelief, in the very words of Moses, their favourite prophet, out of pretended zeal for whom they were ready to reject Christianity, and to try to destroy it. Christ came into the world to bring a blessing with him. And he sent his Spirit to be the great blessing. Christ came to bless us, by turning us from our iniquities, and saving us from our sins. We, by nature cleave to sin; the design of Divine grace is to turn us from it, that we may not only forsake, but hate it. Let none think that they can be happy by continuing in sin, when God declares that the blessing is in being turned from all iniquity. Let none think that they understand or believe the gospel, who only seek deliverance from the punishment of sin, but do not expect happiness in being delivered from sin itself. And let none expect to be turned from their sin, except by believing in, and receiving Christ the Son of God, as their wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.
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Not only is it not okay to lie. We should be hating lying by now!

Which wisdom are you going for -- man's wisdom or God's?
 
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