Some people assert that lying is a sin. And I agree that lying CAN be sinful. But is lying ALWAYS sinful?
I assert lying is not necessarily a sin and in fact lying can be righteous!
I think we all agree that when your wife (or husband) asks... "How did you like the spinach pizza?" A good ol' white lie like... "The spinach pizza was great however did you think of that?" Is more than appropriate.
But what makes a righteous lie??
Imagine a German family hiding some jewish children in their basement hoping to save them from the Holocaust. Then imagine that the Nazi's come to the door on a tip that their are Jews at this location.
Which of the following is sinful?
A. Lying to the Nazi officers by telling them that there are no Jews in your basement.
or....
B. Telling the truth and allowing the Nazi officers to take away the hiding Jewish children in your basement so they can be slaughtered.
It is obvious in the above case telling the truth would be SINFUL!
In the Bible we read...
But the Hebrew midwives told a righteous lie to save babies!
Some think that "Thou shall not lie" is one of the 10 commandments. It is not.
Lying is only sinful when the motivation is sinful.
Thoughts?
I assert lying is not necessarily a sin and in fact lying can be righteous!
I think we all agree that when your wife (or husband) asks... "How did you like the spinach pizza?" A good ol' white lie like... "The spinach pizza was great however did you think of that?" Is more than appropriate.
But what makes a righteous lie??
Imagine a German family hiding some jewish children in their basement hoping to save them from the Holocaust. Then imagine that the Nazi's come to the door on a tip that their are Jews at this location.
Which of the following is sinful?
A. Lying to the Nazi officers by telling them that there are no Jews in your basement.
or....
B. Telling the truth and allowing the Nazi officers to take away the hiding Jewish children in your basement so they can be slaughtered.
It is obvious in the above case telling the truth would be SINFUL!
In the Bible we read...
The King of Egypt ordered the Hebrew midwives to murder baby Hebrew males at birth.
But the Hebrew midwives told a righteous lie to save babies!
God blessed the midwives for their righteous lie.
Some think that "Thou shall not lie" is one of the 10 commandments. It is not.
Bearing false witness is a type of lying but it is a specific type of lying that makes it sinful.
Lying is only sinful when the motivation is sinful.
Thoughts?
