Are there times when it’s good or ok to lie?

[OzSpen]

wondering,

Are you at liberty to she an example or two of where telling the truth could be the worst thing to do?

Oz

Sorry for the typo. 'She' should be 'share.'

 

[GodsGrace]

wondering,

Are you at liberty to she an example or two of where telling the truth could be the worst thing to do?

Oz

Yes. I can tell you.

Giving an autistic child the same answer you'd give to a normal child and then watching them
cry for hours and get anxiety and more.

It's better to lie.

I believe God wouldn't mind.

 

[GodsGrace]

Sorry for the typo. 'She' should be 'share.'

Figured it out!

 

[GodsGrace]

wondering,

I had a situation about 4 years ago when I confided in an elder of the church about what was happening in my marriage. As an elder, he makes a commitment to confidentiality. My then wife phoned his wife to ask if I was visiting with the elder. Sadly, the elder's wife broke my confidentiality by telling my wife that's where I was.

The elder's wife's excuse was she could not tell a lie. I emailed her to say that as an elder's wife she also has an obligation of confidentiality. She could have said to my wife: "I'm an elder's wife and he is sworn to confidentiality. So am I."

I told her I wouldn't take it further and go to the elders' meeting about the matter, but that response by the elder's wife knocked me for a six (a particularly British or Aussie saying).

Oz

I agree with you.

There are different situations when lying is the best thing we could do by belonging in the Kingdom of God here on earth.

My friend's daughter was being left by her husband (some years ago). The daughter was making a big mistake by something she was doing.
That would have been the wrong time to tell my friend because she needed support.

I did tell her, eventually, what I thought - she was ready to hear it then and agreed with me and does to this day.

Sometimes lying is a good thing if done for the right reason and with a good conscience.
A good conscience is one that has been developed by using God's moral statutes.
Just feeling good about something does not necessarily mean our conscience should be OK about it.

 

[humble soul]

People who distort the truth in order to be cheerful. To cheer others up even they stretch the truth. Dark pessimists may accuse them of lying. But we need optimists. We need liars essentially. To smooth things over and to make unpalatable realities more bearable.