Comments on: What’s The Deal With Lying? http://biblearchive.com/blog/2010/apologetics/whats-the-deal-with-lying/ Thoughts from Plymouth Brethren Blogger Rey Reynoso Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:21:06 +0000 hourly 1 By: rey http://biblearchive.com/blog/2010/apologetics/whats-the-deal-with-lying/comment-page-1/#comment-8093 rey Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:27:01 +0000 http://biblearchive.com/blog/?p=1681#comment-8093 The case of David and Achish in 1 Samuel 21 is a case where a person acts insane to save their own life but I don't know if it's evil. It could be on account of him fleeing there. But there's other cases of lying for self-preservation like the midwives in Exodus who said that the Jewish women gave birth before the midwives even got there. Surely they were doing it to preserve the lives of others, but the lie was preserving their own lives. Remove Santa for a bit. If a child tells another child "come have tea with me and Emily." and then points at at two empty chairs next to her, is she lying? What if she starts speaking to "emily" and thanking her for pouring out tea? Bringing back the Santa bit, it might be confusing when that information comes from Dad and Mom (trying to differentiate between what's actual and what's make-believe) but it doesn't seem to be lying or even inherently evil. Of course, there's another way that the whole Santa business might be wrong and that's if the intention is to get the kid to believe in something that really isn't there. It's not a game but you're intentionally doing this for some reason. That seems wrong to me. The case of David and Achish in 1 Samuel 21 is a case where a person acts insane to save their own life but I don’t know if it’s evil. It could be on account of him fleeing there. But there’s other cases of lying for self-preservation like the midwives in Exodus who said that the Jewish women gave birth before the midwives even got there. Surely they were doing it to preserve the lives of others, but the lie was preserving their own lives.

Remove Santa for a bit. If a child tells another child “come have tea with me and Emily.” and then points at at two empty chairs next to her, is she lying? What if she starts speaking to “emily” and thanking her for pouring out tea? Bringing back the Santa bit, it might be confusing when that information comes from Dad and Mom (trying to differentiate between what’s actual and what’s make-believe) but it doesn’t seem to be lying or even inherently evil.

Of course, there’s another way that the whole Santa business might be wrong and that’s if the intention is to get the kid to believe in something that really isn’t there. It’s not a game but you’re intentionally doing this for some reason. That seems wrong to me.

]]> By: Tim Felten http://biblearchive.com/blog/2010/apologetics/whats-the-deal-with-lying/comment-page-1/#comment-7763 Tim Felten Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:44:44 +0000 http://biblearchive.com/blog/?p=1681#comment-7763 It seems to me that it depends on one's motives as to whether a lie is wrong. The continuous strand that I see running through the Holy pages is that we ought to uphold and preserve THE truth (God, His word, etc.). Therefore it makes sense that Peter's selfishly motivated lie was wrong, while Rahab's (causiously said) was not. If this is true then, does Santa really fit into preservation of the truth? It seems to me that it depends on one’s motives as to whether a lie is wrong. The continuous strand that I see running through the Holy pages is that we ought to uphold and preserve THE truth (God, His word, etc.). Therefore it makes sense that Peter’s selfishly motivated lie was wrong, while Rahab’s (causiously said) was not. If this is true then, does Santa really fit into preservation of the truth?

]]> By: Tim Felten http://biblearchive.com/blog/2010/apologetics/whats-the-deal-with-lying/comment-page-1/#comment-7758 Tim Felten Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:07:51 +0000 http://biblearchive.com/blog/?p=1681#comment-7758 Wow, this has been a very insighful post. Kudos to you, my friend. I'm not so sure about lying, however, being ok for self-preservation. Sounds kinda selfish. But what about for the sole purpose of upholding the truth: (i.e., I am to do good to all men. Doesn't that involve protecting them? Same goes for our God-given responsibility of protecting our family.) So then, if this is the case, does Santa really fit into upholding the truth or am I missing something? Wow, this has been a very insighful post. Kudos to you, my friend. I’m not so sure about lying, however, being ok for self-preservation. Sounds kinda selfish. But what about for the sole purpose of upholding the truth: (i.e., I am to do good to all men. Doesn’t that involve protecting them? Same goes for our God-given responsibility of protecting our family.) So then, if this is the case, does Santa really fit into upholding the truth or am I missing something?

]]> By: rey http://biblearchive.com/blog/2010/apologetics/whats-the-deal-with-lying/comment-page-1/#comment-5816 rey Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:44:27 +0000 http://biblearchive.com/blog/?p=1681#comment-5816 Yeah, I would think then that telling kids about Santa Claus isn't necessarily wrong or even evil but it might be confusing. If a person thinks they can navigate those waters then they could traverse them if they wanted to. Yeah, I would think then that telling kids about Santa Claus isn’t necessarily wrong or even evil but it might be confusing. If a person thinks they can navigate those waters then they could traverse them if they wanted to.

]]> By: P. E. http://biblearchive.com/blog/2010/apologetics/whats-the-deal-with-lying/comment-page-1/#comment-5815 P. E. Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:36:58 +0000 http://biblearchive.com/blog/?p=1681#comment-5815 wondering than...with all that said is it wrong or evil to children about santa claus wondering than…with all that said is it wrong or evil to children about santa claus

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