RE: What is worse, lying when you have to justify your action or not giving any answer?
March 17, 2019 at 9:26 pm
Being very practical, it's perfectly OK in Islam to lie outright and even to deny your faith to preserve life. Christian are expected to become martyrs.
Human beings lie constantly, often in what are politely called 'white lies', used to preserve another's feelings.
When I'm asked if I lie, I presume the questioner means do I lie for advantage or persona gain. Of course, sometimes, but I try to avoid telling lies, for two reasons; I consider lying for self advantage immoral and because it can be very hard to maintain even a fairly simple lie. I also think 'honesty is the best policy" to be literally true, mostly.
Yes, I lie outright about my atheism when I consider it necessary, as say when in a muslim country. Muslims hate atheists. I usually say "I'm a person of the book", if the question ever comes up, which is rarely. In Oz it's considered rude to ask a person about their religious beliefs.
Once, at a party this bloke asked me 'have you heard the news?"
My response was "if you tell me the answer is Jesus, I'm going tp punch you in the face". He moved away. How was he to know I wouldn't hit him? (that was as a self serving lie)
So, I try to avoid lying, but am not always successful. It's a mater of context.
Human beings lie constantly, often in what are politely called 'white lies', used to preserve another's feelings.
When I'm asked if I lie, I presume the questioner means do I lie for advantage or persona gain. Of course, sometimes, but I try to avoid telling lies, for two reasons; I consider lying for self advantage immoral and because it can be very hard to maintain even a fairly simple lie. I also think 'honesty is the best policy" to be literally true, mostly.
Yes, I lie outright about my atheism when I consider it necessary, as say when in a muslim country. Muslims hate atheists. I usually say "I'm a person of the book", if the question ever comes up, which is rarely. In Oz it's considered rude to ask a person about their religious beliefs.
Once, at a party this bloke asked me 'have you heard the news?"
My response was "if you tell me the answer is Jesus, I'm going tp punch you in the face". He moved away. How was he to know I wouldn't hit him? (that was as a self serving lie)
So, I try to avoid lying, but am not always successful. It's a mater of context.
