The Invention Of Lying Concept

[Asmodeus]

The Invention Of Lying movie by Ricky Gervais is interesting to me due to it's concept more than anything. Yes, it shows the typical stupidity of Christianity, but what I find fascinating is how it all began in the first place.

So, in a world where people are incapable of lying, the main character lies to his Mother on her death bed that she is going to a great place after her death where she will be reunited with lost loved ones and surrounded by beautiful scenery in the wonderful world of "heaven"

What's so bad about that? Yes, things get out of hand later in the movie, but looking at just that one scene, what is the harm? We lie all the time for various reasons, and sometimes with good intent, just to make someone feel better, and in this case she is dying anyway, so why not make her feel like it's not really the end....that she has something to look forward to?

My own Mother was Christian, but was aware of my thoughts on religion, and we respected each other (after her initial shock, of course) and she was open to my way of thinking as she entered her 70's. However, as she laid in the hospital bed, in pain and dying, I would have said or done anything to make her feel better, regardless of my own personal views.

What would you do? Have you done anything similar in the past? Share your thoughts on what would be the last lie you ever told a person.

[Silver]

Regarding your death-bed point specifically, I've never had a similar encounter. Surprising, really, considering the field in which I work, but I think I would let the person hear what s/he wanted in that situation.

[The Grand Nudger]

I wholeheartedly agree with sending people off to whatever heaven they believe in. I hope that I have one of those good trips in my last moments, though I suspect that they're less common than we're lead to believe. If I see the fuckin boats filled up with everyone I lost I don't want anyone interrupting my good time....and I in turn promise not to interrupt their good time at my wake.

[arewethereyet]

At the time of death, the more peace and comfort we can offer the dying person, the better.

It is certainly not the time to try for conversion/deconversion. The focus should be on the easiest death possible...physically and emotionally.

[Angrboda]

Then again, you never know the consequences of your acts. Perhaps that pious grandmother is hoping someone will assure them that it's all a lie, and they'll just blissfully transit to nothingness at death.

[Fake Messiah]

Also, (Christian) beliefs in the afterlife are not frequently consoling, but contra productive because of hell. People near death can obsess much more with the eternal punishment than the awards. For example, I've heard a story of some old woman who was near death and was obsessed with some lie she said in the past that she was worried she was going to Hell because of it. They even called a priest to atone her, but it didn't help. Or like when you see old people going to church every day for the same reasons.

And to me it seems that heaven is more of a consolidation for the living than dying people. If someone lived for a few decades, he or she doesn't mind if there's nothing out there.

Plus, death comes to people in different forms. Some people pretend they're not going to die and some people are already out of their minds, so these questions of what I would do seem improbable.

All that said, being an atheist doesn't necessarily mean you don't believe in some sort of afterlife. I guess it would be a godless afterlife.

[The Grand Nudger]

If there is an afterlife, it's certainly a godless one. I think gods need to get their own gig and stop lampreying all over the place.

[Sheldon]

The Invention Of Lying movie by Ricky Gervais is interesting to me due to it's concept more than anything. Yes, it shows the typical stupidity of Christianity, but what I find fascinating is how it all began in the first place.

So, in a world where people are incapable of lying, the main character lies to his Mother on her death bed that she is going to a great place after her death where she will be reunited with lost loved ones and surrounded by beautiful scenery in the wonderful world of "heaven"

What's so bad about that? Yes, things get out of hand later in the movie, but looking at just that one scene, what is the harm? We lie all the time for various reasons, and sometimes with good intent, just to make someone feel better, and in this case she is dying anyway, so why not make her feel like it's not really the end....that she has something to look forward to?

My own Mother was Christian, but was aware of my thoughts on religion, and we respected each other (after her initial shock, of course) and she was open to my way of thinking as she entered her 70's. However, as she laid in the hospital bed, in pain and dying, I would have said or done anything to make her feel better, regardless of my own personal views.

What would you do? Have you done anything similar in the past? Share your thoughts on what would be the last lie you ever told a person.

The harm comes later, after you fail to challenge the idea that someone knows what a deity wants, and then insist you can't disagree.

“Many religions now come before us with ingratiating smirks and outspread hands, like an unctuous merchant in a bazaar. They offer consolation and solidarity and uplift, competing as they do in a marketplace. But we have a right to remember how barbarically they behaved when they were strong and were making an offer that people could not refuse.”

Christopher Hitchens...

The timing can be tricky, and like you, I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but I am not going to wait until I (or anyone else) is being burned as a heretic, or witch, (literally or metaphorically), they can fuck that...sky high. 

[The Grand Nudger]

It's not like they're gonna tell anyone you played along.

[Silver]

I play along for a little while, then the mask slips.