Mostly Poetry

So I’m kind of fond of honesty, and usually would rather tell (or hear) the painful truth than settle for a less painful lie.

Someone commented on a blip of mine a while back about something along the lines of “telling the truth isn’t always the best.”  I’m writing that from memory, so it could be a little off–but I’m pretty sure that was the basic idea.

Well I would typically disagree with that, and believe generally that honesty is always better.  But I’ve been thinking lately about instances in which a lie would actually be OK … and not only appropriate, but better than telling the truth.

Think of the moral “rules” we live by for a moment.  Are there some that you would consider to be more important than others?  I think there are.  Some I think are really important and others, well, we could probably skip them and nobody would notice.

I’ve heard it said before that “sin is sin”.  Typically this is thrown about in an argument where a person views a particular activity as acceptable and another doesn’t like it… so they state that “sin is sin” which essentially means that whatever (maybe minor) so-called “sin” that the person is “guilty” of, they might as we be a murderer because “sin is sin” and it’s all the same.

But if this were true (“sin is sin”, that is) then it seems to present a problem.

A common scenario mentioned in Christianity (which I am no longer a part of), usually talked about in regards to “end times” and persecution goes something like this: if someone put a gun to your head and asked you to deny Christ, would you do it?  Everyone of course always answers “no”.

But what if we changed the scenario.

What if someone put a gun to your best christian friend’s head, and asked you if your friend is a Christian?  Would you tell the truth?

I don’t care what you are–whether Christian or Jew or Hindu or Muslim or whatever … if you are my friend and we’re ever in that situation, I’m going to lie my ass off and say whatever I have to say to keep you alive.

But if all bad things are equal, I’ve become just as good as the murderer at that moment, which to me seems really screwed up.

But that’s not really the point of all this.  I’m not a murderer, nor am I a liar… but I’m all for choosing the lesser of two evils when evil is all there is to choose from.

So I guess what I’m trying to say is that there is indeed a time where it is not only OK to lie (in my opinion), but where it’s actually preferable.  Seriously, if you ever have to choose between telling a lie and getting me killed, please just LIE.  I’ll forgive you and I’m sure anyone in this world (or out of it) who actually matters will too.

While my thoughts and opinions on this stuff are always evolving, for now I’d rather have a liar for a friend than be dead.