Blackberries and PDA’s of all sorts have reportedly made it easier for Americans to lie. One PDA manufacturer has made this ease-of-lying component a “staple” of its advertising. Perhaps, you have seen the ads where the boss is asking where a report is, and the person replies, “finishing up right now,” then proceeds to text or phone the folks who are supposed to be working on the project. The question is, when is it OK for a Christian to lie? In Kentucky, a church once split over this question of lying. The argument was over whether or not Christians should tell the Indians there were other people in the home. Must Christians tell the Indians others are hiding in the house? Or, might it be OK, as it seems to have been with Rahab, to say, “They ain’t here”? Those who held the high ground won the day. Those who would have acted as Rahab the harlot were branded, “The Lying Church.” Where would you be in this scenario? More importantly, why? What is actually the biblical position on lying and deception? (It’s not as simple as the 10 commandments. There is no commandment specifically against lying. The commandment there is opposed to your bearing false witness against your neighbor.)
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Gregory C. Cochran 
First of all, forgive me if I copy someone, because in my blondeness I can’t figure out how to get to the other comments. I think that, if done with Christ-reflecting motives, lying is okay. After all, Rahab made the “Faith Hall of Fame” for lying. Hebrews 11:31 says, By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace. Or take the example of Corrie ten Boom who lied to the Nazi soldiers to assist the Jews hiding in the Dutch underground. Sometimes, there is a very just reason for lying. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it’s okay to lie to your parents to save your tail. If you are lying, just ask youself, am I radiating the fact that I am a child of God through this, or am I acting like a slave of the world?
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I’m afraid I disagree with Norelo. In 1 John 2:21 it says, “I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth.” So as the writer of 1 John says, no lie is of the truth. SO when we lie we are not showing a good witness to other people. Also, for every sin we commit we will stand before the Father and be judged.
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Well, ok then KD, like it says in the example, would you turn over the Christians to Indians? If you were faced with the same scenario, what would you do? Turn your friends over? To save a friend from righteous punishment, I would want to be the first to tell the truth. But to save a friend from unrighteous punishment, from persecution, I believe it would be noble to lie to save them. Of course, I wouldn’t lie to save myself, but friends and fellow Christians, yes.
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Yeah. Katie.
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I didn’t put a post on here yet..why did you say my name??
It’s a hard question. I think what Face and Norelo said was good and I kinda agree. It does say in the Bible,
“Let your yes be yes, and your no be no.”
Lying to your parents to save yourself from a deserved punishment is wrong. But yeah, Rahab did lie. So did Michal to save David!
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