To this I replied:
Professor,
Of course I mean no disrespect in the following post as it is for discussion sake. Thank you for replying and challenging intellect.
Overall, nice question but you dug deep for this scenario to prove a point, did you not? It is okay because I think I have an answer and it is deeper than just yes or no and I think this helps for the sake of discussion about "arguments" in general and if not that then the whole of morale.
When I speak about the heart and lying, and truth telling to build character, and I understand you do this for discussion sake, there are always instances where the opposing party digs so deep and finds a scenario or proposition that somehow "seems" to blow the whole of the case for the other person. The opposing individual would ask themselves inquires such as "am I just digging for questions to try to prove him wrong, or do I truly disagree with his whole proposal"? That is like asking "why does God allow evil and wars", etc., when that question is truly unanswerable. His ways are not our own, and that does not mean that there is no God, but many times that question is asked by an opposing party to try to disprove that very thing of existence. When operating with the statement for truth is always the way, I believe that a truthful person builds a stronger heart and the deceitful person destroys marriages/relationships and strong bonds with close peers because of lying. I truly believe it is a heart problem and one that is a destructive life to lead.
Now, to your question. In the time of Jesus, if a disciple were asked if he was harboring the Savior in his home, would the disciple lie or tell the truth? That depends on if the individual is supposed to, in God's will, tell the truth in that instance or not. In history, if Judas would not have sold Jesus out to be captured, then would the plan of Jesus come to fruition or not? Sometimes deceit has to happen, or sin on Judas' part, (a.k.a. A bad thing), to bring about the will of God. It makes absolutely zero sense to us humans but it does not matter if it makes sense to our finite brains anyways.
Honestly, I most likely would lie to protect an innocent person. Does that mean "Evan retreats upon his word so that shows a hole of deceit in an argument"? I would hope not because I still believe the "meat" of everything I said to still be true and that in 99% of instances, unless something is this rare as you have stated, telling the truth is still better than a lie. That is what I would do. And I would stop Hitler from happening altogether, and Stalin, and death in general, but that just cannot happen. I feel like I would have done that, but maybe that is not what was suppose to happen because it did not happen that way in history to many people. Is it a terrible thing? Yes. On the other hand, everything has happened, in my belief, for a reason and a purpose leading to this very moment, even things as horrid as death.
I may be babbling now but I hope I got my point across. Thanks for the question! Questions like that, even in few sentences, always seem to bring out the essays in me.
Blog readers, sometimes it is hard to defend our faith and true values but in any circumstance we must always try our best to somehow defend what we can only barely understand ourselves.
