TELLING THE TRUTH IS AN ABSOLUTE, AND ABSOLUTES CANNOT BE TAKEN.
Telling the truth is an absolute, and absolutes
cannot
be
When regard for the truth has been
taken. broken
down
or
even
slightly
According to St. Augustine of Hippo
weakened, all things will remain
pointed out that not all falsifications
doubtful.
In
brief,
without
are lies. But only those falsifications truthfulness, there is no integrity, with the intention to deceive qualify
and without integrity, there can be
as lies. A person must be judged as
no certainty. Once falsity is admitted
lying or not lying according to his
into communication, then one can
intention, not by the truth or falsity
never again be certain that the
of his expressions.
speaker is telling the truth.
Whereby others had suggested that Lying is a web that entangles more
Lying may lead to perjury or even blasphemy. One who becomes a habitual liar might lie even to God.
lying would be permissible as a
and more because lying necessitates
means of getting another to heaven.
more lying to explain and cover-up
According to St. Augustine of Hippo
for itself. Lying would weaken the
maintained that no eternal good
Christian
could be accomplished by a temporal
untruthful in one area, then how can
evil. He insisted that no one for any
people believe us when we teach
reason whatsoever ought to be
them Christian doctrine? When we
deceived into the Kingdom of Truth.
are teaching the faith to them, they
Christian teaching is truth and no
will say.
falsehood should be part of Christian
"How do I know whether
teaching. Also, Augustine insisted that lying breaks down regard the truth because lying destroys all certainty
faith,
for
if
we
are
you are not lying to me now?"
