Today I was reading in Joshua and read about Rahab. In this account, she lies to her people in order to save the Israelite spies.
This account describes what happens, and so does not necessarily comment on whether it was ethically okay to do this. According to the events, God does bless Rahab by allowing her to be spared, while the rest of Jericho was destroyed a few chapters later.
In my opinion, Rahab was justified in her actions to do a greater good by lying. I think there are times where it is okay to do something that is normally sinful in order to do a greater good. To clarify, I don't think is is always okay to commit a sin for a greater good. In this case however, I think she was justified.
Other accounts of deception are in Exodus 1 (the midwives), 1 Samuel 16 (Samuel deceives Saul about his true reason for going to Bethlehem).
What are your thoughts on this issue:
1. With reference to Rahab?
2. In general?
3 comments:
I was talking about this with my pastor on this same issue last year. It is interesting to see how the reason for lying seems more the issue than the actual act of lying.
I agree with you that Rachel was spared because she lied in her reverence for God and his people.
I think in general, it is hard to do a blanket statement stance on whether doing bad for the greater good is justified although I can think of certain instances it may be like killing someone during war time (i.e. WWI and WWII).
I agree with your view in point 1.
In general... I took this line of reasoning in a discussion a year ago and was hammered pretty good by others! It's dangerous in some ways but I think the Bible doesn't mandate that lying is 100% wrong all the time. It's dangerous because it might be that much easier to justify lying when it shouldn't be justified. But, danger isn't a reason to argue against it. There seem to me to be occassions (like Rahab and others) where there is a higher ethic that trumps lying.
Thanks for your thoughts Guys!
@Josh - it is hard to make blanket statements. I think this can be classified as a grey area in which certain situations it is a sin to lie, even if you presume it to be for a greater good. For example, "i will lie on my tax return so that i can get more money back and give it to orphans in africa." I cant imagine there being a strong argument for that circumstance. I could be wrong though. Thoughts?
@andrew - I think this is where the "two wills on God" is applicable. In one sense, God desires his moral will to be obeyed (ie no lying). But in another sense, in his sovereign will, he allows and even purposes for things contrary to his moral will to occur, in order that he receive greater glory, and a greater good to be done.
For more on this, see Pipers article on the subject: http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/articles/are-there-two-wills-in-god
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