When is it ok to lie?

[Ms. Kensington]

I was reading something the other day that gave a qualification of when lying is permissable. I thought this could give tremendous insight into a person depending on how they responded.

What is your answer?

It's NEVER ok to lie.

Although I am pretty sure I know your God-given answer I cannot help but ask: "Why?"

I was wondering about this because I once read a book on lying that said that some religious people interpreted it as permissable to lie only when it would shame the person, and presumably, not harm anyone else, and that was the sole reason. I think it applies if you're in a group of strangers, and they had all have done something and it would publically shame that person but cause no harm to anyone else if he told the truth and said he didn't. So in that case, it is ok to lie. I'll look it up so I can give the exact example, but in the book it was presented as a religious stance, so I assumed there would be more people, maybe some here, who would be familiar with it.

The book is Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life by Sissela Bok.