THE LIE OF AN ATHEIST (NOT WHAT YOU MIGHT THINK)

A long time ago I read a short story (written, I think, by Graham Greene towards the end of his life) concerning a fictitious famous French Catholic novelist.

In his old age the novelist is still a regular Mass attender, but admits to a journalist that he has lost his Faith. When asked why he still goes to Mass, he explains that many of his readers have returned to the Church, influenced by his books. He keeps up the pretence of belief, so they will not lose their Faith through him.

When I was at University, a (privately) atheist philosophy Fellow of my college was a regular church-goer (Anglican) with his wife and chidren from whom he kept his disbelief secret. He explained that loss of religious faith was the greatest tragedy that could befall anyone.

Did these two men, the first fictional, the second very real, sin by lying?

Would Jesus condemn the novelist for his charitable lie?

Will He condemn the philosopher for his untruth, ignoring the matter of his being an atheist, or will He accept him for his kindness?

Can we believe that God is less charitable than we are?

MORAL THEOLOGY: IT'S A SIN TO TELL A LIE, BUT ALWAYS?

I have read several blogs which state, unequivocally, that it is always sinful to lie, even to save someone's life, and a fascinating entry in the New Advent Catholic encyclopoedia (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10195b.htm) on mental reservation, seems to support this view.

Hard cases, as lawyers say - or used to say, make bad law, but here are some hard cases:

In the last war, Polish Catholic Priests, at risk of their own lives, forged baptismal documents, and the Home Army provided false non-Jewish birth certificates, for Jewish children who were taken into Catholic homes to avoid murder by the Germans. Lying? Certainly. Sin? Not in my opinion, just heroism. Those heroic Poles, and the children they saved, faced torture and execution if caught.

Soldiers use camouflage and disinformation to deceive the enemy, as was done before the D Day landings in Normandy. Lying? Yup. Sin? Nope.

Captured Allied agents in Germany or Axis-occupied territory lied, even under torture, to save fellow agents, allies, or help their own country. A mortal sin? If so, one I may owe my life to.

Deceiving the enemy, whether a foreign force, an occupying power, or in a civil war, in order to save the lives of others or your own: sin? No. Duty? Yes.

The police ask a Priest if Mr Badman has confessed to murdering his wife. The Priest, bound by the seal of the Confessional lies and says that he has not. A damned liar? I would not say so.

I would go further, and propose that a military or armed enemy or an evil civil power has no right to the truth, compared with the right people have to their lives.

I would propose even further that such an enemy should be routinely lied to and deceived directly and indirectly in any way which will make his purposes less realisable.

Satan is commonly referred to as the father of lies. Sometimes we lie, because the evil created by Satan gives us little choice.

So I guess I'm a heretic.

Huh!

IN DEFENCE OF LYING or I THINK I MAY BE A HERETIC

I have read several blogs this last week which state, unequivocally, that it is always sinful to lie, even to save someone's life, and a fascinating entry in the New Advent Catholic encyclopoedia (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10195b.htm) on mental reservation, seems to support this view.

Hard cases, as lawyers say - or used to say, make bad law, but here are some hard cases:

In the last war, Polish Catholic Priests at risk of their own lives, forged baptismal documents, and the Home Army provided false non-Jewish birth certificates, for Jewish children who were taken into Catholic homes to avoid murder by the Germans. Lying? Certainly. Sin? Not in my opinion, just heroism.

Soldiers use camouflage and disinformation to deceive the enemy, as was done before the D Day landings in Normandy. Lying? Yup. Sin? Nope.

Captured Allied agents in Germany or Axis-occupied territory lied, even under torture, to save fellow agents, allies, or help their own country. A mortal sin? If so, one I may owe my life to.

Deceiving the enemy whether a foreign force, an occupying power, or in a civil war, in order to save the lives of others or your own: sin? No. Duty? Yes.

The police ask a Priest if Mr Badman has confessed to murdering his wife. The Priest, bound by the seal of the Confessional lies and says that he has not. A damned liar? I would not say so.

I would go further, and propose that a military or armed enemy or an evil civil power has no right to the truth, compared with the right people have to their lives.

I would propose even further that such an enemy should be routinely lied to and deceived directly and indirectly in any way which will make his purposes less realisable.

Satan is commonly referred to as the father of lies. Sometimes we lie, because the evil created by Satan gives us little choice.

So I guess I'm a heretic.

Huh!