Quote:
Originally Posted by Davidius  Is it then acceptable to break the other commandments in order to save lives? If someone were to threaten to kill your wife unless you commit adultery, would it be acceptable to commit adultery? Would your wife want you to do that to save her life? There are probably better examples, but you get my point. |
The way I would approach the question is this:
I know the primary command is do not lie. But I see in the bible (not in man's pragmatic reasoning, but the word of God himself) exceptions made. Just as God defines that lying is sin, it is God too who defines what is sinful 'lying'. By looking at the bible, I understand that lying in a situation similar to Rahab's is not sin.
The question whether if this reasoning can be pushed to apply to other sins and situations is perhaps interesting, but I do not think it affects the validity of the reasoning. I see a specific 'exception' made in the context of the command not to lie and I am happy to believe that. Whether or that there is a general principle here that can be extended elsewhere is, imho, a completely different question.
To give another example, the fact that there are exceptions from the command not to murder for self defense, war and capital punishment does not logically lead us to think that the principle must be extended to committing adultery in times of war or for self defense. I think the subject of lying can be treated in the same way.