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I've mentioned before how the midwives in Egypt lied to Pharaoh about why the male children were not being killed...and God blessed those women.Now, I find that Jehu seemingly lied about wanting to offer a great sacrifice to Baal (2 Kings 10:19), when actually he wanted to get all the prophets of Baal in one place so he could kill them. The Bible calls it subtlety, but most of us would likely call it something else.Seemingly God approved--or at least it was presented as a good thing.

This is like putting the cat back in the bag or opening a can of worms.I have heard that there is a 'deep hidden' belief in the LDS church that 'lying for the Lord' if okay.I have heard the Harlot of Jerico used.Cannot cite any NT examples. Cept me maybe Having misrepresented the truth or tap dancing around the truth!I have known a couple pastors to do that. Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/

The midwives lying in order to protect innocent life from an evil, unjust Pharoah’s decree is not hard to justify. There is never any moral obligation for anyone to be complicit in the slaughter of innocent babies.

Aaron,Perhaps a Christian Ethics class is in order for you.Those types of scenarios are discussed there.Is there a hierarchy of sins - where you choose the lesser of two sins?The OT indeed has some examples.Perhaps even the NT had some examples.Hitler gives you a gun - and tells you to go to the next city and kill some Jews - or he kills your family -and then goes to the city himself and kills those Jews. You go to the city. He calls and asks Did you kill them? - what is your answer? Pretty easy for me. I don't owe the murderous villain anything - including the truth

Again, Christian Ethics - which is not the same as regular ethics - for the very reason you question it - is a class you can take probably as an online course from Lee - where you will freely discuss these things. How you treat your neighbor is how you treat God (how you do it unto the least of these - is how you do it unto me). Hitler is a murderous villain - I owe him nothing - and I don't believe God believes I owe him anything. There are others that feel differently. Military men that shoot invaders - don't consider it murder - because they are defending other folks from being murdered.I was recently at the Holocaust museum in DC where there is an honor roll of folks that saved Jews. One lady, a young housekeeper, saved 18 Jews by hiding them in the attic or cellar of the Gestapo major she worked for. (The rest of that neighborhood had all Jews liquidated.) Unfortunately, he found out but agreed to keep the secret if she serviced him regularly. She did. 18 Jews lived due to that action. Was fornication ok to stop 18 murders...19 if you include she was a goner, as well for hiding them. (the lesser of two sins) Irene Gut Opdyke (the housekeeper) (b. 1921) felt it was. The Jews agreed with her. I agree with her.Are you too holy to agree with her?Is there a third way - where you don't help killers but don't lie either? Perhaps - but I am convinced not always. When you face that situation - you will be glad you took the class where you can resolve these issues in your mind before being confronted with them and perhaps feeling guilt later

I don’t adhere to situational ethics but a wise person once told me something that rings true to me. “Sometimes people do the right thing for the wrong reasons. Sometimes people do the wrong thing for the right reasons. “ The Pharisees fasted and prayed for the wrong reason(s)

I don't like situational ethics as a term - but life puts us into situations.And ethics determines what we do in those situations.When I was younger - I thought everything would be black and white - and while in a Christian Ethics class - I took a hard line against any rule breaking. I have rethought that as I got older. Look - it is easy to recast everything as a good reason why I did a certain sin. I often rationalize those things myself. Yet 99% of the time those are indeed sins that God still says flee from. But when you can keep from breaking a commandment one way or another - when you can't flee - the other 1% of the ethical dilemmas ... if there is a higher ethical or moral reasoning for breaking a commandment (killing an intruder (murder?) if they break into your home) - then I choose the higher moral action over the lesser

Again, Christian Ethics - which is not the same as regular ethics - for the very reason you question it - is a class you can take probably as an online course from Lee - where you will freely discuss these things.

.....and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

An what about lyin on ya preachers an church reports? Does God allow that?Pastoral Visits: 397 (Only made 17 actual visits, but the nursing home had 360 residents)MW Attendance: 110 (young'uns church was counted twice; an the choir walked out an come in the front door so they was counted twice)