Truth & The Lying Principle

We cannot flourish without knowledge of the truth. Those who live with ignorance, superstition and dishonesty suffer greatly & are seriously harmed. Christians believe Christ is the final Truth & that all truth is to be embraced and loved for his sake. The Pope recently described the Church as a partner of humanity in its search for truth: a humble servant assisting in the search for sound answers, whether in morality, science, politics, religion etc. Because they cherish truth, Christians have always been involved with education and the public media: teachers and reporters are bound to inform themselves well and communicate honestly with their audiences.

The gravest offence against truth is lying. Lying is uttering what is false with the intention of deceiving. It’s never necessary: one can always choose not to reveal truths without lying. The Catechism describes lying as a sort of violence against others: it is unjust, uncharitable, demeaning and usually has serious consequences—especially for the liar. Christian philosophers traditionally support the Lying Principle: do not lie, ever. Lies delight Satan, the Father of Lies, and are sins against the Eighth Commandment.