Lying / Lying Spirit

Faith Q&A › Metropolitan Youssef › Spiritual Life

8 questions

Judith used lies to save her people. This makes it seem OK to lie. What is the correct reasoning/logic behind this?
Is there a "good" kind of lying (e.g. covering other people's sins)? Because there are many stories in the Paradise of the Monks speaking about covering our brother's…
In the Holy Book of 1 Kings 22:20-23, a lying spirit is mentioned. Is this a lying spirit from God? If so how can that be?
Is telling a lie legitimate when trying to avoid hurting people's feelings? For example; if my opinion was solicited by a not-so-good-looking person, would it be sinful…
You stated in one of your answers at http://www.suscopts.org/q&a/index.php?qid=300&catid=250 that "There is no such thing as a 'good' kind of lying". How does your Grace…
In the Bible, we see that Joseph falsely accused his brothers of being spies even though he knew full well that they weren't spies. He did it only as an excuse for them…
What about in situations like a surprise party for a friend where lying sometimes is necessary to cover up the plan or if a teacher lies to her students about a test date…
I am having a problem with my friend. I found out some news recently about something important in my life. My friends knew what I aspired to attain but I did not tell…

Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.