The Wrong Thing for the Right Reason?

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Purple Knight
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The Wrong Thing for the Right Reason?

Post #1

Post by Purple Knight »

Question for Debate: What is the proper interpretation of, "He did the wrong thing, but for the right reason," through the lens of the Christian religion?

A good example is that many people believe lying is wrong but are incredibly eager to excuse someone if they have even the slightest reason for doing it, so much so that "you told a lie, that was wrong," if it comes from such people, is ultimately more a statement about someone's lack of ability to make convincing and clever excuses, than anything to do with actually having told the lie.

I understand that Christians aren't supposed to be judgmental of anyone, but I don't think anyone can avoid just the part of judgment where you have a well-formed view of whether what somebody did was wrong or not. I don't think you can proceed toward being a good person without that.

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Re: The Wrong Thing for the Right Reason?

Post #11

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bjs1 wrote: Sun Feb 05, 2023 9:10 amThere is a difference between lying to prevent physical harm and lying to prevent emotional harm. In fact, such lying rarely has to do with the other person’s good. A lie to prevent emotional harm, like telling someone they don’t look fat, is probably more about saving myself from an awkward situation. It is a selfish lie.
This may be worthy of its own topic, but isn't physical harm only bad because it causes emotional harm? I rip off your arm, and that hurts. That causes pain. It's not just a cold realisation of something being painful; there's a fundamental thing with pain and that's that we don't like it. Later, when all you have is a stump, you won't be able to work or play World of Warcraft or do whatever, and that will cause further emotional pain. People won't mate with you because they see the stump, they become terrified, and then even more pain, all emotional. It's not the physicality of any of it, even pain: It's that you care that you're in pain and don't want to be.
bjs1 wrote: Sun Feb 05, 2023 9:10 amAt the same time people can use radical honesty as an excuse for cruelty. Saying, “You’re fat and that makes you ugly,” does not come from love. Any reasonable person can find ways to be both honest and kind.
I do best around people who just want the honesty and don't care how it's phrased. I also rather despise those who will cover an unpleasant truth in twenty layers of sugar and marshmallows which I then have to wade through to figure out what they're actually saying. I can't despise them that much because society makes them do it, but it makes trouble for me is all it does.

I've learned to say nothing at all most of the time because most of what I say, even when positive, will not count as nice. But people put me on the spot and ask what I think and I have no sugar and marshmallows to coat anything with.

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