How do you interpret the ninth commandment, “thou shalt not bear false witness?” Should the commandment be updated to read, “Never lie to important people, about important things?” Do circumstances define a lie? Are there circumstances where a lie is superior to the truth? Does everyone lie frequently, without typically thinking of their lies as morally wrong? Is there raw truth to Mark Twain’s essay, On The Decay Of The Art Of Lying? www.online-literature.com/wilde/1320/
Should lies be told “thoughtfully” and “ judiciously,” as proposed in the penultimate paragraph? Is lying yet another way ... to improve silence?