I explore Augustine's case against lying. 

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• Against Lying: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1313.htm
• On Lying: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1312.htm
• Previous episode on lying: https://thefourthway.transistor.fm/episodes/consequentialism-the-moral-conundrum-of-lying-to-save-lives

Quotes:

1: Of lies are many sorts, which indeed all, universally, we ought tohate. For there is no lie that is not contrary to truth. For, as lightand darkness, piety and impiety, justice and iniquity, sin andright-doing, health and weakness, life and death, so are truth and alie contrary the one to the other. Whence by how much we love theformer, by so much ought we to hate the latter. Yet in truth there besome lies which to believe does no harm: although even by such sort oflie to wish to deceive, is hurtful to him that tells it, not to himthat believes it.

2: Some man will say, So then any thief whatever is to be accountedequal with that thief who steals with will of mercy? Who would saythis? But of these two it does not follow that any is good, becauseone is worse. He is worse who steals through coveting, than he whosteals through pity: but if all theft be sin, from all theft we mustabstain. For who can say that people may sin, even though one sin bedamnable, another venial? But now we are asking, if a man shall dothis or that, who will not sin or will sin? Not, who will sin moreheavily or lightly.

3. Apostle Peter had that in his heart which he had on his lips whenhe denied Christ? Surely in that denial he held the truth within anduttered the lie without. Why then did he wash away with tears thedenial which he uttered with his mouth, if that sufficed for salvationthat with the heart he believed? Why, speaking the truth in his heart,did he punish with so bitter weeping the lie which he brought forthwith his mouth, unless because he saw it to be a great and deadlyevil, that while with his heart he believed unto righteousness, withhis mouth he made not confession unto salvation?

4. Why then do we not rout out heretics, in order to their beingcaught, by the flesh committing lasciviousness in adultery, and yetthink right to rout them out by a mouth committing fornication inblasphemy? For either it will be lawful to defend both the one and theother with equal reason, that these things be therefore said to be notunjust, because they were done with intention of finding out theunjust: or if sound doctrine wills not even for the sake of findingout heretics that we should have to do with unchaste women, albeitonly in body, not in mind, assuredly not even for the sake of findingout heretics wills it that by us, albeit only in voice not in mind,either unclean heresy were preached, or the chaste Catholic Churchblasphemed.

5. But he who says that some lies are just, must be judged to say noother than that some sins are just, and therefore some things are justwhich are unjust: than which what can be more absurd? For whence is athing a sin, but for that it is contrary to justice? Be it said thenthat some sins are great, some small, because it is true; and let usnot listen to the Stoics who maintain all to be equal: but to say thatsome sins are unjust, some just, what else is it than to say thatthere be some unjust, some just iniquities?

6. commit not thou a great crime thine own, while thou dreadest agreater crime of other men, for be the difference as great as thouwilt between thine own and that of others, this will be thine own,

7. e36For if a lewd woman crave of you the gratification of her lust,and, when you consent not, she perturbed with the fierceness of herlove should die, will chastity also be a murderer? Or, truly, becausewe read, We are a sweet savor of Christ in every place, both in themwhich are saved and in them which perish; to the one, indeed, a savorof life unto life, to others a savor of death unto death; shall wepronounce even the savor of Christ to be a murderer? But, for that we,being men, are in questions and contradictions of this sort for themost part overcome or wearied out by our feeling as men, for that veryreason has the Apostle also presently subjoined, And who is sufficientfor these things?

8. m37 (context of telling a lie to a man on death bed about his son whodied): Nay more: for these persons who are so enamored of this life,that they hesitate not to prefer it to truth, that a man may not die,say rather, that a man who must some time die may die somewhat later,would have us not only to lie, but even to swear fasely; to wit, that,lest the vain health of man should somewhat more quickly pass away, weshould take the name of the Lord our God in vain! And there are amongthem learned men who even fix rules, and set bounds when it is a duty,when not a duty, to commit perjury!

• Philip Does
• Laverne Miller
• Jesse Killion