A Good Lie?

Since the lecture I have been giving a lot of thought about whether lying is good or bad. This link is an article on what other people think about lying. It lists all the various lies there are.

http://www.harmoniousliving.co.za/Wellbeing/Life-Coaching/Lies-The-Good-the-Bad-and-the-Ugly/

We are always taught that lying is bad but from an early age our parents lie to us. Whether it be about such things as Santa or the Easter Bunny. It could be argued that these lies whilst they bring some magic to childhood are not really good because ultimately there is no real need to lie to children about this. It doesn't really bring the children closer to the true message of Christmas and Easter. Some cynics would even say that the actual religious view point is a lie, that really that is all a question of faith.

A good lie, that I can think of, is one that regularly occurs when there is a war. Soldiers die in battle but not always bravely and not always cleanly. However surely it is bad enough for a wife or parent to know that their loved one has been killed there is some comfort if they receive a letter from the soldiers commanding officer telling them that someone died quickly and bravely. A scene from Saving Private Ryan illustrates this well. In the scene, after the D Day landing a room full of typist are writing letters to families which all have a similar message, which is an attempt to ofter some comfort. In the previous scene the audience has seen how horrific D Day was, and how many soldiers died needlessly and there was little opportunity for bravery.

It is my opinion that if it gives some comfort to someone, this sort of lie cannot be wrong.