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Show QUESTION ANSWERED. Editor Intermountain Catholic: In a religious controversy between A and B, A, who is a Baptist, maintains that in Catholic teaching teach-ing it is a part of Catholic belief that a man is sometimes justified in telling a lie; and, furthermore, further-more, that it is a part of Catholic dogma, in some instances, to do so, as "the end justifies the cause." B, an intelligent Catholic, says it is not a part of Catholic faith; that, as all Catholic dogmas are positive declarations, a lie, which is a. denial of truth, could not enter into the domain of faith; also, that every lie is a sin, and that its gravity is commensurate with the malice, and the gravity of the injury inflicted on others by a lie. A SUBSCRIBER. Leadville, Colo., Nov. 23, 1005. To answer the question propounded by our correspondent cor-respondent it is. first necessary to distinguish between be-tween what the Catholic church teaches authoritatively authori-tatively as articles of faith and what does not belong be-long to the domain of faith and morals. Whatever is declared to be an article of faith must be accepted ac-cepted as such in order to be a member of the church. All articles contained in the Apostles' Apos-tles' Creed belong to the domain of dogma. The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, namely, not only was the mother of Jesus bom sinless, but she was conceived-free from original sin inherited by all the descendants of Adam and Eve. A denial of any article of faith, proclaimed as such, would be to sever all connection with the body of the church. lie who tells a lie sins but does not sever his connection, on that account, from the Church. If. a lie meant dismembership, church members would be as scarce as'hens' teeth, since "all men are liars," according to the Scriptures. A lie is not confined to untruthful utterances. It may be expressed in various ways, but, in whatever manner it may be ex- . pressed, there is nothing in Catholic theology to jjustify a lie. The principle underlying all Catholic teaching, in reference to lying, is taken from St. Paul's teaching: "Evil should never be done that gcod may come." This is the very reverse of what the Baptist thinks Catholic faith to be when he quotes the old stereotyped slander that Catholic believe be-lieve "the end justifies the means." Some very prominent and distinguished English Eng-lish writers have justified lying, under certain conditions. con-ditions. William Paley, an Anglican divine and philosopher, in one of his works says : "There are falsehoods which arc not lies, i. c, which are not criminal." Jeremy Taylor, an Anglican bishop and celebrated cele-brated theologic.il writer, saj-3: "To tell a lie for charity, to save a man's life, ,thc life of a friend, of a husband, of a prince, of a useful aud public person, hath not only been done at all times, but commended by great and wise and good men. Who would not save his father's life, at the charge of a harmless lie, from .persecutors or tyrants V Johnson, in his theological code, lays dowix the .following for the guidance of his followers: "The general rule is, that truth should never be violated; there must, however, be some exceptions. If, for instance, a murderer should ask you which way a man is gov" In the controversy between A and B, the latter is right, . and, not only this, but eould, from the .- . V T.ibove quotations; show and prove that Bs charge apply to Protestant theologians and not to Catholb teaching. To confirm this contention we refer th controversailists to an article in the last i-Mie o: this paper, where the editor of the Western Watch man, once jocosely replying to a charge of a Meth odist bishop, was malieiou-ly charged of evil d -signs by suppressing a part of a sentence written by him. The lie, through the suppression of th.j real intention of the writer, oi.ee afloat, wns civ culated far and wide, and still scrv.-s, after twenty-tivc twenty-tivc years, as good literature for religious bigotry. |