Author Topic: lying by omission? (Read 1171 times)

spouse of Jesus · « **on:** January 28, 2010, 01:43:07 AM »

Is it sinful to hide the truth from those who have a right to know it?
Well, my father is a perfectionist and also hot tempered. Because of that, my mother and after her, my step-mother always ask us not to tell everything to him.
But from the time I decided to obey God's Law, I tried to inform my father of everything, believeing that it was sinful to hide anything from him. But things got worse, because he is an avid cigar smoker (100 cigarettes a day!) and if anything annoys him he increased this number.
My step-mother and other family members are angry at me. (especially my brother whose mistakes and sins were all reported to dad by me) They say that I may be responsible for dad's ruined health. (he has some weakness in his heart, he has to be very carefull).
I want to reconcile with my brother, but he says that he will do so only if I promise to close my mouth. I wonder if I must tell my father that his son has bought some banned comic books with a high price?

CM · « **Reply #1 on:** January 28, 2010, 02:18:53 AM »

First off, your dad is responsible for his own health, not you. He is the one making the choice to smoke. He has free will and he needs to use it.

That being said, if you feel that telling him your brother's sins is only going to continually upset him, you have to decide what good will come of it.

Will your dad properly discipline your brother so that he corrects his sinful ways? Or is he a poor disciplinarian who is too weak to chastise his children? I'm not trying to get a rise out of you; it is a legitimate question and your answer should largely influence how you will act.

You can promise your brother that you will not tell your dad everything - so long as you are not put into a situation where you would sin. If your brother is committing sins and you know about it, you still have to oppose him, either by entreaty, admonition or rebuke, if you know about the sin, otherwise you are giving tacit consent to what he does.

Depending on how much influence you have on your brother, he may amend his ways, especially when you point out to him that it is not you telling your dad that is influencing him to smoke, but your brother's sins that are driving him crazy, and that your dad would find out about them one way or another.

Your step-mother needs to wise up and realize this too. You don't protect the sinner by hiding his sins or by ignoring them o their effects - that doesn't help him at all. The sinner needs to be corrected by SOMEONE, your dad would be the best person to do it - if he were Catholic - but since he is not, and since your brother is not either (I presume), and since you are an catechumen, I believe that it would be best coming from you.

Express to him the truth that those who willingly and delightfully sin will be delivered up further and further to sin and infidelity and blindness and can end up in no other place than hell. Preach unto him Jesus crucified, then the two of you get all your doctrine straight, make sure you aren't communing spiritually with any heretics, schismatics or Muslims, and get yourself and your brother baptized, heck get the whole family converted unto the God of salvation.

Ajaleh kon!

spouse of Jesus · « **Reply #2 on:** January 28, 2010, 03:14:18 AM »

I have told him many many times to amend himself, but all in no avail.
Dad only reacts by keeping a long silence, secluding himself and smoking more and more.
I know what the poor guy suffers from, doctors have told him. He has some too much virility but still a university student. His doctor told us to ignore his actions and let him watch whatever he wants and speak openly about his feelings.
:cry:
PS. I spoke to him about hell, he says that hell is good if britney spears goes there too! :devil2:

CM · « **Reply #3 on:** January 28, 2010, 04:09:14 AM »

The I really have no idea what to tell you, except that you need to consummate your conversion and then begin praying like a saint for them, lest they all go into to hell.

You can be a fence sitting unbaptized catechumen and expect anything but to go into the fire Spouse. This needs to be your TOP PRIORITY. Forget school, forget everything else. YOU MUST CONVERT AND BE BAPTIZED or their will be hell to pay.

http://willingcatholicmartyr.blogspot.com/2010/01/on-feast-day-of-st-john-chrysostom.html

:cry: :cry: :cry:

spouse of Jesus · « **Reply #4 on:** January 28, 2010, 04:20:45 AM »

Laymen cannot baptize, unless it is a case of necessity.
only if our faith allowed it.....

CM · « **Reply #5 on:** January 28, 2010, 04:23:24 AM »

http://willingcatholicmartyr.blogspot.com/2010/01/on-feast-day-of-st-john-chrysostom.html