Tradicat

 + JMJ   In post 3 I ended which some questions that I wanted to understand. Who has a right to an unambiguous answer? Examples include: when a pastor questions parties preparing for marriage,  when a person who is about to be inducted into office is asked about his freedom from disqualifications,  when a witness in court is interrogated about matters on which he can testify, when one party to a contract seeks from the other necessary knowledge about the contract;  What rights could be injured? Examples include: against the common good, in favor of a private good). When are you bound to keep the truth from a questioner? those who are questioned about secrets which sacramental or professional confidence forbids them to disclose (e.g., confessors, doctors, lawyers, statesmen, and secretaries) should deny knowledge, or, if hard-pressed, even the facts. .     The answer, "I do not know" or "No," in these cases simply means: "I have no personal or ...

 + JMJ I had recourse to Jone's Moral Theology to augment the other resource. A mental reservation is essentially that a "speaker puts a meaning into words which is different from that which the words taken into themselves have in ordinary conversation". Strict Mental Reservation:  Forbidden Used when the actual meaning of the utterance can in no way be inferred from the external circumstances. e.g. I have not stolen - adds mentally - with the left hand but with the right. Broad Mental Reservation: Permissible sometimes with sufficient reason If the meaning of the expression can be inferred either from the circumstances of the question of the answer, of from customary usage, even if, as a matter of fact, such inference is not actually made; such as the conventional polite phrases, e.g. The mistress is not at home, meaning, not at home to receive visitors.    From my reading I have concluded that the use of mental reservations or ambiguities are governed by the follow...

 + JMJ   2399. Mental Reservation.--Mental reservation is an act of the mind by which a speaker restricts or limits his words to a meaning which they do not naturally or clearly convey; or it is an internal modification of an external speech delivered without any or without clear external modification. There are two types of mental reservation: Strict and Broad. Strict mental reservation is a 'modification' of the meaning without any external signs and is always sinful. Broad mental reservations are those in which the internal modification can be perceived.  Depending on some factors this type of reservation can be sinful or allowed. Finally, there are ambiguous answers. There are answers that have multiple interpretations, one of which coincides with the truth and the other(s) are simply a misinterpretation. However, the context can render an ambiguous answer a lie. P^3

 + JMJ Introduction  The truth matters to me and there are few things that trigger me as strongly as the truth of a matter (pun). This may be due to my Mother's ability to always catch me in a lie or my inability to lie well :-).  Nonetheless, I am strongly triggered by falsehood and being who I am, I don't back down in an argument as I believe that by having discussions we can drive towards the truth of a matter ... at least as close to it as possible in this life.  However, being the the son of a man who escaped a communist regime, I also realize that speaking the truth in an imprudent manner could lead to unpleasantries. This is the reason why I decided to study the Catholic principles of mental reservations. The fruit of my labours will be this new series.   Mental reservations are the act of withholding some information when answering a question without directly lying. There are conditions where it is unlawful to conceal the truth, there are times when...